Anastasia Met Her New Family!

I apologize for slacking on this blog--I have been neglecting my other blogs as well.

And now for the news you have all been waiting for!!!

The Lynch Family met Anastasia! She is so precious! Because Anastasia's story is now theirs to tell--I am going to send you HERE to see for yourself!

Please keep the Lynch family in your prayers, and if you feel so led, hop on over to their sponsor page (click the button with Anastasiya's picture on it) and make a donation to support their adoption.

Meet the Lynch Family!

Anastasiya's family has a blog now! There is also a new button you can add to your site. If you click on it, it will take you to their family sponsor page. Please help the Lynch family bring their daughter home!


Grab This!


Please visit the Lynch's blog here

Cornish Family Update

So I did not succeed at 31 for 21. However, I will continue to post interesting Down Syndrome and adoption related things here as one does not need a special month to do so.

My last post asked for prayers for the Cornish Family. Well, Aleksa Faith Cornish is officially their daughter. She is theirs forever and they will be traveling home with her and her new brother Wesley, soon!

You can follow their journey here

31 for 21 Meet the Cornish Family

I apologize for slacking on this blog. Yes...I still do plan to post my 31 posts. It may take me into November a bit. But, I will post 3 or 4 entries a day until I get to 31...so please stay tuned...and there are a couple new entries beneath this one, so please scroll down and continue reading!

Today, I would like to introduce you to another very special family, the Cornish family. They have 6 children, 3 biological, and 3 adopted. Four of their children have Down Syndrome. They are getting ready to add one or two more blessings to their family. They leave in less than 2 weeks on their latest adoption journey. Please watch their video. I know you will be inspired! And please pray for them as well...they can use all the prayers they can get as they seek to bring Aleksa and Wesley home!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Please click HERE to leave a donation to the Cornish family to help with the cost of their adoption. There is also a link to their blog where you can read all about this amazing family!

While you are at it, would you also consider leaving a little something for Anastasiya's family. You can do that HERE

31 for 21 For Anya,,,,Part Two

From Meredith's blog



Today (October 13) news circulated that another "healthy" little one in Ukraine passed away. Such a sad thing to know that this sweet baby never knew a family's love. I got an email (before this) from a friend requesting a copy of this poem as well. I guess it's time to repost it. Originally written in February 2009 when we learned of two girls' passing at an institution in Ukraine. They had passed a YEAR previously but due to outdated information we didn't know. Those two little ones died of the flu while I was in Ukraine with my own adoption. In fact, they were not far from where I was, and I, too, had the flu while there. The difference is that I had plenty of food, water, and even antiviral meds to get through it.

May God watch over all the little ones, now safe in His Embrace.
Anne Marie, November 2005-October 2010 (she was just 2 months older than Brianna...)

While we were...


While we were eating…
… they were hungry
While we were playing…
… they were restrained
While we were tucking our kids into bed…
… they were alone
While we turned up the heat…
… they laid in the icy cold
While we wrapped our children in blanket sleepers…
… they laid in their own excrement
While we sang songs and listened to music…
… they listened to the screams and cries of those around them
While we rocked our babies…
… they silently rocked themselves
While we hugged our kids…
… they scratched at their own faces and pulled their own hair for stimulation
While we cried over scraped knees…
… they moaned in their loneliness
While we brushed our daughters’ beautiful hair…
… they had their heads shaven to stave off the lice
While we fought off the flu with love and nourishment…
… they got the flu and went Home.
No longer suffering… but so many more still are.
In memory of those that have never felt the love of a family, but have passed away alone.
By: Meredith Cornish

In memory of Anya, please donate HERE to help Anastasiya's family bring her home.

31 for 21 For Anya

Originally posted on Gretchen's blog...used with permission

Heartbroken...
...devastated, crushed, just hurting....

Anne Marie...Anya...has gone to a far greater place. She is now in the loving arms of her Father. She is in the arms of her Savior, Jesus, and wrapped in the mantle of her heavenly Mother, the perfect mother, Mary. Why then does it hurt so much to all of us who advocated for her and loved her here below?

Anya was a beautiful girl, born November 25, 2005 in Eastern Europe. She had Down syndrome.

She was likely born to parents who were shocked, fearful and felt helpless. She was likely abandoned at the local hospital, as most are, and stayed there for two weeks before she was moved to the regional hospital until she reached two months of age. From there she went to the region's orphanage. The same orphanage as our sweet Stas.

Born with a heart defect, which likely could have been repaired had she been born in the the U.S. or a healthier society, Anya entered a low-stimulation room and stayed there day after day. Her days and nights were spent in a crib. Mostly likely she slept in one crib and played in another. In the warm months she made frequent trips to the doctor's office in the orphanage to get IV hydration. She was not allowed to walk because "it was too hard on her heart." When families would ask about her she was waved off as a piece of filth. The caretakers, who seemed very kind, would point to her heart, draw a heart on their own chest, scowl, and wave their hand at her as if to "shoo" her away, and let me know she wasn't worth taking. Their hand gesture let us know that she wasn't even worth our inquiry. They were quick to point us to another child or two...one of whom was sweet Taya. She had her forever family coming for her shortly...praise God!

Anya had weaseled her way into our hearts before the trip to go get our precious Stas, but after meeting her and spending time with her (though not enough) she bedded down in our hearts. My daughter Lizzy spent some nice time with her and has some beautiful pictures with her playing "patty cake", "peek-a-boo", and giving her a little hand massage. I'm glad she got to experience this little innocent soul. Anya touched her deeply. I haven't told Lizzy the news yet and know she will hurt deeply.

One warm summer day while visiting Stas we brought lotion, baby bath and baby powder to Anya and Taya's group. We saw their group once or twice a day sitting outside under the tree in little umbrella strollers. Many lay in portable cribs or buggies. There room was on a lower level by an outside door which allowed them to bring strollers and cribs outside for fresher air. Feeling a little brazen, I put lotion on my hands and started giving some mini-massages. First to Taya and then to Anya....oh, that felt so good....for me. It was fascinating to see little Anya come to life after that massage. Her senses were awakened. She craved attention. Every time we walked by she watched our every step. Every picture we have, with her in the background, she was watching intently.

I ponder why it hurts so much for us that loved her so much. Don't we want heaven for all people? Yes. Anya was loved and we WAITED for her forever family to find her. She found her heavenly family, the best there is. Shouldn't we be rejoicing? Of course...at some level. But, Anya represents every other child in Eastern Europe with Down syndrome or any other disability whose life here on earth will be snuffed out because they were not born "typical." They were born into a post-communism society that is repressed and unable to care for the "least among them." The society doesn't know what to do with these children/people. In communism, the focus was on productivity, and from a work-force perspective, they weren't productive. So...they got sent away. There are those in Eastern Europe who advocate for their own children or others with special needs and we can pray that someday they welcome these precious children and learn that they are the best teachers we have. Of course, we in the U.S. have a lot to learn too...with an abortion rate of 90% among those discovered to have Down syndrome our hearts are not where they should be yet. These precious children are teachers of our souls. They do our heart so much good.

By the age of 4-6 years old, children in Eastern Europe with special needs are transferred to mental institutions. Their prognosis is bleak. I have been told that 80% of these children die within the first year of transfer.

If you see this post and are moved, please pray for these children. Go to www.ReecesRainbow.org and see if you are being called to adopt one of God's special children. Yes, it is expensive. The reward is unbeatable. These children need a loving family. A mom to hold them in their sadness and praise them in their accomplishments. They need a dad to love them and cherish their goodness, throw them in the air and make them giggle. They need siblings to be their lifelong cheerleaders and unconditional friends. Might you be that family?

Here is Anya....look at her inquisitive nature. Look at her giggle when Lizzy just waved at her. I wish I would have ripped her out of that stroller and just hugged her and hugged her....

NOTE: Gretchen posted a video and several pictures of little Anya. If you would like to meet her...please view the original post HERE

And what does this have to do with Anastasiya? This is the fate that Anastasiya could have faced without a committed family. In memory of Anya, would you please make a donation to help Anastasiya's family bring her home? You can donate HERE

31 for 21--Some catching up to do...and Christmas Warriors Needed

Yes...it has been over a week since I last posted! I am sorry for that. However, each day until I have caught up, I will be posting two or three posts...so please stay tuned.

For today, I am sending you to Reece's Rainbow!
They are looking for Christmas Warriors for several precious children who do not yet have committed families. This PAGE is for the children who are most at risk of being sent to an institution.

I did not do the Christmas Warrior ministry last year, but Anastasiya was the child that I sponsored from the Angel Tree. I started this blog around Christmas to help find her a family, and rather than advocate for a new child, I am going to focus my efforts on helping to raise some funds for her family to bring her home. I believe very strongly that this is a good family for this little girl and I want to see them have the money that they need to bring her home! If you would like to help, please go to http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorlynch.html
They do not yet have any money in their grant fund...let's do something about that.