Exceptionally good or precious; surpassing (greater than) what is common or good

That is one definition of SPECIAL. 

I give it because many of the Journey of Hope children are considered to have 'special needs'- a label that sometimes scares prospective adoptive parents away from a child.  So I wanted to address the topic a bit and also share a resource or two that may be helpful and educational if you are considering adoption but unsure about a 'special need' a child has. 

When Crossroads sends out their newsletter, we always are asking families to share their stories.  A recent story shared fits well with this blog post:  

This family had adopted two children domestically and three from India.  They felt their family was complete.  Then, when attending a birthday party for another Indian adoptee, a woman who worked with an organization in India shared about a child with no arms or ears that needed a family.  At first, they brushed off the possiblity, but as they talked later that night, they decided they would adopt this child. The little girl, Prayma, was 3 ½ months old when she came home.  She had arms and she could hear- a little different than the initial referral information- but Prayma never could talk or walk.  She used a wheelchair and needed daily care, but she was a teacher and joy to all. Everyone in the community knew her and everyone loved her.  When, at age 18, Prayma switched from the school district to the Developmental Achievement Center (DAC), her caregiver through the school made the transition with her.  While Prayma died at age 22 due to cirosis of the liver, probably due to one of her medications, she was surrounded by family who wouldn't trade away a single day with her. She was “the gift of the century” according to her mother.

This story is one of a child with greater special needs- a precious girl who made a great, exceptional, special impact on many people. 

While a few of the children in the Journey of Hope program have special needs near the extent of Prayma's, most of them have needs that are able to be medically addressed and have a positive prognosis. A few of our kids have cleft lip and palate; some have Hepatitis B (or are a carrier); one boy has Thalassemia; a handful of boys have urogenital conditions that specialist reviews have said are ones they perform surgeries on everyday; a few have mild limb differences. 

Rainbow Kids is a great site to visit to learn more about specific special needs: http://specialneedsadoption.rainbowkids.com/

We also have a list of families who have adopted children with these special needs who are willing to talk with others about their experiences.  Please contact danielle@crossroadsadoption.com or call 952-831-5707 if you'd like to be connected with one of them!

AND- I want to share a few videos of the group with you! These kids make me smile! :)  You probably wouldn't even guess they have special needs- just that they are exceptional, precious kids!

Email danielle@crossroadsadoption.com or call (952) 831-5707 to talk about a child, Journey of Hope, special needs, adoption, or with any questions or comments you may have.  Also, please let us know if you have ideas for spreading the word on these kids or can help us do so- we just have a few months left to find families for them!