Two-year-old Allen is a sweet little boy who has the best smile. His life hasn’t been easy from the start, though. He came into care of the orphanage as a newborn and was found to have what his file says is meningocele, but appears to be an encephalocele. You can learn more about that here.

Allen takes a daily nap and is a good eater. He likes yogurt and fruits, but his favorite is a banana. He can stand and walk independently. Allen is said to be an active child who is very friendly, clever, and passionate. He plays well with the other children and is not afraid to play with kids who are bigger than him.

Allen likes to be held and to listen and dance to music. At the time his file was prepared, he was able to say simple words. He is very helpful and will go pick things up for the caregivers and will also follow simple directions.

In October of 2016, Allen underwent “bulging frontal lobe excision, repair operation for frontal cranial meningocele and repair operation for skull bone defect.” The operations went smoothly.

Allen seems to have more use of his left eye now compared to when he came into care. There are many scans in his file. In other places in his file, it mentions that a PFO heart defect was found and he was said to have ametropia of both eyes, likely due to the placement of the tumor. When he first came into care, he did not pass a hearing test for his left ear, but that was not mentioned anywhere else in the file as being an issue.

Allen is listed with Madison Adoption Associates and MAA has received an update. Allen would do so well in a family who could give him access to the future surgeries/procedures he would need!

A new video of Allen can be found here; password is Adoptmaa.

Update from April 2017

1. How is his mental ability compared to peers the same age?
He is very smart. His mental level is the same as peers the same age.

2. How does the special need affect his health?
He looks different, other than that, he is normal.

3. Is he potty trained?
He is still too little to be potty trained.

4. Please describe his personality in details.
He is very happy and smart. He is easygoing and very extroverted.

5. Is he well behaved and obedient?
He is very obedient and well behaved. Once, he was taken to the hospital for exam. The doctor required that he could not eat or drink from morning to afternoon. In the hospital, the nanny told him the exam was for the purpose to fix his head and he needed to cooperate. The other kids were eating and he would not even look at them eating. He just stayed quietly with the caretaker for long time, not cranky at all.

6. How are his gross motor skills? Can he walk, run, jump, walk upstairs and downstairs by himself? Can he kick a ball? Can he pick up a ball? Any limited functions?
He can stand up and walk for a dozen steps and can crawl upstairs and downstairs. No limitations.

7. How are his fine motor skills? Can he draw or scribble on paper? Can he pick up little things with his fingers?
He can draw and scribble and can pick up little things. No limitations.

8. Is he in any kind of school?
No school yet.

9. How is his emotional development? Is the child attached to anyone? Who is he close to? Does he care for other people?
He will be close to people who are nice to him, not a particular person. He cares for kids younger than him. He shares with other kids.

10. How are his social skills? Does he get along well with other children and adults? He is smart and well behaved so all the caretakers love him. He gets along well with other kids and adults.

11. Is he under foster care or living in the orphanage?
He transferred from his orphanage to a specialty care home and he is doing well there.

12. How is the language ability of the child? What can he say? Can he speak one word, two words or sentences? Can he express his needs well? Is his language ability the same as peers of the same age?
He can say “baba”, “mama” and “nainai.”

13. Can the child follow directions of adults? One step, two steps, or three steps?
Yes, he can follow directions like taking something to someone for someone.

14. Is the child on any medication?
No.

15. What is the daily schedule of the child?
Get up at 7:30am to eat breakfast, then play, eat at about 9:30am, lunch at about 11:30, nap at 12:00, get up at 2:30pm, eat some snacks, dinner at 5:30pm, go to bed at 8:00.

16. What does the child eat? Can he feed himself? Does the child eat with chopsticks, spoon, or bottle?
Sometimes he feeds himself with a spoon, sometimes the caretakers feed him. He cannot use chopsticks yet. Sometimes he drinks with a bottle and sometimes with a cup or straw.

17. Does the child know any English?
No.

18. Does the child want to be adopted? Does the child understand what adoption means?
He does not know about adoption, but he will be happy to have a family.

19. What color does the child like?
He likes bright colors. He is little, so he does not know the colors well yet.

20. What activity does the child like to do? He likes playing outside with other kids.

21. What is the favorite toy of the child? Boy toys like transformers, balls, and blocks.

Updated Measurements:
Height: 88c cm
Weight: 12.5 kg
Head circumference: 50 cm
Chest circumference: 52 cm
Foot: 14 cm
Number of teeth: 20

There is a $2,000 agency grant for Allen’s adoption with MAA. Other grants may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances. Agency grants are awarded as agency fee reductions. MAA also partners with the Brittany’s Hope Foundation for matching grants, which are given out twice a year (January and July) and to families that already matched with a child.

If you are interested in reviewing Allen’s file or in adopting Allen, please fill out a free PAP Waiting Child Review Form here.