For Life: What Families of Children with Lifelong Needs Need
May 31, 2017
Central Nervous System, cerebral palsy, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, Lifelong needs, May 2017 Feature - For Life
Adopting a child with special needs can be scary. And even scarier when that child has needs that just might require a lifetime of parental care. This month we are hearing from those whose parenting journey has diverged from what most would think typical. They’re parenting children who require more than what many would believe …Read More
Celebrating China: The Dragon Boat Festival
May 30, 2017
Chinese Culture, Chinese food, Chinese Holidays, Nicole
My first introduction to Duān Wǔ Jié, or Dragon Boat Festival, was in June of 2011 when my husband and I were in China to adopt our daughter. It was the first time I had ever stepped foot on Chinese soil. I knew very little about Chinese holidays and even less about Chinese culture. So …Read More
Find My Family: Sweet Mel
May 28, 2017
Children Who Wait
Precious Mel is one year old with Down syndrome. Mostly she enjoys playing by herself quietly, and has a big smile. She can been seen waving her hands to music when she is listening. Mel is able to roll over on her own and can grab toys readily when they are near her. She is …Read More
A Life Donated: Part 1
May 27, 2017
A Life Donated, Andrea O., end stage cardiac disease, heart transplant, single ventricle heart disease, terminal diagnosis
Rini, our youngest of six children, was adopted in August of 2013 at end stage heart failure stemming from complex, single ventricle congenital heart disease. She was admitted to the hospital immediately upon arrival home and within two weeks it was determined that she was inoperable, her only hope would come through cardiac transplant. She …Read More
For Life: What Happened When We Killed Our Dreams
May 26, 2017
a father's perspective, ASD, Dads, Developmental System, Down syndrome, feeding challenges, heart defect, May 2017 Feature - For Life, medical needs checklist, Randall, should we adopt?
Finish high school. Graduate from college. Get a job. Get married. Have a couple kids. Maybe even adopt one. Send them all to college. Celebrate their weddings. Spoil the grandkids. Retire. That’s the plan. Well… that was the plan. When I was getting ready to finish high school, I realized I had no idea what …Read More
Waiting to be Chosen: Mr. Scientist
May 25, 2017
Children Who Wait
Cal (who also goes by Mr. Scientist) is a science-loving 10-year-old little math whiz. My family had the pleasure of being his hosts from December 2015 – January 2016, and in that short amount of time, he demonstrated so much growth. When Cal came to the U.S., he was able to write some words in …Read More
Meet the Contributors: Jennifer
May 24, 2017
Contributor Q and A, Jennifer B., Meet the Contributors
Continuing today with our series in which we share a short Q and A with one of our contributors to give y’all, our faithful readers, a little more behind-the-scenes insight into the amazing group of writers assembled here. And it will also give each of our contributors a chance to share their heart in a …Read More
Thankful We Didn’t Know
May 23, 2017
adopting again, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, heart defect, May 2017 Feature - Vascular, Takayasu’s arteritis, undiagnosed SN, Vascular System, Von Willebrand
Almost four years ago, my husband finally said yes. Again. We had talked, I had prayed. I’d promised not to nag, prayed some more, and waited for that yes. When he agreed to begin our second adoption, he had limits. He had the idea to draw some lines in the sand of what special needs …Read More
Waiting Child: Billy
May 22, 2017
Children Who Wait
Five year old Billy needs a family to give him unconditional love and affection. Billy lives in a foster family and was born with microtia of his ears, which impacts his hearing and speech. Billy is the definition of adorable! He’s a handsome, happy, cuddly, active, helpful, and athletic 5-year-old boy. Billy lives in a …Read More
Returned to the Orphanage: the Children of Guangdong
May 21, 2017
Children Who Wait, Lifeline, orphan ministry, other ways to care for the orphan
On March 21st, I came across a post from Lifeline’s China program director that said: “Please join us in praying for the precious children who are being cared for in our Foster Center in Zhanjiang, China. Because of some new laws being implemented this year in China, we were notified very unexpectedly last night that …Read More
Sofia Waits for a Family
May 20, 2017
Children Who Wait
Sofia is an extroverted 3-year-old who always has a smile on her face. She gets along with her friends and she likes to climb and play outdoors. Since Sofia likes climbing so much, she tries her best to walk by holding onto objects and can climb up a table and climb down. Sofia is expressive …Read More
Find My Family: Jude
May 19, 2017
Children Who Wait
Oh goodness, just look at this sweet smile. Read on… he’s even sweeter on the inside. Sweet-natured Jude celebrated his 11th birthday in October and is living in a foster family at an excellent facility in Beijing. Diagnosed with mild CP, Jude has worked tirelessly to overcome the challenges he faces. Recently he has taken …Read More
For Life: When Exhaustion Meets Glory
May 19, 2017
Katie, May 2017 Feature - For Life, undiagnosed SN
Are you one of the Mamas who thought that the orphanage delays would relent? You thought a year later you would stand on mountain tops and shout of the greatness and miracles of our God? And a year came and went and then another. And suddenly you wake up feeling like you are living your …Read More
Waiting for You: Wes
May 18, 2017
Children Who Wait
Precious little Wes just celebrated his third birthday! Wes is described by his caregivers as sweet, gentle, and good natured. He was born with a spinal lumbar meningocele. He was found as a newborn and received surgery around one year. His legs are weak and have poor sensory input but he can stand with assistance. …Read More
Full of Surprises
May 17, 2017
Central Nervous System, Chiari 1 malformation, clubfoot, Family Stories, hydrocephalus, hydronephrosis, neurogenic bowel and bladder, spina bifida
When we started our adoption process we wanted a healthy child. That’s what everyone wants – adopted or biological – right? Our hearts changed when we had the privilege of working with special needs kids, and we saw so much life and strength in them that we changed our adoption papers to special needs. When …Read More
Love Stories: A Shared Love
May 16, 2017
April 2017 Feature - Love Stories, orphanage, Post-Adoption contact, waiting to travel
We are so quick to fill in the blanks, aren’t we? We get one part of a story, and we use our imagination to complete the rest. But it’s too simplistic to do that with the care of orphaned children halfway around the world… to see an image and create a tragic narrative, hear a …Read More
My Hero
May 15, 2017
adoption realities, Attachment, attachment challenges, cerebral palsy, first year home, Megan, Newly Home, orphanage realities, self-harming, trauma
My hero is tiny but larger than life. Tan skin, black hair and the most beautiful dark chocolate eyes you have ever seen. He is 33 inches tall and weighs 33 pounds. A perfect little pint of goodness. A little over a year ago, at age three, he left a cold gray building with my …Read More
For Life: He Makes Things Beautiful
May 14, 2017
adopting again, large families, Lifelong needs, May 2017 Feature - For Life, medical needs checklist, older child adoption
Adopting a child with special needs can be scary. And even scarier when that child has needs that just might require a lifetime of parental care. This month we are hearing from those whose parenting journey has diverged from what most would think typical. They’re parenting children who require more than what many would believe …Read More
Which Child Is His “Yes” For Us?
May 13, 2017
Courtney, declining a referral, paperchase, referral, should we adopt?, waiting for referral
Any time I look at a file of a child, my heart starts to beat a little faster. I immediately wonder, “is this the one?” As my husband and I wade through pages and pages of medical information, reports, doctor assessments, places of abandonment, finding dates, pictures, and videos, we often find ourselves wondering if …Read More
Trusting God To Number Our Days
May 12, 2017
complex heart defect, Family Stories, pulmonary stenosis, TGA, VSD
I remember looking at pictures of children and wondering if they were mine. I knew God wanted us to adopt a child. I knew He had a specific child for us. Every time I would look at a picture of a waiting child, I would ask myself, “Are you mine?” God, how will I know …Read More
Finding Your Tribe
May 11, 2017
adoption community, local adoption support, Stefanie
Community is important. And for someone walking the often bumpy and occasionally tumultuous road of adoption, it’s essential. Our goal at No Hands But Ours has always been to encourage a sense of community for our adoptive families online; we also want to do all we can to encourage community in person. Face to face. …Read More
For Life: The Road God Had For Us
May 10, 2017
developmental delays, Developmental System, Down syndrome, Lifelong needs, May 2017 Feature - For Life, medical needs checklist, waiting for referral
Adopting a child with special needs can be scary. And even scarier when that child has needs that just might require a lifetime of parental care. This month we are hearing from those whose parenting journey has diverged from what most would think typical. They’re parenting children who require more than what many would believe …Read More
Weathering Medical Surprises
May 9, 2017
adopting a boy, adopting again, Brandie, hearing aids, hearing loss, heart defect, oral aversion, Sensory Processing Issues, speech delay, undiagnosed SN, VSD
At the first sign of a chilly night in the fall, my husband and daughter take tarps to their little garden to cover her cherished tomato plants, hoping to buy them a little more time before the cold winter claims them. Around the same time, my husband and son begin the preparation for winter. They …Read More
So Thankful: Thoughts From A Big Sister
May 8, 2017
adoption realities, sibling perspective, siblings
As I sit here thinking how much my life has changed over the past five years I am flooded with so many thoughts and emotions. As a fifteen year old there are many things I have experienced that so many never will. I have seen firsthand the amazing change in my three siblings from orphan …Read More
Waiting for You: Leo
May 8, 2017
Children Who Wait
Two and a half year old Leo is a huggable, happy little boy! Leo is a Special Focus (SF) child listed on Agape Adoptions’ individual list. Leo’s Chinese name was given to him “in the hopes that he can soar to great heights just like a bird.” Leo is an outgoing little boy who has …Read More
Tackling Feeding Challenges: Feeding Therapy and Finding the Right Fit
May 7, 2017
early intervention, feeding/swallowing therapy, Guest Series, March 2017 Feature - Feeding Challenges, oral aversion, oral-motor delays, refusing food, Sensory Processing Issues, speech therapy, swallow study, Tackling Feeding Challenges
Feeding your child is one of the most basic ways you can bond, and yet can become the one most challenging aspects of parenting for many adoptive families. In this three-part series, Speech Therapist Melissa Pouncey will provide practical places to start working towards peaceful and healthy eating habits, along with more therapeutic information regarding …Read More
From Inconvenient to Eternal
May 6, 2017
AFO, April 2017 Feature - CNS, bowel management, Central Nervous System, Family Stories, incontinence, medical needs checklist, referral, spina bifida, waiting for referral, wheelchair user
We had the same picture as so many others at the start: we envisioned a perfect, beautiful, raven-haired little girl from China. When we started exploring adoption and saw that the face of adoption had really changed to be all about special needs, we shifted our thinking. Minor, correctable needs, we thought. Our perfect, beautiful, …Read More
This Is Why We Adopt
May 5, 2017
adopting out of birth order, aging out expedite, Family Stories, older child adoption, should we adopt?
Terrified, I sat on our bed staring at a 13 year old little girl’s picture. The Lord stopped me in my tracks as I read the brief description about her. Father, surely she is meant for another family… I am hearing your voice wrong, right? People will think we are irresponsible… they will think we …Read More
Conquering Oral Aversions
May 4, 2017
attachment activities, cleft lip, cleft palate, feeding/swallowing therapy, March 2017 Feature - Feeding Challenges, oral aversion, oral-motor delays, refusing food, Sensory Processing Issues, speech therapy
Originally posted on Under the Sycamore When we arrived in China (almost 5 years ago), I thought she would try new foods pretty quickly. She didn’t. I thought once she was settled in at home, she’d be ready. She wasn’t. After several months of no progress, I joked that I was sure she’d eat a …Read More
Celebrating The Dragon Boat Festival
May 3, 2017
Chinese Culture, Chinese Holidays, Faith, recipes
The Dragon Boat Festival (Duānwǔjié, or 端午节) falls on the fifth day of the fifth Lunar month each year. This year, the festival falls on Tuesday, May 30. For adoptive families in the paperwork process, that means that the CCCWA will close down for a couple of days in observance of the holiday. China will …Read More
Find My Family: Sweet Holly
May 2, 2017
Children Who Wait, Chris
I’m so thrilled to advocate for sweet Holly. I met this precious little girl when she was a baby! Let me introduce you to her…. Holly is a beautiful 7 year old little girl with CP. She arrived at the orphanage as a newborn and was transferred as a one-week old infant to a group …Read More
Elijah’s Story: You Don’t Have to Hide
May 2, 2017
adopting a boy, adopting out of birth order, aging out expedite, Family Stories, Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome, May 2017 Feature - Vascular, older child adoption, should we adopt?, Vascular System
We had no clue what was about to happen. We have many folks in our circle of friends and family who have fostered and adopted, both domestically and internationally. We have loved supporting them, praying for them, and wearing the t-shirts. Shared stories and advocacy posts were a regular occurrence on our news feeds, but …Read More
Dear Driver… (and an update)
May 1, 2017
April 2017 Feature - Love Stories, foster care, foster family, Kelly, Post-Adoption contact
Originally published at the end of December, regular NHBO contributor Kelly Raudenbush shared a letter to an orphanage driver who was searching for information about the child he had once fostered over a decade earlier. Given our April theme of Love Stories, we wanted to share this post once again as well as a remarkable …Read More
May Special Needs Focus (and Favorite Family Stories): Vascular
May 1, 2017
Favorite Family Stories, hemangioma, Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome, May 2017 Feature - Vascular, port wine stain, Sturge Weber Syndrome, Vascular System
The term special needs can sound scary. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Our goal at NHBO is to equip and inform parents – replacing fear with knowledge – as they navigate the beginning stages of special needs adoption. And then encourage and support those home with their special needs kiddos. We do …Read More