Waiting for You: Aubrey

November 22, 2017 Family Found 2 Comments

Aubrey is a beautiful six-year-old girl, born with beta thalassemia major and a congenital heart defect (ASD). Aubrey is receiving transfusions, but likely not nearly as often as she needs. Aubrey will probably need frequent transfusions for her first couple of months home to help get her hemoglobin back up to a good number. From that point, she will likely need a blood transfusion every 3 weeks.

Aubrey’s file also notes that she has a depression of the occipital region, though it is not talked about in her file and doesn’t seem to affect her at all beyond being a cosmetic issue. Aubrey’s spleen and liver are enlarged, which is common in children in China with thalassemia not receiving regular medical care. Both of those will likely return to a more normal size once she is home and receiving regular care.



Aubrey has had a rough start, coming into care at the approximate age of four and not getting transfused as often as she should be. She is a resilient little girl who can speak clearly and communicate with adults and other children normally. Aubrey likes singing and going to music class. She can sing children’s songs such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Find a Friend.

Her gross and fine motor skills are normal. She can ride a bike and play games in her sports class. As expected, she has a lot more energy and a brighter complexion after receiving a transfusion and is much more tired, with a paler appearance, when she is due for a transfusion.

Aubrey is very helpful and enjoys helping taking care of the younger children. She helps change and feed children and helps her nanny set the table for a meal. Aubrey is very independent – she can eat, dress, undress, and clean-up after herself. She gets along well with other children and has a best friend who lives with her at the orphanage. She likes sleeping next to her best friend. She also likes to stand next to her friend during exercises and is happy to share food with her best friend too. She doesn’t like being criticized and is sensitive and emotional at times, but she calms down easily.

Aubrey is talkative, smiley, and active with her peers. She likes to be beautiful and enjoys wearing beautiful dresses. She will choose the clothes and shoes she likes on her own. Aubrey is listed with Madison Adoption Associates via an orphanage partnership. We know she is going to thrive with a loving family and access to regular and proper medical care!

New video of Aubrey here.

New update from October 2017:

1. How is her mental ability compared to peers the same age?
Her mental ability is the same as normal kids.

2. How does the special need affect her health?
She gets a blood transfusion once a month.

3. Is she potty trained?
She is potty trained.

4. Please describe her personality in details.
She is happy, active and outgoing. She will chat with familiar people. She is quiet when with strangers but will warm up quickly.

5. Is she well behaved and obedient?
She is well behaved and can understand other people. She is very obedient.

6. How are her gross motor skills? Can she walk, run, jump, and walk upstairs and downstairs by herself? Can she kick a ball? Can she pick up a ball? Any limited functions?
She has good gross motor skills. When she needs a transfusion, she will look tired and does not have the energy to jump or run. After the transfusion, she will be very energetic, will walk, go upstairs and downstairs, can jump and run.

7. How are her fine motor skills? Can she draw or scribble on paper? Can she pick up little things with her fingers?
She has good fine motor skills. She can draw and write. She can grab tiny things. But because she has transfusion each month, sometimes she will say her hands feel painful when holding things.

8. Is she in any kind of school? If so, what school? Can she catch up in school?
She is in pre school class in a kindergarten. Her foster brother also went to the same school. The teachers are nice to the kids. She can catch up at school. She is doing well there.

9. How is her emotional development? Is the child attached to anyone? Who is she close to? Does she care for other people?
Her emotional development is good. She has bonded very well with the foster family in a short time. When in the orphanage, she was quiet, not very talkative. But in the foster family, she turned out to be very talkative. She likes talking with foster mother and is attached to her. She will talk to mother once she comes home. She will talk about her days in the orphanage and what she experienced at school. She cares about her family, sometimes she will offer to wash dishes after meal or ask to do some housework.

10. How are her social skills? Does she get along well with other children and adults?
She can adjust very well. She had never been to school before going to foster family. But once in the family, the foster mother will take her to nearby kindergarten for pre school. She adjusted quickly. She had good interaction with other kids. The teachers said she was very polite. She liked going to school. Everyday, she will tell foster mother about her experiences in school and will play with the little girl of the foster family, teaching her to sing and dance.

11. Is she under foster care or living in the orphanage? If foster, when did she enter the foster home? How does she do there? Has it been the same foster home all the time?
She was admitted into the foster family on Aug. 25,2017. She has adjusted well in the foster family and is leading a happy life there.

12. Updated Measurements:

Height: 112 cm,
Weight: 21 kg,
Head: 52 cm,
Chest: 59 cm,
Teeth: 14 on top and 14 teeth below
Foot length: 17cm

13. How is the language ability of the child? What can she say? Can she speak one word, two words or sentences? Can she express her needs well? Is her language ability the same as peers of the same age?
She can speak very well and express her needs clearly. Her language ability is same as kids of her age.

14. Can the child follow directions of adults? One step, two steps, or three steps?
She can do all these.

15. Anything else you think the family should know about the child?
She needs a blood transfusion each month.

16. Is the child on any medication?
She is on iron chelation medication.

17. What is the daily schedule of the child?
7:00 get up,7:45 go to school,11:30 leave school,12:30-14:00 nap,14:30-17:00 go to school 18:00 dinner,22:00 go to bed

18. What does the child eat? Can she feed herself? Does the child eat with chopsticks, spoon, or bottle?
She eats with the family and can feed herself with chopsticks. She likes dishes with meat.

19. Does the child know any English?
No

20. Does the child want to be adopted? Does the child understand what adoption means?
She wants to be adopted by a foreign family. She fully understands it.

21. What color does the child like?
She likes bright colors.

22. What activity does the child like to do?
She likes going to the park or going shopping with the foster family.

23. What is the favorite toy of the child?
She likes dolls and all toys in early education.



There is a $1,000 agency grant with Madison Adoption Associates for Aubrey’s adoption. MAA is offering an additional special $1,000 grant between Nov. 1st and December 31st, 2017 for families that sign on and contract during that time period for any waiting child! 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 and to families that already have their letter of approval from China.

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



2 responses to “Waiting for You: Aubrey”

  1. Melissa Retzlaff says:

    Would like to talk to someone regarding Aubrey.

  2. Heather Martz says:

    I would love more info on this little one. I have not been able to get her out of my mind for months…. she is exactly what I have been praying for…

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