In honor of National Glaucoma Awareness Month, the waiting children with glaucoma shared over the next few days are eligible for an additional $1,000 grant with Madison Adoption Associates. It is Madison’s hope and prayer that these grants will help ease some of the financial burden so that families can say “Yes!”
Beautiful Harlow was born in April 2013 and found abandoned when she was about a month old. Harlow’s original report said: Harlow giggles when she is tickled and enjoys listening to music and playing with dolls. She loves to hold her doll in her arms and play with it too. She is close to her caregivers and likes when they play with her. Her caretakers describe her as smiley and extroverted.
Harlow has been diagnosed with congenital retinal degeneration. She is blind, but she does have some light sensitivity. Harlow really has untreated glaucoma, despite what her file says. Harlow often rubs her eyes due to the pain of the untreated eyes. Harlow is not walking yet, but she could scoot around in a baby walker, sit independently, crawl, and stand with support. She was babbling, but was not saying many words. Harlow can locate the directions of sounds. She can feed herself finger foods, like steamed buns, and hold her bottle to drink.
In March of 2017, MAA received a very hard to read update for Harlow – probably one of the worst updates we have ever received for a child. You can see that full update below.
Precious Harlow desperately needs a family to pour love into her and get her the medical care she so very much needs!
You can see a March 2017 video here and an older video from when she was going by a different advocacy name.
Written update from March 2017:
1. How is her mental ability compared to peers of the same age?
Her hearing and vision are affected. Low mental ability.
2. How does the special need affect her health?
It affects everything.
3. Is she potty trained?
She’s in diapers.
4. Please describe her personality in details.
No personality.
5. Is she well behaved and obedient?
She likes rubbing her eyes and is not 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 can do a lot in the crib. She cannot walk by herself. She does not like being trained to walk.
7. How are her fine motor skills? Can she draw or scribble on paper? Can she pick up little things with her fingers?
She cannot see, so she cannot do these.
8. Is she in any kind of school? If so, what school? Can she catch up in school?
No.
9. How is her emotional development? Is the child attached to anyone? Who is she close to? Does she care for other people?
She cannot see or hear. She plays by herself and is not attached to anyone.
10. How are her social skills? Does she get along well with other children and adults?
She plays by herself.
11. Is she under foster care or living in the orphanage?
Orphanage.
12. Updated Measurements:
Height：1.05 m
Weight：15.8 kg
Head circ：48.1 cm
Chest circ：50.1 cm
Number of Teeth: 20
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 isn’t talking.
14. Can the child follow directions of adults? One step, two steps, or three steps?
No.
15. Anything else you think the family should know about the child?
No.
16. Is the child on any medication?
No.
Sarah Hansen in MAA’s home office wrote this blog about Harlow upon receiving this devastating update.
Harlow has over $4,000 in grants via Reece’s Rainbow and a $1,500 agency grant for her adoption with Madison Adoption Associates. 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 are officially matched with a child.
Harlow needs a family with an approved home study to be able to move forward with adopting her. If you have an approved home study or a home study in process and are interested in adopting Harlow, please fill out a free PAP Waiting Child Review Form, which can be found here.
I’ve been thinking about this little girl since I saw her posted on Madison. Sadly I cannot go back and adopt again but would like to give a donation toward her and her forever family I am praying reaches out soon. Can u pls give me direct information on monetary donation for her?
Harlow had been on Reece’s Rainbow and I saw last week she was labeled as “Family Found” but sadly her entire page has disappeared from Reece’s Rainbow. I’m not sure if you know what that means? I had been moved to tears when I saw her update with “my family found me”
I had seen last week that her page on Reece’s Rainbow had been updated under “My Family Found Me” but then a day later it was taken off and her entire page is now missing. Do we know what happened?
I had the same question! I have been following her for quite a while and now she seems to be gone? I hope she really did find her family.
I do know that the Simpson family were wanting to have Harlow and they were doing their home study. She is relisted now though and it doesn’t say my family found me so maybe they were not home study approved?
The Sinpson family were hoping to adopt her, they were doing their home study in March so maybe they were not approved? She is listed again now and it doesn’t say my family found me.
It looks like she is back on Reeces Rainbow 🙁 Her family must have fallen through and I am heartbroken!
Oh no! 🙁 I’m so sad….