I am stressed and need to vent.
Well, our dossier has been registered with the SDA and as of right now we have a submission date of September 21. Obviously this is not what we were hoping for. Apparently our little girl's diagnosis is not on the list of conditions that is guaranteed a quick submission. This is bad for many reasons. One is that we will have to redo most of our paperwork. Another is that there are talks that Ukraine is going to put a moratorium on international adoptions some time in the near future and fall has been thrown around as the time they will do this. They have done this in the past and this can last anywhere from a few weeks, to a few months to indefinitely. But, the worst thing of all is that this means that our little girl with have to sit in an orphanage for that much longer. My heart breaks for her and I long to hold her in my arms. Morgan wants her sister to come home now and so do I.
We do have a glimmer of hope though. Even though her diagnosis is not on the official list, there is a possibility that the SDA will still let us submit our dossier sooner than September. Our facilitator took our child specific petition to them on Monday and we are now waiting to hear back if they will accept our dossier sooner. We haven't heard anything yet and they have holidays coming up there next week, so I'm not sure how much longer we will have to wait to hear what they decided.
The waiting is killing me. Please pray for our little girl and that this all works out. I feel so strongly that this is what we are supposed to do, but it is very hard when all of these road blocks stand in our way. Whatever happens though we will see this through.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
World AIDS orphans day
World AIDS orphans day is May 7. It is to raise awareness of the many, many children in this world that are left orphans due to AIDS. Although I'm not sure yet of the details of how our little girl became an orphan (whether her birth mother is still alive or just could not care for her), she is still an orphan as a result of HIV/AIDS.
I wanted to bring awareness to a few great places that are trying to help these orphans find homes.
One is http://fromhivtohome.org/. You can go to their site to read about how they are helping these orphans and you can also make a tax deductible donation if you would like to help.
Another site that is great for people like me who are in the process of adopting a child with HIV is http://www.projecthopeful.org/. They have been such a wonderful resource to me during this process.
The organization I want to focus on though is Reece's Rainbow. They are a wonderful organization that I can not say enough about. They are an organization that is mainly focussed on helping to advocate for the international adoption of children with Down Syndrome. They also advocate for children with other special needs, HIV being one of them. They have a few wonderful children listed that are HIV positive. These children are all in Eastern Europe. They each have a grant fund sent up that people can make tax deductible donations to. Any money in the grant fund will go to the family that chooses to adopt that child to help offset the costs of the adoption. This money could be the thing that could help these children find their family. To donate please go to Paypal and send your donation to reecesrainbow@yahoo.com. Please put the name of the child you wish your donation to go to in the comments. If you can't donate, please spread the word about these children. You never know who you might tell that just might have an eye opening experience like we did. Adopting a child with HIV is not as overwhelming as it seems. Once you have the knowledge you need, it really doesn't seem all that hard. These children can go on to live long, happy lives if they are given the chance. In an orphanage they do not have that chance. They need the love of a family and the medical care that they can not get in an orphanage.
Avery
Boy, Born April 2005
Avery is a handsome little boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He is also HIV + positive, with an RNA of 400.
For more info and parent support on adopting and raising a child with HIV, please visit http://www.projecthopeful.org/
2 trips
Both parents for 2 weeks
Wait 2-3 months for court
Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days, the other waits one week longer
No family size restrictions
Both parents must be younger than 60 years
Total program and travel fees under $25k
Fee includes a $500 orphanage donation
Married couples and single mothers may apply
Please contact Andrea directly for more information
I have $0 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!
Shannon
Girl, Born October 2005
Shannon is much loved in her orphanage! Platinum blonde hair and striking blue eyes, she is an orphanage favorite. She is very active and healthy and doing well, but was born HIV+.
For more info and parent support on adopting and raising a child with HIV, please visit http://www.projecthopeful.org/
2 trips
Both parents for 2 weeks
Wait 2-3 months for court
Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days, the other waits one week longer
No family size restrictions
Both parents must be younger than 60 years
Total program and travel fees under $25k
Fee includes a $500 orphanage donation
Married couples and single mothers may apply
Please contact Andrea directly for more information
I have $0 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!
Kaylee
Girl, Born May 2006
Kaylee is a muffin of a little girl! Blonde hair and big brown eyes, she is ready to melt your heart. Regrettably, she was also born HIV+. She is doing very well and a-symptomatic at this time. She is a very normal 3 year old!
For more info and parent support on adopting and raising a child with HIV, please visit http://www.projecthopeful.org/
2 trips
Both parents for 2 weeks
Wait 2-3 months for court
Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days, the other waits one week longer
No family size restrictions
Both parents must be younger than 60 years
Total program and travel fees under $25k
Fee includes a $500 orphanage donation
Married couples and single mothers may apply
Please contact Andrea directly for more information
I have $0 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!
Cathryn & Conner
Girl, Born Jan 2006 & Boy, Born May 2007
Cathryn is a gorgeous little girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She is described as healthy, smart and affectionate. She is also HIV + positive. She has some facial features of FAS, but this is not documented in her medical history, only a cautionary disclosure.
Conner is totally healthy and is not a carrier of HIV. The children are darling and will make wonderful additions to any family.
For more info and parent support on adopting and raising a child with HIV, please visit http://www.projecthopeful.org/
2 trips
Both parents for 2 weeks
Wait 2-3 months for court
Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days, the other waits one week longer
No family size restrictions
Both parents must be younger than 60 years
Total program and travel fees under $25k
Fee includes a $500 orphanage donation
Married couples and single mothers may apply
Please contact Andrea directly for more information
We have $100in our grant fund towards the cost of our adoption!
I wanted to bring awareness to a few great places that are trying to help these orphans find homes.
One is http://fromhivtohome.org/. You can go to their site to read about how they are helping these orphans and you can also make a tax deductible donation if you would like to help.
Another site that is great for people like me who are in the process of adopting a child with HIV is http://www.projecthopeful.org/. They have been such a wonderful resource to me during this process.
The organization I want to focus on though is Reece's Rainbow. They are a wonderful organization that I can not say enough about. They are an organization that is mainly focussed on helping to advocate for the international adoption of children with Down Syndrome. They also advocate for children with other special needs, HIV being one of them. They have a few wonderful children listed that are HIV positive. These children are all in Eastern Europe. They each have a grant fund sent up that people can make tax deductible donations to. Any money in the grant fund will go to the family that chooses to adopt that child to help offset the costs of the adoption. This money could be the thing that could help these children find their family. To donate please go to Paypal and send your donation to reecesrainbow@yahoo.com. Please put the name of the child you wish your donation to go to in the comments. If you can't donate, please spread the word about these children. You never know who you might tell that just might have an eye opening experience like we did. Adopting a child with HIV is not as overwhelming as it seems. Once you have the knowledge you need, it really doesn't seem all that hard. These children can go on to live long, happy lives if they are given the chance. In an orphanage they do not have that chance. They need the love of a family and the medical care that they can not get in an orphanage.
Avery
Boy, Born April 2005
Avery is a handsome little boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He is also HIV + positive, with an RNA of 400.
For more info and parent support on adopting and raising a child with HIV, please visit http://www.projecthopeful.org/
2 trips
Both parents for 2 weeks
Wait 2-3 months for court
Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days, the other waits one week longer
No family size restrictions
Both parents must be younger than 60 years
Total program and travel fees under $25k
Fee includes a $500 orphanage donation
Married couples and single mothers may apply
Please contact Andrea directly for more information
I have $0 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!
Shannon
Girl, Born October 2005
Shannon is much loved in her orphanage! Platinum blonde hair and striking blue eyes, she is an orphanage favorite. She is very active and healthy and doing well, but was born HIV+.
For more info and parent support on adopting and raising a child with HIV, please visit http://www.projecthopeful.org/
2 trips
Both parents for 2 weeks
Wait 2-3 months for court
Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days, the other waits one week longer
No family size restrictions
Both parents must be younger than 60 years
Total program and travel fees under $25k
Fee includes a $500 orphanage donation
Married couples and single mothers may apply
Please contact Andrea directly for more information
I have $0 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!
Kaylee
Girl, Born May 2006
Kaylee is a muffin of a little girl! Blonde hair and big brown eyes, she is ready to melt your heart. Regrettably, she was also born HIV+. She is doing very well and a-symptomatic at this time. She is a very normal 3 year old!
For more info and parent support on adopting and raising a child with HIV, please visit http://www.projecthopeful.org/
2 trips
Both parents for 2 weeks
Wait 2-3 months for court
Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days, the other waits one week longer
No family size restrictions
Both parents must be younger than 60 years
Total program and travel fees under $25k
Fee includes a $500 orphanage donation
Married couples and single mothers may apply
Please contact Andrea directly for more information
I have $0 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!
Cathryn & Conner
Girl, Born Jan 2006 & Boy, Born May 2007
Cathryn is a gorgeous little girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She is described as healthy, smart and affectionate. She is also HIV + positive. She has some facial features of FAS, but this is not documented in her medical history, only a cautionary disclosure.
Conner is totally healthy and is not a carrier of HIV. The children are darling and will make wonderful additions to any family.
For more info and parent support on adopting and raising a child with HIV, please visit http://www.projecthopeful.org/
2 trips
Both parents for 2 weeks
Wait 2-3 months for court
Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days, the other waits one week longer
No family size restrictions
Both parents must be younger than 60 years
Total program and travel fees under $25k
Fee includes a $500 orphanage donation
Married couples and single mothers may apply
Please contact Andrea directly for more information
We have $100in our grant fund towards the cost of our adoption!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
It's on the way to Ukraine!
We got our apostilles back this morning and I took the remaining documents for our dossier to be FedEx'd this afternoon. They should arrive in Ukraine in 3 business days, which would be Monday!
The next step is for our facilitator to finish translating everything and have it all notarized and then she will go to the SDA to get a submission date. They only allow dossiers for children under 6 to be submitted on Monday, so I'm praying it won't be too many Monday's before we are submitted.
Please pray that our documents arrive safely and that we are able to submit quickly!
The next step is for our facilitator to finish translating everything and have it all notarized and then she will go to the SDA to get a submission date. They only allow dossiers for children under 6 to be submitted on Monday, so I'm praying it won't be too many Monday's before we are submitted.
Please pray that our documents arrive safely and that we are able to submit quickly!
Monday, April 13, 2009
We have it!!
We received our I-171H approval today!! I can't believe after all of this it is finally here. We took it right away to be notarized and then I sent it via FedEx to be apostilled. I should have it back with the apostille by Wednesday or Thursday and then it is off to Ukraine.
I'm so excited!!!
I'm so excited!!!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
WE ARE APPROVED!!!!!
I have great news!!! I just received a phone call from the lady at our Congressman's office that our I-600A application has been approved! I don't actually have the I-171H in my hands yet, but it is on it's way. As soon as I receive it I will overnight it to be apostilled and then it will be on it's way to Ukraine!
This is the last thing we were waiting for for our dossier, so it looks like our completed dossier will be in Ukraine by next week. Once it is in Ukraine my facilitator will have to finish translating it, have it notarized and then will go to the SDA to get a submission date. We hope to be able to submit fairly quickly and then we will receive a travel date!
It is not over, but this was the last big hurdle to get over. We are finally approaching the end of this paperwork chase and nearing the travelling phase.
We are coming baby girl!!!!!!
This is the last thing we were waiting for for our dossier, so it looks like our completed dossier will be in Ukraine by next week. Once it is in Ukraine my facilitator will have to finish translating it, have it notarized and then will go to the SDA to get a submission date. We hope to be able to submit fairly quickly and then we will receive a travel date!
It is not over, but this was the last big hurdle to get over. We are finally approaching the end of this paperwork chase and nearing the travelling phase.
We are coming baby girl!!!!!!
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