Marked with an 8

She currently resides at the Berizka orphanage in Kiev, Ukraine. She has lived here since September 13, 2005. She lives with 12 other children in room number 8. All of their clothes, down to their underwear, are marked with an 8. Nothing belongs to them and they belong to noone. These precious little souls that are so deserving of something and someone.



She was born on July 20, 2005 to a woman that had been an IV drug user for at least 7 years at the time of her birth. She was born when this woman was only 26 weeks pregnant. She was considered a miscarriage, they didn't even give her APGAR scores. She weighed only 990 grams (2lbs.1oz.). She was born with a hole in her heart, with one kidney, testing positive for both Hepatitis C and HIV. She needed a machine to breath for her and she developed a brain bleed, as many preemies do.



BUT she was given a name that means victory; conquer. And conquer she did. She beat all the odds. The hole in her heart is completely closed, her one kidney is strong and fully functioning, the bleeding in her brain stopped and left no long term effects. She does NOT have Hepatitis C, she only had the antibodies from her mother's blood. She does have HIV, but her levels have remained consistent and she is healthy and thriving.



Today she is a beautiful, spunky four year old girl. Today she became a daughter, a sister, a grand daughter, a niece, a cousin, a cherished member of our family.



Today she became Victoria Lynn Hosford.