Harley

Harley is a very articulate boy for his age. He speaks and understands English and is a very sensitive boy. He likes to play with others and even said that it's important to interact with others to have good mental health. Harley attends school at the institute and is doing well there. He loves to play outside and especially enjoys sports. He is also quite a talented and confident dancer and likes martial arts. Harley could have a bright future, as he has much potential. His is in a great orphanage, but that will never be able to replace a family or the stigma he will face in China as an orphan. With the love and security of a forever family, there's no telling what Harley could do!
Harley's file is available for review, so please contact me to consider him: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Help Harley find his forever family--spread the word!

Your Comments, Please

I'm looking for a little help to know what you would like to see here on this blog? What do you think would help these children find families? Please post your comments and tell me whether you like what I've been doing or if you have suggestions on what could be done differently or better to benefit these children.
Thank you!
Marci

Apparently there was an issue with posting comments--sorry about that! It's fixed now, so comment away! It's great to hear from you:-)

Older Child Adoption

Back at the beginning of our first Hope Journey program, I talked about how older child adoption is not for everyone, and that's definitely true. Just like adoption is not for everyone. There are some things you just have to be willing to accept. You won't get to see their first steps or hear their first words. But you will get to see their first steps on American soil and hear their first English words. Older child adoption has different kinds of firsts. Like the first time they call you Mom or Dad or say "I love you." Or perhaps the first time they tell you something about their life in China. There are lots of firsts that I hear families rejoice. But you also have to be prepared for the possibility that it might not be an easy transition. For some, it might take a very long time for them to say those words you so want to hear. After all, when you adopt a child, you're adopting a fully formed personality in many cases. You will have to adapt to them, just like they have to adapt to you. So it's true, older child adoption is not for everyone. But many families are finding wonderful matches in older children! So if your heart is open, please consider it. Do your research and prepare for the worst and hope for the best. There are great resources to turn to about older child adoption. Rainbowkids has great articles about it:http://www.rainbowkids.com/Articles.aspx?command=search
as does No Hands But Ours: http://nohandsfamilystories.blogspot.com/

I know there are some of you out there reading this blog, so please help spread the word about these precious children--they need your help to find their forever families! They are waiting too long.
Marci

Hope Journey I

Let's go back to Hope Journey 1 for a moment. Right this moment, we have a bunch of families in China adopting children from Hope Journey 1! Beatrice has been united with her family and is doing wonderfully! She loves her new sisters! Clark and Hannah have been united with their forever family--congratulations to that family!Lucky has been united with his forever family and they are doing wonderfully! George has just been united with his family as well! Congratulations to all of the new families! Reports from families so far are positive--the kids seem to be adjusting well:-) Here is a picture of one of the happy new families who adopted Beatrice, now Katelyn (minus Dad, the picture taker):

Wade and Jack

Aren't these two adorable?

Wade is 7 years old and is deaf. He is fairly new to sign language, but has a good memory and takes his school work very seriously. He is at the head of the class in math. Wade loves sports, especially playing ball. He is a happy and determined boy and seems to get along with others quite well.

Jack just turned 6 years old--Happy Birthday, Jack! He has repaired cleft lip and palate. His speech is pretty clear, except for a few words. Jack is a bit shy, but gets along with other kids well. He is helpful to his nannies and is very kind hearted. Eva noted in the interview that he was shy, but a happy boy who was able to maintain focus.

These two did an adorable little dance together. It reminded me a bit of tweedle dee and tweedle dum:-) So cute! So come check out their files--no one is considering either of them currently! Contact me for details: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Keep your fingers crossed!

Keep your fingers crossed for the kiddos! I hope to have more good news soon.

For those of you just tuning in, take a look further down to see some of our adorable children waiting for families! If you think you don't quite meet the requirements, contact me anyway! We just might be able to help you:-)
marcisk@asiadopt.org

Good News for Sam and Clive!

Wonderful news for Sam and Clive!!! They have families pursuing them! I'm so excited for these two boys! Boy, boys, boys!!!!

On this Independence Day weekend, while we're all out celebrating, I will be hoping that there are many more requests for children from our Hope Journey list when the weekend is over. We have families for 6 of the 35 children, but that's 29 more to go. 29 more children whose futures are yet to be determined. Without families, they may end up stigmatized as orphans as they try to find their way in the world, without the security of forever family to fall back on. I will especially be thinking of the older ones, for whom this may be a last chance. Quentin who is a very likable, personable and sweet boy and is great with younger children. Parker who is already mature for his age, smart and a bit shy. Fabian, who seems to do best with children his age or older and is a bit shy in group settings, but more forthcoming individually. I'll be thinking of Cherry who stole a special place in my heart. She's an outgoing, popular little girl at the institute, confident, bright and a talented artist. Think of them this weekend as you have the opportunity to be an adoption advocate...

Cleft Lip and Palate

Let's talk cleft lip and palate, since we have quite a few kiddos with that special need, many which have been repaired. Clearly there are surgeries involved with this special need. How many surgeries depends on the degree of the cleft and probably the child as well. Usually hospitals that treat this special need have a whole team that works together for a child with this condition. The team typically includes an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor, a Speech Therapist, an Orthodontist, Craniofacial Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons, Audiologists and possibly social workers. ASIA has helped many families in the past to adopt children with clefts. It is a fairly common special need in China and one to which many families in the U.S. have opened their hearts.

Several of our Hope Journey II children have this special need:
Edward is 6 years old and has postoperative cleft lip and palate
Jack is 6 years old and has postoperative cleft lip and palate
Cherry is 9 years old and has postoperative cleft lip and palate
CJ is 7 years old and has postoperative cleft lip and palate

But these kids are not their special need. While they will need some medical intervention in their lives, they are sweet, happy, talented little kiddos with fun personalities who want forever families. There are also lots of little ones on the shared waiting child list with this special need. Could you be the family they have been waiting for? Contact Marci if you think so: marcisk@asiadopt.org
If you have a child with this special need, please let others know about your experience! Spread the word!

Happy Birthday, CJ!!!!

Please meet CJ.

He turns 7 years old this month and the best gift we could give him would be to find him a forever family! CJ's special need is repaired cleft lip/palate and hexadactyly of his left hand and feet. CJ showed his expertise in the martial arts for his talent at the Hope Journey camp:-) His favorite subjects are math and music and he wants to be adopted. He said "I'm a good boy, I can be adopted." I think he is, too! We should be able to find his family out there. He can repeat English phrases and is in 2nd grade in school. His teachers describe him as clever and cute. He lives in a foster family. As you can see, CJ is a very competent little boy. His file is currently available--please contact me to review it (marcisk@asiadopt.org). Please help CJ find his family!

Waivers

Do you think you may not qualify for China anymore? Is there just 1 requirement you do not meet? CONTACT ASIA IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE HOPE JOURNEY CHILDREN!! CCAA may be more willing to grant waivers for families adopting boys!!! So help us find those families for those boys! We have a process for getting waivers, so just contact us for more information. We have lots of boys available!!!! marcisk@asiadopt.org
Spread the word:-)

Deconstructing Special Needs

I admit that a first look at these children's special needs leads one to think that most of them are pretty serious. Let's start deconstructing the special needs. They're really not as bad as you might think (of course, I"m no doctor, but this comes from a little research). Let's take Jimmy, for example. His special needs are listed as Facial Paralysis, Deformity of Auricle on both sides, and Chronic Otitis Media Suppurativa on the left side. Sounds scary, right? Not so much!

Chronic Otitis Media Suppurative is a chronic middle ear infection. If treated early, it may be cured with antibiotics. If not, a surgery may be required.

Jimmy also has ear deformities, which is listed as deformity of auricle on both sides. Lots of families adopt children with ear deformities such as atresia or microtia and they do wonderfully with the treatment available in the U.S.!

You can see from some of his photos that he has facial paralysis. It may be that Jimmy has hemifacial microsomia, which may explain the ear differences and the facial paralysis. This is a fairly common condition and tends not to affect other parts of the body. In fact, Seattle has a wonderful hospital for treating this condition:-) This addresses the hearing difficulties, deformities of the ear and the facial paralysis! Please see this website for details: http://www.seattlechildrens.org/medical-conditions/chromosomal-genetic-conditions/hemifacial-microsomia-treatment/

So, Washingtonians, since you have such a wonderful team of doctors ready to help Jimmy, might you consider this sweet and talented boy? Can you believe that no one has asked for his file? Please contact me right away to consider Jimmy! The boy has character! He is buddies with Mark and they work together wonderfully and do many adorable dance numbers together.

Cute Clive

Clive is a cute, curious and charming boy! He smiles a lot and has cute little dimples in his cheeks, as you can see below. Clive has some developmental delays, but don't let that scare you away!

Clive practiced writing his numbers there on his drawing and look at that proud smile! He likes to color and write his name. He is 6 years old and his favorite classes are Chinese, English, Dance and music. He wants to be a policeman when he grows up. He just needs a loving forever family to help him reach his full potential. Can you believe that no one has requested this adorable boy's file???? Could you be his family?

Help Clive's dreams come true: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Amiable Anna

Amiable Anna is not only amiable, but sweet, endearing, charming, outgoing, friendly, kind hearted towards others and well liked at the institute. Anna is involved with the Sunshine Academy, and therefore knows some English. As you can see from the pictures below, she was in several dance performances and had a great time with all of the activities during the camp. At the end of the performance where they wore the white tuxedos and red cowboy hats, the kids lined up and did the chicken dance in unison, which was also adorable!

Anna's teacher from the Sunshine academy says she has made great strides there. As you can see, they are very close, dancing together and were even pictured there in a newspaper:-) Her teacher says that Anna loves to be hugged and also gives comfort to others. She is very observant.

Anna really wants a family of her own. Let's help her dreams come true! If you think you might possibly be Anna's family or know someone who might be, please contact me right away! marcisk@asiadopt.org

(Anna now has a family pursuing her.....9/21/10)

Welcome Home and Bon Voyage!

This is a happy post to welcome home families and children from the last Hope Journey program!

I want to welcome home Frances and her family, Skyler and his family, Gina and her family and Penelope and her family!

Soon to be united with their families are Clarke and Hannah, George, Lucky, Julia and Beatrice!

Congratulations to all of those families and the non-Hope Journey families who have recently returned home with their children or are soon to travel! The program coordinators are busy busy planning summer travel for all of these families and excitement is in the air:-) We're so happy for all of the wonderful families and children!

Send us pictures when you get a chance!

I Know I Was Born For a Reason...

The children at Bao an between the ages of 3 and 6 years old attend the Sunshine Academy. Their teacher, Heidi, teaches them English and music, which gives them a tremendous head start when they either enter public school or get adopted by an English-speaking family. The Sunshine Academy has a great website with a very touching video on it about their mission. Please take a moment to take a look...some of our Hope Journey kids are in it: "I know I was born for a reason" http://www.casunshine.org/index.asp

The Sunshine Academy's mission is very close to ASIA's. I know these kids were born for a reason, too. Their destiny does not end in China. It is with loving families somewhere in the world. It is ASIA's job to connect those families with these children. If you have a heart for the children, please share this with everyone in your community to help find that connection for the children.

Child Photographers

We finally got the pictures developed from the disposable cameras we gave to the kids. As you can see, they had a blast with them and much chaos insued! I love these pictures because the kids really captured the moments--the people that were important to them and the true spirit of the kids.

I love this last one because Heather has a full on open mouth laugh and she is dancing with the Director of the orphanage:-) It really was fun and the kids really let loose, which was great to see.

A Heart full of Heather

Heather is a very sweet little girl who was deaf until she received a cochlear implant. She is now learning to speak! She tries very hard, is obedient and wants to please. This girl also knows how to have fun when it is appropriate. I have an adorable picture of her going down the slide with a big smile on her face, but it's not quite appropriate for the internet, unfortunately. She loved her purple hula skirt and wore it for much of the afternoon! I wouldn't describe Heather as a girlie girl--she seems to keep up with the boys just fine. A family with some brothers might be a good fit for this one! She loves to be active and play on the playground. She also likes to help with the younger kids and is close to her nannies. Please contact me if you would like to consider Heather: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Isn't he Handsome?

Meet Parker:

Parker is a sweet, sensitive, shy boy. He wants to be adopted, but is a little scared (understandably) about moving to a different country and having to learn a new language. I caught Parker smiling and having a good time during several of the group activities. He likes to play with younger children and seemed to be a pretty good helper. I would describe Parker as a diamond in the rough...you seem to have to get to know him before he is willing to really share himself. I can relate to that:-) Parker's favorite subjects in school are Chinese and music. He seemed to be articulate during the interview. Parker is almost 11 years old. He only has a few years left to be matched with a family. If you could be interested in Parker, please contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Boys and Girls

Aren't they cute?

How many people are expecting girls and surprise! Here's a boy! Boys are wonderful, too! They're happy, fun, full of energy, adventurous, mama's boys, cuddle bears, sweet, sensitive, talented, all that you ever wanted in a child, wrapped in a bundle of energy:-) This is my nudge to check out some of our boys. The girls on our lists always find their families pretty quickly, but there are precious boys that just sit there and wait. These are great kids! I know because I've met them, observed them and interacted with them. They're cute, adorable, sweet and hugable. They're well behaved (now how many American boys can you say that about?). Look at them all sitting there nicely! They really did that for two very long days. These boys have so much potential...police men, doctors, lawyers, teachers....husbands, fathers, sons, athletes.....is one of them your son? Contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org and spread the word about these sweethearts!

Attention, Attention!

I have wonderful news to report! Chance, Shelby and Lily will all have families! We hope there will be others very soon, but it's a start!



As you all go home for this holiday weekend, please continue to spread the word about the other children that don't yet have families. Mark is really tugging at my heartstrings. He doesn't have any of the problems commonly associated with hydrocephalus--he is such a smart and talented little boy! He is coordinated, intelligent and adorable! I hope that his family is out there and will come forward for him. When hydrocephalus is caught early on, many children live healthy, normal lives. So if you're drawn to Mark, but scared of his special need, ask for his file and take a chance at considering him. You might just be surprised!

Gavin

Put yourself in a room with 35 kids and you are naturally drawn to some more than others. That's why a picture is worth a thousand words and each child has a family that is right for them. So naturally, Eva and I have different takes on some of the kids. So here is Eva's impression of Gavin who has the special need of club feet:

Gavin might look serious at times but when something interests him, he will have the brightest smile on his face and make you happy right away! Gavin is always very concentrated on his task, no matter if he’s drawing, dancing or listening quietly; but once he’s done, he will have a big smile on his face, telling you how much he enjoyed it. He’s very well behaved and played well with all the other kids’ even kids from the other orphanage. He did a “good friend” dance with his best friend during the talent show; it was very sweet.

I got to know him more during the interview. He is a polite kid, always says thank you and is not shy at all. He is very responsive and has lots of ideas, but he was distracted at times. He explored many options before he made up his mind to give me a final answer. He has a very strong will; it was hard to regain his attention when he was focusing on what he chose to do.
-Eva

Group Video

This is a short video from some of the free time we had with the kids to play with them. We gave them beach balls in their goody bags and they had a blast with them! Here you can even see Harold trying to impress the camera with his skills:-) The video also includes Chance, Chrissy, Quentin, Shelby, Sam, Michael, Heather, Shawn, Clive, Lilah and Joel. There may be a couple others in there--it's a bit chaotic:-) It's the kids just being kids!

Enjoy:-)

One of these children could be yours

When I initially looked at just the names, ages and special needs list of the kids we were assigned for our Hope Journey camp, I had the feeling that these kids would be difficult to place. Those names, ages and special needs, I'm afraid, are what most people are still seeing. But when I went to China and met these kids, they were so much more than that! These are happy, capable and adorable kiddos!

I met Mark who has hydrocephalus and is the cutest, smartest and most talented little boy! I just wanted to scoop him up in my arms. He was certainly not affected by his special need, swinging his hips, dancing and spinning to the music.

I also met Jimmy, who is another smart and talented boy with facial paralysis. Sometimes I noticed it, but most of the time he seemed like a regular boy. He is another talented dancer and a close friend of Mark's. He, too, was very confident swinging his hips on stage.

I met Lisa and was amazed that she has cerebral palsy, because she is such a talented, capable and outgoing little girl. It may take her a little longer to learn, but she is determined and that gets her far in life! She was motivated to memorize a poem and recited it by herself for the performance. I watched her throughout the camp and continued to be amazed by her confidence and happy personality. She picked up on things just as quick as all of the other children.

I met Sam who has a limb difference and is a happy, outgoing and confident little boy! He's adorable and affectionate and compensates for his special need quite well. He loves to be held, but is fine walking, too, and participated in the activities with all of the other kids. Sam has a lot of potential and just needs a family to help him reach it.

I met Anna who is a sweet, outgoing little girl who always has a smile on her face and makes the most of every moment. She is reported to have developmental delays, but she is certainly not unintelligent! She is affectionate and fun-loving and gets along very well with all of the other children.

I met Cherry, who is a very smart and sensitive girl and a good artist. Cherry is a proud girl and was in quite a few performances in beautiful costumes. She has lots of friends and I can't tell you how many people I've heard from who have adopted children from Bao an that were good friends with Cherry! It's Cherry's turn--her family must be out there!

I met Peter and it wasn't evident that he was deaf until the interview at the end--he moved to the music quite well! Peter is a magnificent performer and was given a solo in the Lion Dance, which he deserved! He is a happy, confident boy who is very friendly. Peter will go far in his life!

I met Quentin, who was outgoing and sweet from the start! He liked to practice his limited English and never missed an opportunity to pose for a photo. Quentin wants a family, and that was evident just from his actions at the camp. He is also multi-talented and a very smart and sensitive boy. He made up and recited a beautiful poem all about spring. He also played an African drum beautifully.

Harold is a shy boy who played the cucurbit flute beautifully! He participated in all of the activities, but was reserved. His cheeks turned bright red when he was given a big hug by Barack Obama's half brother who was there. He is modest, but I think the right family could draw him out of his shell.

Shawn is an orphanage favorite. All of the nannies enjoy taking him home and giving him lots of attention! His special need doesn't affect his daily life and he is adorable and well loved. He is one of the youngest in our group of kids this time. I had no idea he was any different than any other 3 year old! He's quite responsive and knows his body parts and colors and can follow directions. He had a good time with the beach ball!

It's very difficult for me to put into words the experience we had with these children. We didn't see special needs. We saw normal boys and girls who were great performers and good at having fun! They were well behaved, friendly and it tugs at my heart to know that we haven't found their families yet. Such impressive children could only be more so with the unconditional love of a family with them. That's security that they do not have as orphans in China.

Jiggy Jimmy

Jimmy is a cute little boy who is full of enthusiasm! He loves to dance and is quite good at it! He and Mark are close buddies and the two were in several performances together with their adorable little smiles. Susan and I both had to refrain from scooping them up! Jimmy didn't seem at all affected by his special need and there were many times where it wasn't even noticeable. He seemed to enjoy every moment of his performances, as well as the group activities. Jimmy's favorite subjects are drawing and dance, which make sense because he is very talented at both. He also seems to be a very confident young boy. It's hard to put into words, but Jimmy had something about him that just drew my attention to him right away. Many of the boys around his age seemed to blend in and it was hard to remember their names, but I learned Jimmy's right away! He made great eye contact and seemed very friendly.

Spread The Hope

The weekend is coming; please spread the hope for these kids! Our blog is called ASIAhope because these kids are hoping that a family will come forward and give them the unconditional love they so deserve. We are working hard to help make their dreams come true, but we need your help. With your help, we can spread the hope and reach thousands more families! With your help, we may be able to find the right families for these children. So this weekend, when you're out having fun, tell some people you know about these kids and this blog. Help us spread the hope! It's so hard to convey through words all of the potential that I saw in the kids throughout the camp. They are all talented little people who have fun, play and smile just like any other child. They just need a forever family to help them reach their full potential. Could you be that family?

These are the kids that no one is considering currently:

Harley (likes math and Chinese, likes to play piano and wants to be adopted and go to the U.S and is very articulate)

Jimmy(talented musically, very tactile, funny and loves to play ball)

Heather (very sweet and friendly girl, well behaved and obedient)

Sam(Very sweet, friendly boy, outgoing, competent, affectionate and smart)

Gene(Friendly, happy, well behaved with fabulous musical ability)

Edward(loves to draw, wants to be adopted by American family)

Jack(loves to draw, is not a big fan of reading, if he could have anything it would be a cell phone from his mom and dad--he must be meant to live in America!)

Gavin(very polite, loves music and McDonalds. Wants to ride the train to work when he is grown up)

Joel(happy, active, enthusiastic, very logical, wants to teach kids to play games when he grows up)

Wade(loves art, drawing and playing ball, wants to be adopted)

Jeremy(advanced fine motor skills, prefers to play alone, quiet, happy)

Henry(likes to draw and listen to music, good at playing matching memory game)

Bo(likes Chinese and PE classes in school, likes to play and write his name)

Peter (Friendly, happy, good at matching game, plays with others well)

Lilah(beautiful, likes to play with foster sister, draw and do shapes puzzle)

Warner (Great smile, very smart and articulate, enjoys reading English stories and music and said emphatically that he wants to be adopted)

Fabian (If he could have anything in the world it would be a family, parents to love and play with him and help him with school, very responsive, loves basketball)

Michael(Good at coloring, tracing and repeating words, cute and sweet)

CJ (Wants to be a teacher when he grows up, says he's a good boy so he can be adopted)

Thomas (Bright, outgoing, happy, logical, wants to drive a big, red car)

Clive (loves dance, music, Chinese and English classes, does puzzles for fun, wants to be a policeman)

Harold (likes to help other children and play badminton, enjoys music and singing, sweet and sensitive, shy boy)

Lisa (enthusiastic and capable little girl, responsive, artistic and happy, performed without a coach by herself)

Shawn (sweet, happy, performed by himself, confident, responsive)

Contact me if you would like to consider any of them: marcisk@asiadopt.org

We Need You!

I'm writing to ask for your help now. All of these beautiful children need forever families and yet, we have very few files out for review. If you have a heart for these children, please help us spread the word about these kids. The boys, especially, are always harder to find families for and yet with our last Hope Journey we were able to find those families with your help! So please spread the word to your family, friends, church, any community that you're a part of in your lives. You will be making a very tangible different in the lives of these children. Thank you for your help!
-Marci

Humble Harold

Harold seemed like a very sweet and shy boy. He played the cucurbit flute for his talent on the first day and during closing ceremonies. He was also in the signing song and was quite expressive. When he was done with his flute performance and came off of stage, Barack Obama's half-brother, Marc, gave him a big hug! You could see Harold's cheeks turn red:-)

Harold wants to be a police officer when he grows up so he can catch thieves. When asked if he could have anything in the world what would it be, he said that he wanted parents and siblings. Harold likes younger children and likes to help care for them. He is open to going to America, but is a bit scared. I didn't realize how many pictures Harold was in until I started going through them--he was in a lot! I hope we can find the family that is meant to be his and help make his dream come true.

Magnanimous Mark

Every time I look at Mark's pictures he makes me smile--he's so cute! I wish I could post some of his individual ones where you can really see his adorable smile. I don't know if the still pictures can convey how enthusiastic he is in his performances, though. His jazz hands are definitely the best of the bunch! I just want to scoop him up and kiss his adorable cheeks! He didn't have a problem when Susan scooped him up and he had a big smile on his face! Mark was in so many performances and even his English teacher said he is very musically talented and a good dancer. Mark always had this cute little smile on his face the whole time. He was great with other kids, too. He's a smart and talented little boy. Mark's file is available for review, so step forward and check out his adorable pictures and video:-)

Peter

Peter is a very talented little boy indeed! His special need doesn't stop him from much. He is an amazing performer and was part of the Lion dances during closing ceremonies. He was the one who got a solo part! He also writes characters very well and seems to be bright, responsive and friendly. He has many other friends and interacted with older and younger children very well. Peter is a very well behaved little boy. Peter's teacher describes him as very intelligent and a quick learner. He also likes to help others, which was evident by the way he interacted at the camp. He seemed like a very sweet little boy and always had a smile on his face.

Cherry

Cherry is a very sweet, sensitive and curious young lady! She was in a lot of the performances and is a good dancer. She seemed very comfortable in the spotlight. She is extremely close to one of her caregivers/teachers, Samantha. Samantha provides Cherry with the attachment she needs and is there for her emotional support as well. Samantha even approached me about how to help Cherry transition into an adoptive family when the time comes. She is an extremely dedicated staff member. Cherry is not shy and at one point relieved me of my small video camera to try it out for herself:-) She was terrific with the other children at the orphanage--both older and younger. Several of the other children reported her to be a close or best friend. Cherry wants to be adopted and will need a sensitive family to help her transition when the world she knows is left behind. Cherry is an intelligent and confident young lady. She is also reported to be a very good artist. We hope that the family that is meant to be hers will come forward for her very soon!