One Who Still Waits

I felt like sharing a brief summary of Kellin’s background, for those readers who may be new to this blog.

On September 1^st, 2011, a baby boy was found abandoned in a field in China. He was estimated to be about three days old. He was taken to the hospital and determined to be healthy, with the exception of eyes that hadn’t formed properly. He was taken to the local orphanage.

He was given a name and spent the next nine months in this orphanage. In June of 2012, he was given the opportunity to go and live in a foster care program that specializes in caring for and teaching children who are blind or visually impaired. When he arrived there, he was described as “skinny and sad.” Over the next several months, he gained weight and became a happy baby. He learned to walk with help and started to babble and imitate sounds. In January of 2013, at age 17 months, due to tragic and unfair circumstances, he was forced to return to the orphanage.

Reports from the orphanage indicate that he spent most of his time in a crib, crying. He spent the next two years in that orphanage, in that crib. He lost the ability to walk and talk. He drank a few bottles of formula each day but was fed nothing else. He actually lost weight between the ages of 18 months and 3 ½ years.

In April 2014, his picture and description was posted on Reece’s Rainbow, and that’s where I first saw him. Somehow, I knew the first moment I saw him. We committed to him within a few days and began the adoption process.

Fast forward through several months of paperwork and fundraising, and on January 11^th, 2015, I met him in a hot, stuffy hotel room in Jinan, China. The next day, he officially became our son and his name was changed to the one we had chosen for him.

Kellin was extremely neglected in his orphanage in China. He was denied even basic things like nutrition, attention, and opportunities to explore his world. Unfortunately, this is true of many blind orphans. Blindness is a devastating disability in orphanages, and it is common for these young children to be left in cribs as Kellin was.

I recently saw a post on Facebook about another child who waits. Her story is strikingly similar to Kellin’s, and I want people to see her.

She is called Lola. She is three years old, blind, and spends most of her time in a crib. She is delayed in all areas of her development. Just like Kellin.

https://waitingchildinfo.com/2013/02/01/lola1/

Lola is young, and she is a girl, which are both factors that make her more attractive to potential adoptive families. However, she is also blind and has developmental delays, factors that work against her. Look how far Kellin has come in 16 months – he is walking, jumping, climbing, eating, cuddling, playing, and enjoying life. Lola could do the same – or more – with a loving family, education, and therapy. Somebody please see the potential and beauty in this precious child.