Wednesday's Waiting Child: Darren

UPDATE (1-26-12): Darren now has a family working to bring him home.


I am so incredibly excited about today's waiting child that I am actually starting this post on Tuesday because Wednesday just couldn't come fast enough. This little boy is beyond precious. He has been on my heart for quite a while. His picture on Reeces Rainbow was just updated, and my heart absolutely melted when I saw this...

What a little ray of sunshine! This is “Darren” (not his real name). He's two years old, and he has Down Syndrome. He lives in an orphanage in the country-that-cannot-be-named. His parent(s) decided not to take him home from the hospital when he was born, so the orphanage has been his home for his entire life.

I wish I knew more about Darren. I do know that he's happy and full of life and has bright blue eyes. To the best of my knowledge, he does not have any of the heart issues that sometimes accompany Down Syndrome.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. Does he look like he would be a blessing to a family, or what? Check out his cute folded hands.

I was able to dig up some older pictures of Darren. These were taken in May of 2010, around Darren's first birthday. Nothing quite like a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy in a sailor suit!

I am incredibly optimistic that someone will go get this sweetie, but he's been waiting for more than two years and it hasn't happened yet. The reality is that Darren's future doesn't look good if he stays where he is now. In as little as twenty months, this sweet boy could be transferred to a mental institution. And that thought hurts my heart.

Darren's orphanage is in an “easy” region. The adoption process in this region is usually very quick (and, therefore, less expensive). I actually have a friend who is traveling to Darren's orphanage to adopt her little boy later this month, so I'd be happy to give you her contact information if you'd like to know more about this region and/or the adoption process in this country.

Do you have room in your heart for this beautiful little one? Do you know someone who might? Please pass his picture along. And, most of all, please pray for this precious boy to find his family soon. Thanks, guys!

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On another note, we signed Em up for swim lessons this fall.  She has been loving the water this summer, and I'd like her to keeping swimming during the cold months so she doesn't have to start all over next summer.  She had her first lesson this morning.  I took my camera, with visions in my head of the cute, splashy pictures I would share with you guys today.  Um, not so much...

After completely freaking out the first two times the instructor tried to swim with her, Emma began politely saying, "No, thank you" every time she was asked to get in the pool.  So, she pretty much spent the lesson sitting on the edge of the pool watching the other kids swim.  Oh well, we'll keep trying.