Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Special Focus Child- Donovan

AAC now has many special focus children listed on our website. Their files have been placed on our individual list so that we may make the best effort to find families for them.

Today we'd like take the time to highlight little Donovan.


Here is the description that we have of him on our website...

Little Donovan was born on 3/12/2009. He is a playful little boy who is liked very much by his caretakers. Donovan loves food and will get excited when he knows that it is time to eat. He is very friendly and has a ready smile. His favorite activity is playing with other children.

Donovan has been diagnosed with arthrogryposis, which is a joint disorder. He is unable to bend his wrists or elbows. This little guy is in need of some physical therepy and will need to find his own ways of accomplishing certain tasks. He has had extensive xrays that have found no abnormalities in his bones or joints. With a loving family and the right care, Donovan could flourish.






We requested Donovan's file to be placed on our individual listing because we recently placed a little girl with the same condition. She is an amazing girl and mesmorized all of the staff when we met her. Watching her overcome her disablity has made us see arthrogryposis as a managable medical condition. The family has been gracious enough to share a bit of their story...


As soon as I got off the phone after receiving our referral for an 11 month old baby girl with arthrogryposis I went straight for the internet. There's a possibility I did that prior to calling my husband but maybe it was at the same time! The internet can be a great thing for medical issues or it can be terrible. This time it was great. I found an online community ( http://www.amcsupport.org/ ) almost immediately that had descriptions of what arthrogryposis is and the ability to meet people locally that have experience with athrogryposis. The two things that stick in my mind from that first day of research are that arthrogryposis is not progressive so it won't get any worse, it can only get better, and that children with arthrogryposis are determined and amazing individuals.

Ellie came home at 17 months and is now 19 months. Her adjustment has been great. She is fitting right in with her two and a half year old twin brothers. They treat her as one of their own, and I'm choosing to think of that as a good thing! Her arms, from her shoulders down to her fingers, are affected by arhrogryposis but she still suprises us daily with what she can do. She does not know it should be easier to stack three blocks but she works at it, or anything else, until she accomplishes it. We see a local therapist three times a week and she gets one on one playtime with him. Between that and the additional work we do at home she is gaining strength and movement and is doing more and more each week. There can be alot of uncertainties when adopting a special needs child, but the benefits of raising such a child are greater than we could have imagined. We are all very proud of her and so fortunate that she has joined our family.







We ask you to check in to this condition and ask yourself if this is a condition that you could help a child to overcome. If so, won't you please consider this beautiful baby boy!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Let's Not Let Them Be Left Behind

We are elated be able to tell you that 22 of the 30 children that participated in the Journey of Hope camp have found families! In terms of figures, that's 73%. A wonderful number I know...but...yes there is a but....I can't stop thinking of the 8 children who still do not have a home.


Beth
Drew
Marshall
Micah
Alex
Gabriel
Jared
Grant

I look back at pictures such as these and I can't help but think that Beth is the only one in these photos with out a family.



Because we met them face to face, it is hard to think of them as an acceptable 27% unsucess rate. They are children who NEED the love and nurturing of a family. It breaks my heart to think of how they will feel as one by one they watch their friends leave with their new families. Most likely, it will be especially hard for the older children, who can really understand . The ones who really knew the purpose of the camp.


In effort to help bring these children home, AAC has decided to double the grant money available for their adoption. $4,000 will now go toward the second phase fees. If you would like more information about any of our waiting children please feel free to give us a call (970) 532-3576 or email us info@aacadoption.com

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Another Great Party

The Old West Fall Fest was a big hit! We had a pretty full house and the barn at Brookside Gardens was almost filled to capacity=)



As always, it was great to see all the kids dressed up in their costumes. Adorable!





The old west theme turned out to be a pretty fun change. A wonderful AAC family generously supplied some country fun, including a mechanical bull. The kids had a blast with this!







There was even mini bull ridin' for the little ones. Too cute!





And it wouldn't be "old west" without roping, horse back riding, and a hayride.







This year, we had our first ever puppet act; complete with ventriloquism and a full marionette show. This was marvelous. The kids all sat attentively through the whole thing.








The activities were all wonderful, but the best part and the reason for our family gatherings is connecting and re-connecting with families who are on the same journey as you.



We would like to thank Puppets and Things on Strings for the wonderful entertainment and Brookside Gardens for a beautiful venue. And of course, thanks to all of our families for coming! It was wonderful to see you and the kiddos again.

If you weren't able to make it, please consider coming to our next family gathering, the Christmas party. Bring the kids to meet Santa. There will be great food, photo ops, cultural entertainment, and of course great fellowship. It's one of our largest events so you won't want to miss it! Make sure to mark your calenders for Saturday December 4th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. It will be at Brookside Gardens (just west of the AAC office). The cost is $20 per family with an RSVP before December 1 and $25 per family at the door.

Friday, October 8, 2010

AAC Old West Fall Fest- TOMORROW!!

Howdy Pardners! Dont' forget AAC's annual Halloween/ Fall Fest Saturday, October 9th from 11-1

This year is themed "Old West Fall Fest" So grab your cowboy boots and head on down to Berthoud for some old- fashioned, side- splittin' family fun! You are encouraged to dress in western fashion. And As always, the kiddos are welcome to wear their costumes =)

Lunch is pot-luck, so bring your favorite dish for dinner on the grounds!