A recent news story reported as a surprising result that hundreds of parents had volunteered to adopt a child when the call was put out. The turnout was indeed overwhelming, but in the end only one couple will adopt this child. Hopefully the hundreds of others will reach out to adopt the many other children with Down syndrome waiting to be adopted.
Upwards of 900 calls to adopt were fielded after a Facebook post asked for such calls or the child faced being aborted. The outpouring of support is touching and should be reported, but it should not be surprising.
In the early 1980’s, Baby Doe, a baby boy born with Down syndrome, was being left to die in the corner of a hospital nursery ward. A similar national response of parents wanting to adopt him occurred once the story became national news. (To find out how the story ended, click here).
It seems when it is known that a child with Down syndrome faces an end to his or her life, people respond immediately. For years, though, the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network (NDSAN) has maintained a registry of around 200 parents wanting to adopt a child with Down syndrome, but still there are children throughout the nation waiting to be adopted. While they do not face an imminent death, they remain waiting for a family.
I hope those 899 who called wanting to adopt will make another call to the NDSAN. Their desire to give a child with Down syndrome a loving home and full life can still be fulfilled.
The National Down Syndrome Adoption Network (via DSAGC) was the shining light on a billboard that saved my second daughter’s life and gave her birth parents direction during the most traumatic time of their lives.
Thousands of children born with Down syndrome abroad are abandoned to orphanages and mental institutions. They “face an end to his or her life” every single day. In only 7 years, Reece’s Rainbow has helped find adoptive families for more than 1200 of these orphans with Down syndrome and other special needs. We raise funds as adoption grants to minimize (and sometimes eliminate) the high cost of bringing them into a loving “forever family” of their own. We’re celebrating 7 years of CHOSEN 🙂 Don’t be surprised!
Andrea–Reece’s Rainbow has had a meteoric rise and does great work. Thank you.