Look at that bright smile!

Meet Victoria. This little girl has attracted my attention -- she's been on my heart for some time now. She has arthrogryposis and cannot walk because her feet are crooked, but with proper treatment her feet can be straightened and she can learn to walk. I long to see her blossom. She is actually in a mental institute that I gather is one of the especially bad ones. This picture was taken somewhat recently however -- and in this picture I see a light in her face. I'd love to see her blossom and develop. To see Victoria's potential, check out this blog to see what Gerri can do! Gerri was adopted last spring from Eastern Europe. She also has arthrogryposis. Her feet were quite twisted (visit this post for before & after pictures!) but with treatment she can now walk! (Check out this post to see a video of her walking!) (She has recently gone back to casts to straighten her feet a bit more, but she'll be out of them in about a month and will be back to walking again!) I'd love to see Victoria making the same progress.

Here is her beautiful picture!

Victoria (1)

Victoria (1)
Girl, Born December 12, 2002

I can't wait to see Victoria with long, flowing hair!

Miss Victoria was born arthrogryposis, which only appears to affect her legs/feet. She has a glowing personality and is a caregiver favorite. Will be wonderful to see her, after surgery and therapy, walking on her own!! If she is not adopted, she will spend the rest of her life bedridden.

From her medical records: congenital arthrogryposis, divergent squint.

From our facilitator: Victoria is happy and affectionate. She loves to play with her dolls and to pretend to be mommy. She is a very pretty girl. She is a rather smart girl, the care-givers love her. She cannot support herself and needs assistance. She does not walk but she is a very active girl. She is moving herself somehow, using mostly her hands.

As with all children living in these difficult conditions, this child's cognitive development has regressed significantly since he/she was younger. It is of crucial importance that any family considering the adoption of an older child from the mental institution setting be well prepared for what to expect with regards to how the neglect and lack of adequate medical care and nourishment has affected this child. These children all have TREMENDOUS potential for improvement, and deserve to have a life outside these four walls.

These children are truly living on borrowed time, and families should be home study approved before an official commitment can be made for this child.