My cousin and his wife are extraordinary people. Four biological children, four rescue dogs, two rescue cats and countless foster animals were no match for their expansive ability to love, so they adopted their daughter, Lizzie, from China four years ago. Lizzie was born with club feet and hands, but armed with an incredible spirit (and incredible parents), she went through the necessary medical procedures (somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 casts!) to get her up and running with her active sister and three older brothers. My cousin's wife Annie felt drawn to the children she "left behind" in China and began blogging and advocating for those children who have a harder time finding a family-children with special needs and older children. See her website Wonderful Waiting Kids and family blog Cornbread and Chopsticks for more about her wonderful work and beautiful family.
After they settled into a comfortable routine with their amazing new daughter,
they began to think again about adoption. It crept in and out of their conversations, and all the while Annie was advocating for hundreds of children in need of a family. The incredible story of how they came to find their daughter Xiaomeng can only be described as unbelievable (
read here for the full story), and she is an amazing little person. Eight years old with Cerebral Palsy, but only coming in at five years old on the Chinese growth chart, she could not sit up, walk or feed herself when she was abandoned at her orphanage. Two years ago, she began to receive treatment at a rehabilitation hospital and now Xiaomeng can feed herself, sit up and walk (although she still has trouble and falls on occasion). Can you imagine the progress she'll make with three protective older brothers, two doting sisters, six animals to play with and two parents that would do anything for her?
That's where you come in. There's not much time (March 2013 is their goal date!), and they need to raise an additional $18,000 to cover all of the expenses. I am committing to raising $10,000 for them because I believe these funds not only support bringing Xiaomeng home but will give this family the strength and inspiration they need to continue the even more challenging and rewarding journey of raising Xiaomeng.
I am committing $100 to begin the fundraising effort, and will hopefully be able to contribute a little bit more in the near future. Please share this with friends and family who are touched by adoption, CP or anyone who supports outstanding parents.
Thank you for supporting a truly amazing family.
Warmest regards,
Stephanie Fonda
