Gabriel's Birthday Wish: The adoption of Ladybug

We are so thrilled to be celebrating Gabriel's 5th birthday soon, and instead of spoiling this kid rotten with gifts and treats as many of you naturally would, we are asking for something different. I know if Gabriel was old enough to tell me himself, he would want to help another child get adopted and find their family. So, to celebrate Gabriel's birthday and our family's one year together, please give generously to fellow single Mama, Heather, who is in the process of adopting her SECOND kiddo from Bulgaria.

Heather's first daughter, Emma, has Down syndrome and came home to join Heather's family in 2023. Heather thought her family was complete until she saw "Ladybug's" (a loving nickname) photo on a waiting child's website. This sweet 2-year-old girl has a rare diagnosis, just like Gabriel, and is currently living in an orphanage in Gabriel's birth city. And as many of you know, Gabriel was also in an orphanage until he was 18 months, so he and Ladybug have a lot in common! Their many connections showed me that this was the little girl my community would be thrilled to support.

The need for Ladybug to come home soon is massive. You see, Ladybug's life expectancy is truly unknown... most children with her diagnosis don’t survive birth, and then if they do, they usually only live for about a year, but there is a small percentage that live into childhood. Heather says, "For most people, this information may cause hesitation, but for me, it solidified that I MUST adopt this little girl and give her the love & care of a family for however long we would be blessed with her."

Heather is at the beginning of the adoption process of Ladybug and the fees are adding up. Soon she will be submitting her dossier (which is more than $5,000 to do), which is basically a huge packet of information that the Bulgarian government looks at to decide if Heather can be Ladybug's Mama. Let's help ease the burden of this fee for Heather by raising this amount together!

What an incredible way to honor Gabriel's past, present, and future 5th birthday than to help little Ladybug leave the orphanage and come home to the loving arms of her Mama Heather and sister Emma! She deserves to know the love of a family, just like Gabriel did.

Learn more about Heather's journey of adopting Emma and Ladybug here: Heather's Story

Thank you for Celebrating Gabriel in this incredibly meaningful way.