Altynai's Legacy Adoption Fund...

I am trying to write this post but my mind is all over the place.. I know what I want to share , I want to share of a wonderful new charity that is doing great things, but my mind keeps throwing me back into one of the most desperate situations I can remember... I try to think of the positive, but am still overwhelmed with all the hurts and anguish surrounding the birth of this charity... as in most cases where memorials are set up.. there is a degree of pain that they follow... The pain here is on so many levels... I want this to be a positive and up beat post, but for me, the memories anything but.

As many of you know , or have read here in the past, There are a group of children , about 60 of them , that are waiting for adoptions to be finalized so that they can go home to America. There have been a lot of pointing of fingers and lobbing of accusations that have caused the process to drag on. I hear that huge steps were made today to allow these kids to go home.

From what I am understanding from some of the parents is that they now must do another batch of documents in order to re establish the connection with there kids . This all comes at an incredible cost. A few weeks ago , I was asked to share a link here to a fund that has been established to help these families with these expenses. I must say that this has stirred up a lot of emotion this fund is set up in the memory of a child that did not make it . One that in all likely hood will be alive today if there had not been the delay. One that I held..I hugged..and I had tried to help, and that we all failed .

The life of this particular baby has already made an incredible impact in my life and the life of so many others . She was the first baby that we helped with the microsophalic operations that began a program that has seen over 20 hydrosophalic operations conducted, along with countless others surgeries including cleft palate, brain tumors, skin grafts, eye operations, and many other surgeries.

I had met baby Altynai when I was already stired up , and knowing that I was to do something. It was only a couple days after I spent a day with Larisa delivering food to some of the families she supports .

I had no idea that the day would have such an impact on me. After visiting one lady, she brought me in to the house to meet the rest of the family.

That's when we met her children. Her baby had Hydrocephalus.

Then she handed me her baby and said " Please I am giving you my baby" she had tried everything that she could to help her, but could not get the help needed... she felt that if she was my baby she could get the help that she needed.

This was not the first child I have been offered , but it did make the greatest impact.. The feeling of helplessness as I held that baby.. and unfortunately.. even if she was my baby, I could not save her..

When I met Baby Altynai, I though to myself... we are not going to loose this one... Everything looked like we could make a difference here . We quickly put together a team that would care for her, but however hard we tried, It would never be the same as having her own mother care for her.. some one who was so close . yet so far away... helpless to save her...

I try to think of good things .. I try to put this all into perspective.. but it is just so hard. The worst thing is that this is the life of only one of the estimated 6000 children currently in orphanages in Kyrgyzstan... I have always maintained that international adoption may not be the best answer for all of them, but for many like Altynai.. it is the only answer.

Despite the undeniable friendship and great respect that we have developed with many of the families waiting to bring their children home, My first and foremost thoughts and prayers are for their children that we know and have come to love. They have spent their lives in limbo waiting .. To think that some would remain there for the sake of finances is just not unacceptable ... Altynai's Legacy Adoption fund has been established to make sure that these kids make it home ...

Please go over to the site, and have a look , you will read the stories of some of the parents struggles to bring their kids home.. Also stay tuned here, We will share more over the next few months.. we are even considering a trip to Altynai's US home to help raise awareness .. please take a few minutes and consider how you may be able to help.