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EthiopiaFTIA was honored to be selected by the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) to participate in the Journey of Hope – a program to help place special needs children in need of special homes. In July, a team from FTIA went to Jiangsu, China. During the visit, the FTIA team, which included two doctors, was able to interact, play with, and individually assess 40 children. Below is a picture and brief description of each of the children.
A special Yahoo group has also been set up where the complete files of all of the children are located.
Current FTIA active families can request access to the Journey of Hope Yahoo group to review the children’s complete files – the original medical report from China and several pictures.
If you are not an active FTIA family and would like to join the Journey of Hope Yahoo group where all the Journey of Hope children's files are saved, here is the procedure to follow:
| a. | Original signed application along with $200 due with application. | |
| b. | Signed form indicating you have reviewed the medical report prepared by Dr. Julie Keck at Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, and consulted with her. During the consultation, you will review the CCAA medical provided information and the report prepared by Dr. Keck. Contact information and the form will be provided with the child’s file. You are welcome to review the child’s medical file with another physician with expertise in reviewing international adoption medical reports/information; however, FTIA requires that the family review the CCAA medical report and Dr. Keck’s report with Dr. Keck because she personally examined each child as she was part of the FTIA Journey of Hope team. | |
| c. | Submit a Letter of Intent and completed Family Summary & Treatment Plan. These forms will be provided with the child’s file. |
| a. | a completed home study. | |
| b. | copy of the I-800A application submitted to the US CIS. | |
| c. | During this 90 days, you will also be working on completing your dossier to submit to the CCAA. After receiving the documents in 3 a, b, and c, you will be provided a user name and password providing access to MyFTIA, an online resource that provides instructions and all forms to complete your dossier. | |
| d. | Completed special needs workbooks (available on MyFTIA). |
Click here to view our video of the Opening Ceremony program.
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Sean is a bright 11 year old. He has been in a foster family for 4 years but desperately wants a forever family - maybe with an older brother and sister. He’s in 4th grade and his favorite subject is computer. He enjoys reading about science and technology and his favorite sport is soccer. Sean’s personality fills a room! He is great with the younger kids and was nicknamed the “Little Director” because he was keeping them all in line for their program. Sean was disappointed last year when he participated in another Journey of Hope program but did not find a family. He wants to live in America because everyone has a house! Sean was born with cleft lip and palate and has had surgery for both. He may need some reconstruction and some dental work; however his speech is excellent and he liked practicing his English on us! Click here to see a video of our interview with Sean. |
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Sunny is a 12 year old shy and quiet girl. She is in 4th grade and her favorite subjects are Chinese and English. She likes basketball and running. She rides her bike 20 minutes to school every day. She participated in another Journey of Hope program last year and was sad that she didn’t find a family. Sunny has been with a foster family for six years now. Her foster mother describes her as kind and loving, likes to share and help with housework. She says that Sunny saves her money for donating. Sunny has a mild intellectual delay due to hydrocephalus and a brain tumor which was repaired about eight years ago. Sunny also loves arts and crafts and brought several of her handicrafts to show us. |
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Marc is a 12 year old strong boy who likes sports. He is in special education classes as he was delayed early on but has developed fast since the age of 7. He can take care of himself and carry on a conversation well. He is described as friendly, clever and happy most of the time. He likes to help with housework and care for the other younger children. He loves to watch cartoons! Marc has Hep B. Click here to see a video of Marc. He is also featured in this video, along with Flower and Jimmy. |
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Flower is a very delicate 10 year old girl. She is in special education classes but expresses herself well, can carry on a conversation, and can write her name and some simple Chinese characters. She can take care of herself, gets along well with others, and her favorite activity is crafts. She is an outgoing and friendly girl. Flower also has ptosis of her right eye. Click here to see a video of Flower, along with Marc and Jimmy. |
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Hope is a beautiful 6 year old who has no problems being on stage! She likes to sing and express her imagination. She is friendly and likes to be the center of attention. Hope was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and had a shunt; however, she later developed epilepsy seizures. Her orphanage reports that she hasn’t had a seizure for 6 months at the time of our program. She can take care of herself and is very independent. |
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Faith is going to be 8 years old this fall. She is a pretty girl with a repaired cleft lip and palate. When she was young, she was so quiet and shy that the medical staff thought she was deaf or hearing impaired and sent her to school for the deaf. In first grade, she learned sign language, but since her classmates were deaf and mute and communicated with sign language, her oral language was delayed. When she returned to the orphanage from school earlier this year, the nannies encouraged her to talk off her hearing aids and express her needs with language. After awhile, they were surprised to learn she can hear clearly without the aids! She can actually talk clearly now and sang quite well during her Journey of Hope performance. This fall she will be going into a regular 2nd grade class. Faith may still need some gum line repair. She drew us photos of what she thinks her house should look like, complete with birds, flowers, and apple trees! Faith is introverted but will warm up as she gets to know you. She is very helpful in caring for the other children. She gets along well with others, is eager to learn new things, and has a good memory and attention span. A family is currently reviewing Faith's file. We're excited that she may have found her new family. |
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Grace is a very cute 5 year old with brittle bone disease. Due to her condition, she has had several bone fractures. Grace seems to be a very active child, so the orphanage has kept her from school to try to avoid further injuries. Grace loves to sing, can dress herself, and is a very active little girl. She is described as talkative, polite and lovable. She likes to look pretty and when she gets new clothes, she doesn’t like to take them off at night! |
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Rose is 8 years old with mental delays. Our doctors that examined her felt that she might be autistic. She functions around the level of a 5-6 year old and doesn’t talk or attend school. Rose plays independently and can follow some of her caretaker’s directions. At age 2, she had an ATL operation for a right foot inversion and apron deformity. She can walk fine now. Rose definitely needs a loving family that will care for her and appreciate her bright smile! |
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June will be 6 in a few more months. She is very small for her age and is delayed both developmentally and mentally; however, the doctors felt that she was probably smarter than we could tell. She can stand and walk on her own, but prefers to hang onto her caretakers or any other friendly face in the room! She uses simple words and points to what she wants. Click here to see a video of June, with Evan in the background. |
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Taylor is a very cute almost 4 year old born with hermaphroditism. A chromosome report showed 46, XY. Taylor’s medical information says the child is a boy; however, during the Journey of Hope program, Taylor was dressed as a girl. Taylor is otherwise very healthy and in kindergarten. Taylor is described as brave, active, and extroverted. He is not afraid of strangers (although had a little bit of stage fright during the JOH program), likes to play with his roommates and likes to play with toy animals and balls. |
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Sam is a 2 year old boy with congenital atelencephalia – he was born with part of his brain missing. Sam can stand holding onto someone’s hand and will make noises or laugh in response to his caretakers. He will sit in his walker and follow the other children around. His caretakers report that he is a happy boy with a good appetite. With rehabilitation training, he has been able to sit on his own, can stand with his hands against a wall, and can speak one or two words. |
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Tanner is a handsome 7 year old who functions at about the level of a 6 year old. He communicates well, cares for himself, and can ride a bicycle. He likes toys and is in kindergarten. The doctors suggested he might need to have his eyes examined as he doesn’t tend to make good eye contact. His diagnosis is “patchy low density shade in temporo-occipitalpical lobe on the left side and enlargement of left lateral cerebral ventricle.” The doctors noticed a slight heart murmur when examining him. For any interested family, we would be happy to ask for an MRI and perhaps a thorough eye examination. |
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Hunter is 4 1/2 years old and was diagnosed with congenital brain underdevelopment. Hunter understands what others are saying to him and can express himself well, although his speech is not always clear. He can speak in complete sentences, makes good eye contact, and is eager to participate in most any activities that are going on around him. His caretakers say that he likes all kids of food, can feed himself, and is full of energy. |
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Jaxon is almost 7 years old and in 1st grade. He is a good student, with Math and Chinese as his favorite subjects. He also likes to read. He is a very friendly boy and can carry on a conversation well. He made a very colorful picture for us, complete with a house by water (with fish) and blue skies full of birds and butterflies! Jaxon is missing his left hand. |
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Ian is quiet 3 1/2 year old boy. Ian faces some orthopedic challenges related to the deformity of his right calf, absence of the right foot, and deformity of the right hand. Despite these challenges, his cognitive development is right on target! He walks, feeds himself with utensils, and has strong muscle tone. Ian has a repaired cleft lip and palate. Ian’s caregivers state that Ian likes to be around others and gets along with others very well. |
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Matt is a stunningly handsome 10 1/2 year old boy. He has such a gentle way about him that makes others greatly enjoy being with him. Matt’s mobility and dexterity is amazing! He has deformity of his right and left hands and a missing fibula bone in his left leg. He moves very quickly with the aide of a single crutch. He is completing the 2nd grade and is considered a smart boy, who does well in school. His caregivers state that Matt “wants to be the best at anything he does.” His happy, extroverted, positive attitude is alluring. |
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Joel is a 10 1/2 year old boy who smiles constantly. He has a diagnosis of mild claudication of the right lower limb. He also does not speak, but signs to communicate. He likes to draw and write. He made three nice pictures for us. When Joel smiles, the world smiles with him! |
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Jack has just turned 5 years old. He has repaired congenital acromphalus. He has not started school yet. Jack is very extroverted and busy. Our medical team revealed that Jack may likely be living with Beckwidth Weideman Syndrome. |
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Parker is a 5 1/2 year old boy who has a big personality. He is currently with a foster family, who is very proud of him. Parker’s auricles are deformed and he has ear conduction dysfunction. He can hear, as evidenced by mimicking others and following commands. Parker can speak, but it is not clear. During his medical assessment, Parker displayed his determination as Dr. Keck tried to examine his eyes with a light. Parker would roll his eyes up so she could not check them. We all laughed - as did Parker! Parker is able to walk, run, and is independent in his daily care. Parker has not yet begun school. |
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Chase is a vibrant 7 year old boy. He is so handsome and has such a great attitude. Chase has congenital deafness in both ears. He signs to communicate and even performed a beautiful song at the opening ceremony with sign language. Chase is independent in his daily care. He is described by his caregivers as a happy boy, who loves to eat! They even said he could be mischievous. He is extroverted, has a good attention span, and good memory. He will likely need a hearing evaluation by an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist. |
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Rider is an 8 year old boy with postoperative cleft lip and cleft palate. He is completing the 1st grade and can read and write. Rider enjoys martial arts and performed during the opening ceremony for Journey of Hope. Rider is an active boy, who is extroverted and gets along well with others. He shared with us that he really likes robots. Rider will likely need some dental work upon placement with his family. He is a very kind boy. |
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Lee is a 7 year old boy with many challenges. He has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and leucoma of both eyes. Despite his challenges, he works very hard to make accommodations. He is able to track with his right eye, but not his left. Lee is non-verbal. He can walk with minimal assistance. Lee is not continent of bowel or bladder. Lee is a gentle boy, who appears very happy. Lee had a nasty fall a few days before our program, which is why there is a cut on his forehead. |
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Drake is a vibrant, resilient, and determined boy. At 7 years of age, he has mastered many tasks. He is at or above target in all areas of development when compared to other children his age. Drake has deformity of his left face and ear. His caregivers state that Drake has a higher IQ than most others. He is very athletic and enjoys martial arts. He speaks very well and has good hearing. Drake will be in the 1st grade it the fall. Drake is fast paced, outgoing, and confident. Drake has so many strengths and wants to be part of a family! |
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Ben is 5 years old and a charming little boy. He has a diagnosis of thalassemia. The medical team was amazed at how well he is doing. At this time, he gets blood transfusions every two months and does perfectly between those transfusions. Again, we all were amazed at his overall health. Ben has excellent gross and fine motor skills. He is described by his caregivers as smart, the “little boss”, and cooperative. Ben came to his orphanage at the age of three. He is often the leader. His language development is on target. This friendly little boy has so much to offer. To learn more about thalassemia, please watch this video. |
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Max is 3 1/2 years old and lives with cerebral palsy. He can walk holding on to things. He is able to hold toys and pass them from hand to hand. Max needs someone with him at all times. He is non-verbal and dependent on others for all of his daily care. Max is very sweet and affectionate. |
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Evan is 4 1/2 years old. He has deformity of his mouth on the right side. The palate is closed. The back of his head is flat, perhaps from laying on his back too long in the crib. He also has an ear tag that should be very easy to remove, per the medical team. Evan has good language development, although the mouth deformity prevents him from forming all the sounds correctly. Evan is on target in all other areas of development. He smiles a lot and seems very happy. Evan is always eager to participate in anything that is going on around him. His caregivers describe him as complaint, easy to get along with, and extroverted. The medical team has great expectations for Evan. Click here to see a video of Evan. |
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Alex can steal your heart the moment you meet him. He has an infectious laugh. Alex lives with hydrocephalus. Alex has had no treatment for this condition up to this point. However, he has no limitations. In fact, he is at or above target in most areas when compared to children his age. He is 4 years old and has good muscle tone and reflexes. Upon placement with his family, he will likely need an MRI and possibly a shunt. He is doing so well! Alex likes to giggle a lot! To see a video of him being playful with the doctors, click here. |
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Drew is a 4 1/2 year old whose beautiful face will capture you. Drew has congenital DY of the spinal column. We were unsure at first how Drew was physically affected by this condition, until we saw him jump down three stairs! His gross and fine motor skills are great! Drew is in kindergarten and his language is superior. He is confident, outgoing, and friendly. He toilets independently and performs many activities of daily living with minimal assistance. He is just an amazing boy. Our medical team suggests an MRI of the spine and possibly a surgery upon Drew’s placement with his family. |
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Cooper is 6 years old and is in kindergarten. He lives with postoperative congenital cataracts and nystagmus. He also has a diagnosis of later seizures disorder; however, his caregivers report no seizure activity in several years. Cooper has excellent motor skills. He accommodates for his poor vision very well; in fact he was able to kick a green balloon and chase it – much to our surprise. Cooper holds items close to his face in order to see. He has vision in his left eye, but not his right. Cooper can hold a conversation, dress/undress himself, and toilet independently. He likes to sing and is shy at times. Click here to view a video featuring Cooper. |
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Mitchell is 7 1/2 years old. He has a cleft lip and palate III degree. He will need surgeries to repair his palate. He has dental caries also. Mitchell is in 1st grade and is beginning to read. There are no concerns with regards to his IQ. He is shy to talk because of his inability to form some sounds. Mitchell gets along well with his peers. He assists with his daily care. Mitchell makes good eye contact. We expect Mitchell’s confidence to improve in the context of a loving family. |
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Danny is 3 years old and was born with a cytomegalovirus infection. He was developmentally delayed when first arriving, but the medical team felt like he was doing great, and at normal development. He is potty trained, uses a spoon, can dress and undress himself, and likes to kick balloons! His caregivers report him to be happy most of the time, gets along well with others and although quiet, tends to be an extrovert. |
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Jon is a 5 year old boy who is currently in Half The Sky pre-school. He had surgery for an oblique inguinal hernia, has a mild developmental delay, and tested positive for the hepatitis antigen (the doctors recommended a follow-up test for hepatitis). He likes to mimic others and participate in everything going on around him. He communicates well with his nannies and teacher, understands what is being said, gets along well with others, and is happy most of the time. |
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Mason is a 5 year old boy also in the Half The Sky pre-school program. He has had surgery for a spinal meningioma and also has a right club foot. Mason was a very cute performer in his program. His caregivers say he has a good memory, is clever and can dress himself. They also report that he is quiet and likes to watch the other children dance, but he didn’t seem to shy away from the microphone during the Journey of Hope program! |
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Cate is a special 3 year old girl. Upon arriving at the orphanage, it was found that she had a brain hemorrhage. Our medical team felt like she might have had a stroke and arachnoid cavity bleeding. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but the orphanage feels this is incorrect and she is delayed because of her earlier condition. She crawls and grasps toys. She is able to understand when talked to but doesn’t make much eye contact. Her nannies wish for her to have a loving and caring family. |
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Natalie is a beautiful 12 year girl, but very shy. She has had surgery to repair her cleft and palate. Our medical team felt like she would still need some work on her palate and perhaps cosmetic work on her lip. She also has dental cavities. Natalie has lived with the same foster family for 10 years. They report that she takes care of herself and helps with the housework. Natalie does well in school and is currently in 6th grade. Her favorite activities are ping-pong and computer games. She has learned some English but is not comfortable with speaking. She is so shy and quiet and does lack confidence in herself. Natalie’s best friend is Sean, who tries to encourage her, and she is never far from his side! Natalie can be seen at the beginning of this video. |
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Tina is a petite 3 year old girl with a congenital heart defect. She has had one surgery for pulmonary valve repair, but is scheduled for another surgery soon. She also has an umbilical hernia and the medical team noted a heart murmur and club foot. Tina was very quiet around us, not quite sure of the situation, but her caregivers report her to be very lovable, extroverted, and always laughing. |
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Hannah is 9 years old and in special education classes but will be moved to regular schooling soon. She has scoliosis with a pelvic deformity and dislocation of the hip. Due to her condition, she has low muscle tone. She likes to draw a LOT and gave us a package full of her drawings and colorings! Her caregivers report that she takes care of herself but walks slowly as she tends to fall down more due to her illness. They state that she is a happy, polite girl that is loved by everyone. She always seemed to be wearing a smile whenever we saw her and said she wants a family of her own. |
