[DSTNI] RE: wont you please watch this? NOW: Outrage over European Orphanages/Institutions

[Guest guest]

Hi Deb,

Can you please tell us about your experience when you went to Russia for Marsha? Specifically, what you saw in the orphanage, how the children looked and were treated, what was the name of the orphanage, etc? Or do you have a BLOG site where we can "read all about it"?

I have not stopped thinking about these children since I read 's email regarding the "Gift for Speech Therapist" last week.

I have not stopped crying, either outward sobbing, or internal thoughts of tears.

I cannot get the picture I saw of a child, who looks like my Warren, completely swaddled with his arms inside the swaddle.

I wrote to , asking how best to donate my "meager" $25/mo commitment - and she said to put it into the "Child of the Month" fund, since these children are the ones at most risk! After they turn 4, in some countries like Russia and Ukraine, these toddlers are put in horrible mental institutions for the rest of their life (no longer eligible for adoption!!). At 4 years old!! Who could do that?

http://downbloggers.blogspot.com/2007/11/so-this-is-christmasand-what-have-you.html

(this site contains the FULL Report on SERBIA INSTITUTIONS from MDRI (Mental Disability Rights International) - NOV 2007!!)

I haven't slept well in almost a week. I am depressed. I am beside myself with grief.

I am having a very hard time dealing with this. I dream about them, I wake up thinking about them.

I cannot focus on my work. I cry watching Warren sleep, I cry watching Warren explore, laugh, eat, color, and on and on....(mostly on the inside - not shedding tears to keep from having to talk about it).

I have not and WILL NOT watch the YOUTUBE video from this email chain, as I cannot take SEEING more of this atrocity.

But I want the WORLD to view it!

I want ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN to see it!! I want this to be EXPOSED to the world, in hopes of this changing the future of these children!

For those from the Multiples-DS list, and the DS Assoc of Houston, Here is the link to Reece's Rainbow, an INCREDIBLE non-profit org who's mission it is to find homes for unwanted children with DS around the world! http://reecesrainbow.com/

This is the youtube video from Reece's Rainbow - it's beautiful:

And this is the video, which I cannot bring myself to watch, it may be filled with lovely pictures of children, or it may show the horrible conditions within the orphanages - I don't know:

Sincerely,

, mom to 4 yr old twins, Warren (DS) and Sam

From: DSTNI [mailto:DSTNI ] On Behalf Of Deb & MikeSent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 9:41 AMTo: DSTNI Subject: [DSTNI] Re: wont you please watch this?

Hi Everyone!

I've only posted a couple of times but once it was about our daughter Masha's diarrhea.

Well, I just wanted you to know that we found Masha through Reece's Rainbow in June of 2006. Because , founder of Reece's Rainbow, leading us to an adoption agency that jumped through hoops and even elicited the help of another agency we were finally able to get Masha out of St. sburg, Russia. Now, of course, we are slightly in debt because it is an expensive process. Right now we couldn't consider international adoption b/c of the cost. Does this mean we wouldn't want another child with Down syndrome? No, but we just cannot afford it. So with these donations to the Christmas Angel project maybe we will be able to adopt again.

I can tell you it is a very legit organization!!! If the child gets adopted outside of Reese's Rainbow the money will probably just get transferred to another child. Or if we were to get rich somehow and decided to adopt I would just have transfer that money to another child to increase that child's chances of getting adoption. Because of and Reece's Rainbow there are quite a few children already home with their new families and even more are in the process of getting their new children. If you want check out the homecoming part of the Reece's you will see the families that are already.

Oh, by the way-We are seeing a GI for Masha's diarrhea

Deb R.