A Reminder and a Thank You!

Can you help Ross, Derek, Laura, David, Anna (2), Adam, Drew, Arina, Ivanna, Trina, and so many more SO close to having $100 in sponsors?

The Angel Tree runs through the 31st of December and wouldn't it be wonderful if each child could reach the goal of $1,000 per child?

Have a look at these precious angels and see if you can help them get to the next level!









What a blessing it has been seeing all the Ornaments on blogs and seeing people all around the world tweeting for the Angel Tree! Thank you so very much!

Cerebral Palsy

From Wikipedia

Cerebral palsy describes a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation, that are attributed to nonprogressive disturbances that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain. The motor disorders of cerebral palsy are often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and behaviour, by epilepsy, and by secondary musculoskeletal problems.[6]

There is no known cure for CP. Medical intervention is limited to the treatment and prevention of complications arising from CP's effects.

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Read of one persons determination to no let CP slow her down!

"I can't do it!" wails one boy. Dr. Jan Brunstrom, a green belt who started a special martial-arts program for children with CP, looks him in the eye. "Can't isn't in my vocabulary," she tells him, "and it shouldn't be in yours."

This is no mere pep talk. The petite, 40-year-old physician has cerebral palsy herself. "All my life, people told me what I couldn't do," she explains. "They said I'd never walk, but I did. They said I didn't belong in school, but I graduated high school as valedictorian at 16 and went on to become a pediatric neurologist. They thought I'd never marry or have a child, but I did. No one has the right to tell people with CP what they can or can't do."

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Friday Focus on Down Syndrome - Artist Rhona MacLeod

There are two reasons I am thrilled to share this with you this week. Firstly, Rhona is an artist, an accomplished artist, as well! Secondly, she is from the UK and that is always a nice place to be from!

Without further ado, please meet Rhona MacLeod!

Festive display delight for Ullapool artist Rhona
By Lynne Bradshaw
Published: 04 December, 2009 in the Ross-shire Journal

AN Ullapool artist who has overcome her visual impairment to produce detailed lino-cut prints of building has had her artwork selected to be displayed in a new Christmas exhibition.

Rhona Joan MacLeod was at the Inchmore Gallery near Beauly last Friday to oversee the hanging of her pieces in preparation for the Inchmore Christmas Exhibition.

This is a great achievement for Rhona, who lives in Inverness but was brought up in Ullapool, where her family still live, as she has Down's Syndrome and a visual impairment.

The exhibition opened on Saturday and includes several pieces of art created by Rhona, who is a client of the Corbett Centre in Inverness and a member of the Highland Print Studio.

Through her involvement with Highland Print Studio the 41-year-old has developed a special interest in local architecture and buildings in Inverness.

Rhona is passionate about her art and very prolific, and some of her eyecatching lino cut prints and drawings will be on show at Inchmore.

She said, "I have always been interested in art and liked looking at pictures of paintings by Monet, Van Gogh and Jackson Pollock among others. I have been to quite a few art exhibitions in Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as the Musee d'Orsay in Paris and various art exhibitions when I was on holiday in Italy.

"I really started to draw and paint when I became a member of the Highland Print Studio in 2003.

"I found that I particularly liked to draw pictures of buildings. In the studio we had a book of line drawings in ink of Inverness, by the late John Pearson.

"I liked them very much and did some line drawings based on his work. My favourite materials are pencil, paint, wash and pen.

"I love colour and like to mix my own shades. I now draw from photographs or from sketches I have made. I make prints from some of my pictures in the Highland Print Studio.

"Coming from Ullapool I am planning to do some sketching there when the weather improves next year.

Rhona with some of her works at the 

Inchmore Gallery. Phil Downie 01463 831249

"My family have been very supportive and encouraging.

"They buy me good quality materials for Christmas and birthdays and I give them my pictures as presents."

A number of people from The Highland Council's Corbett Centre with an interest in art set up a group working at the Highland Print Studio in 2003.

It was here that Rhona had the opportunity to use different materials and media and develop her own style. Liz Graham and Billy Coghill from the centre worked with her to encourage her interest and broaden her understanding of art.

Rhona has exhibited at art evenings at the Corbett Centre, Arts in Merkinch, at the Highland Council headquarters in Inverness, the Floral Hall and the Glasgow Print Fair.

Her pictures, which are well observed and quirky, have always been popular and have sold well.

Rhona has completed a cluster of SQA Art and Design units, and is planning to have her work exhibited at a gallery for Outsider Art in Edinburgh.

Anne Ritchie a teacher at the Corbett Centre who works with Rhona said, "We are all very proud of Rhona."

To read this article in the Ross-shire Journal CLICK HERE
For information on her exhibition please visit the Inchmore Gallery

A "bump" to get over the "hump"!

Even though the ornaments are done now, we're all preparing for the festivities of next week, we still have 3 weeks of giving left until our Christmas Angel Tree of 2009 comes to a close.

Every day we are getting new donations, but I'd like for each of you daily to look for those children on the tree who are "so close" to the next level..."so close" to $250 or "so close" to $500 or $1000....do what you can to focus your prayers and additional giving for those kids, so we can get as many as possible "over the hump"!

Don't let the climax of this project be the deadline for ornaments...our end date is December 31st!

www.reecesrainbow.org/angeltree2009sponsorpage.html

If you have questions or ideas for fundraising, please write me at bamaroberts@comcast.net It is NEVER too late to get your Christmas Warrioring into gear. You can be a NEW YEAR Warrior for the next 3 weeks! We are hoping for an even more life-saving 2010! Let's go into the new year with as much grant funding as we can for each of these angels.

Andrea

Special Challenge for Reece's Rainbow! For 24 Hours Only!

iGive.com is going to attempt to donate $5,000 in just 24 hours to Reece's Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry and other causes. So, from now until NOON tomorrow!
 
For each person who joins iGive using the special link below and does just one web search on our site between now and noon Thursday, iGive will give Reece's Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry a dollar.

5,000 new members, $5,000. No purchase necessary.

Of course, if you search more (or buy something) you'll earn even more money for Reece's Rainbow!

Right now, they're donating $.02 per search and a bonus $5 for that first purchase plus the usual percentage.

CLICK HERE to help raise $5,000 for Reece's Rainbow!

Be sure you share this post on facebook, twitter, anything else you can think of to help Reece's Rainbow's Challenge!

We've only got 24 hours so...

Ready, Steady, Go!

Angel of the Week

Meet Alyona!

When I saw this little one's face I just felt her family MUST be looking for her! What a cute little girl! Are you her family? She needs a family soon as she is nearing the age of transfer. Please help us find a family for this cheeky little angel!

Alyona (13) Girl, Born September 5, 2006 Alyona is a gorgeous little girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She is described as quite high functioning, very sweet, and very happy! She does have an ASD (atrial septal defect), but it is not considered serious and may well have closed on it's own already. She is walking and eating independently, follows directions well, and is an orphanage favorite! Her caregivers tell us she is speaking now, walking and eating on her own, and is truly a doll baby.   She is described as a gentle girl, a good imitator, and she loves tor ead books :)    She is very loving and intelligent, and they really hope a family will come for her!   Both Ivanna and Alyona are in the same orphanage and can be adopted together. Contact Andrea directly for more information I have $530in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!

New Buttons!

Look at all these beautiful faces! There are so many new families joining the Reece's Rainbow family and you can help them on their journey by putting their buttons on your blogs!

Please pray for them as you follow along and if you can help them in any other way, I know they'd be very thankful!



Grab This!





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Attachment disorder: are we trying to fit square pegs into the round holes?

Basically, attachment is the core of the adoption: without some degree of attachment no adoption is destined to survive. It’s a real issue that many adoptive families are facing and struggling with. Saying that, I have to admit that AD is likely to be over-diagnosed in international adoption community. AD is often confused with the normal process of initial adjustment and re-adjustment in the family; AD symptoms are often confused with neurologically-based disorders or different psychiatric conditions; and, finally, AD symptoms are often mixed up with learned post-institutionalized behavior.

You can read the rest of the article HERE

Friday Focus on Down Syndrome - Urgent Plea

All, I am sending out a plea for MINDY in Russia.  She will be turning 4 in January, so her transfer is imminent.  She is in the same region as Lera is, so is also facing "life behind bars", as she can not be adopted once she is transferred. 

Her Christmas Warrior has done a GREAT JOB fundraising for her, and she now has a combined $1595 grant towards the cost of her adoption.  

MARTIN and WALLACE are also in her region and facing the same fate!  Martin does not have a grant, but Wallace has raised $640 this Christmas!

A committed family and an application/fees paid with the agency  is all that is required to hold these children at their baby houses and prevent transfer.

Please read more about Mindy and Martin, Wallace and Ian and let's try to see a family come forward to rescue them like Lera and Lilya and Tonya!  

www.reecesrainbow.org/waitingchild2.html  

Please put these buttons on your blogs and use facebook, blogs, twitter, any forums you are on to get the word out for these kids! They NEED families URGENTLY!


URGENT PLEA!
Please Grab This Button!
<center><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html"><img width="100%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/URGENTPLEAIan.gif"/><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html"></a><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html">Please Grab This Button!</a><br/>URGENT PLEA!</a></center>


URGENT PLEA!
Please Grab This Button!
<center><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html"><img width="100%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/URGENTPLEAMartin.gif"/><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html"></a><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html">Please Grab This Button!</a><br/>URGENT PLEA!</a></center>

URGENT PLEA!
Please Grab This Button!
<center><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html"><img width="100%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/URGENTPLEAMindy.gif"/><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html"></a><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html">Please Grab This Button!</a><br/>URGENT PLEA!</a></center>
URGENT PLEA!
Please Grab This Button!
<center><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html"><img width="100%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/URGENTPLEAWallace.gif"/><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html"></a><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-focus-on-down-syndrome-urgent.html">Please Grab This Button!</a><br/>URGENT PLEA!</a></center>
Thank you for helping these little ones!


(for assistance in posting these grab buttons on your blog, CLICK HERE)

MEET OTHER ANGEL EDIE (9)

Little Edie will be 4 year old in July of 2010.
Edie has Goldenhar Syndrome. Edie needs surgery to relieve her hydrocephaly ASAP.
Edie will be transferred to a mental institution VERY VERY soon. The SAD thing is she CANNOT be adopted from the place she will be sent :(
We all know what Edie's future will be if she does not find a FAMILY now.
SOMEONE save her!
PLEASE pray for her!
Let's all try and make Edie's CHRISTMAS special by giving her a gift of a family.

Edies GRANT fund is ZERO.
Please go to reecerainbow.org to read more about Edie. Go to Other Angels, girls, and to the name EDIE (9).
Also contact ANDREA at bamaroberts@comcast.net for more information.