Everybody Loves @ReecesRainbow

EMMY Award winning actress, Patricia Heaton, from ABC's "The Middle", after learning about Reece's Rainbow on twitter, has generously offered to donate $10,000 when we reach 10,000 twitter followers. What a blessing to our ministry she has been and in less than two days, @ReecesRainbow has already reached 3002 followers!

You can also tweet any of the children or families on the Reece's Rainbow website to help them to find their 'forever families'!

Please join in and if you aren't following @PatriciaHeaton, be sure you follow her, as well!

We are proud to welcome Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and many others who are also committed to raising awareness for our ministry and our orphaned children with Down syndrome and other special needs!

Thank you, Patricia, for all you are doing for our angels! And thank you to all of our @reecesrainbow followers!

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Everybody Loves @ReecesRainbow

Who's in that picture...Zatswho!

This is by far one of my most favorite toys. We received this as a gift when we were getting ready to travel for our adoption. We used pictures of family members to introduce our new children to their family while we were still in their country…it’s called Zatswho.

What is it: Zatswho is soft photo face recognition flashcards for young children. It’s a really great way for children to learn about their family members near and far. The flash cards are made out of a thin, flexible foam-like material. The cards are 4.5 X 6 and hold a 3.5 X 5 picture. It has a thin slit to slide your photo in and a piece of plastic which protects it.

Zatswho comes with 6 different color cards that each have a different shape on the back. Not only will your child learn the names and faces of loved ones, but they will also learn different colors and shapes. They are durable and easy to clean…I just wipe them off with a baby wipe. They come complete with a carrying case so they are easy to take anywhere.

What do they do: Zatswho teaches babies and children of all abilities…
*The importance of recognizing family and friends - identifying the special people in their lives and exploring different roles
*Critical basic skills such as face recognition, shape and color identification, and sequential thinking
*Language and memory development
*How to explore their own imaginations and express that to others!
*Preserve special memories - holidays, vacations, and other meaningful moments becoming a baby keepsake!

Developmental processes promoted

• Matching
• Visual Discrimination
• Hand and Finger Grasp
• Language Development
• Memory and Recall

• Visual Processing

• Visual Attention

• Color Recognition and Identification

• Object Recognition and Identification

Where do I get it:  It is only available online.  You can check them out here!

What does it cost:  $15.95 which includes 6-10 pieces

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Who's in that picture...Zatswho!

Impossible Is Just A Word....

I admit, I love the underdog. I love a story of overcoming great odds. The following article is about Anthony Robles, a wrestler, who was born with just one leg.

It's a great feel good story, and I urge you to not only read it, but watch a video or two. :)

Anthony Robles


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Impossible Is Just A Word....

Kirill's Rainbow

Kirill's story has been passed all over Facebook and the entire cyber world....media outlets, bloggers, email.... In a situation that has left us all feeling personally offended, it is so inspiring to see "one family of advocates" come together to support the life of this child.

But your efforts go so much further than just sweet Kirill....this is a global social statement, a major concern for the human rights of all children with Down syndrome and special needs around the world. It is no secret that countries throughout Europe, Russia, Asia, Latin America have yet to understand the true value and potential of children with Down syndrome. Never has that been more evident than in this case. Atrocities of neglect, abuse, malnourishment happen everywhere, even in the US. Reece's Rainbow tries desperately to change that one adoption at a time. 500+ children have benefited from those efforts over the last five years. That is nothing to sneeze at! The truth always finds it's way to the top.

Being unaware of a child's potential, or not comprehending why a family would choose to raise a child with disabilities is one thing....that is just ignorance and lack of understanding. But to openly deny a child his chance to have a forever family *because he has Down syndrome* is a violation of his basic human rights. (it's no different than testing and terminating prenatally, but that is another story) To look Kirill in the face and tell him "no, sorry, you're better off in a mental institution for the rest of your life", while his family is STANDING THERE....I just don't even have words for that. Not anger, but disbelief...utter disbelief. I know the forces of good will endure here. I have to hold on to that. God is watching all of this, He is watching to see what we all do as a community to fight for the rights and life of this child and all of those he represents on a global level. This is Kirill's Rainbow for this moment in time....

A few other really important things I want to STRESS to everyone who reads this:

1. Be GRACIOUS in your advocacy. This is not a lynching. Remember that you represent God, the United States of America, Reece's Rainbow, the Davis family, Kirill, and all of those orphans who are still waiting to be adopted.
   
2. Show them the true heart of God. Show them we will fight for Kirill's life but not be an emotional blubbering mess about it. :)
   
3. Facts are what win these battles.....the fact is that 500+ children are thriving in their new forever families. The fact is that every other region in Russia has been *most* supportive of our efforts, even the most skeptical ones. The fact is that this judge is painfully ignorant of the truth.
   
4. Five children with Down syndrome have already been adopted from Russia through Reece's Rainbow. (45) more are in various stages of the adoption process. 100+ more are still waiting for grant donations and families of their own.
   
5. This is an opportunity to THANK those in-country coordination teams, our agency partners, the orphanage directors, and those regional officials for having the heart to give these kids a *chance*. This is an opportunity to recognize them for just doing the right thing. This is a time to publicly applaud those people in Ukraine, Bulgaria, China, Serbia for believing in this ministry and what it stands for.

This judge in one small region of Russia went out of her way to document why Kirill should not be allowed out of that institution. Her reasoning was more focused on his being a burden on their existing family than what is in HIS best interest. It's not her job to determine the burden, that is the job of their licensed home study social worker. Their own in-country social workers, orphanage staff, and caregivers all strongly support Kirill's adoption. I can't help but feel that her judgment is clouded by some personal experience in her life. She clearly believes she is making the right decision, I do not believe she is just being evil-hearted. There is still just this overwhelming feeling of "Why!? WHY????" If she herself is not willing to take him home and raise Kirill as her own son, then she has a responsibility to him to make it possible for someone else to do so.

Tesney Davis is a dear friend of mine, and a sister in Christ. God is using her and Greg to wage a battle for the ages. We need her (and Kirill) to know that we are all in this fight together. We bring an armada of love, truth, and positive proof to this judge in Pskov. Keep your prayers coming, bring the media to this for the benefit of Kirill and every other child with Down syndrome who still needs a forever family of their own!

Andrea Roberts, Executive Director

Reece's Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry

http://www.reecesrainbow.org/

andrea@reecesrainbow.org

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Kirill's Rainbow

The Joy of PAYING IT FORWARD!

Turn your tax refund into a life-altering gift  for an orphan with Down syndrome or other special needs!   Sponsor a waiting child's grant fund Give for a  family's final fundraising needs Donate to our Voice of Hope fund ADOPT! In only 5 years, more than (500+) orphans have found their forever families through Reece's Rainbow.  More than $1 million in adoption grants have been disbursed to bring these children home!   Your gifts make that possible.   More than $500,000 in adoption grant funding is available right now to American and Canadian families!  Combine your tax refund with the available adoption grant funds through Reece's Rainbow to bring a child with Down syndrome or other special needs into your family. My name is Oksana! I have a $4400 grant towards the cost of my adoption! My name is Kyle!   I only have $42 in my grant fund :(  Won't you help me grow it so I can find my forever family? My name is Zara!  I have a $2500 grant towards the cost of my adoption. www.reecesrainbow.org

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The Joy of PAYING IT FORWARD!

It's a Whole New Ball Game...

How many of you spend tons of money on "educational" toys...the toys that professionals promise will stimulate your child with special needs...only to find that all the child is interested in is the box. I, too, have searched for toys that would provide not only entertainment for my children, but also provide stimulation in the areas where they are weak. I have found that with my adopted children one of the areas that needs the most attention is those sensory areas. I have found the perfect toy for that...the Tangiball!

What is it? Tangiball is perfect sensory issues by stimulates all your child's senses at ONCE...your child can squeak it, squeeze it, sniff (yes, I said sniff), roll it, and even kick it for gross motor development. It's available in two sizes...4 inch blue tangiball that has a vanilla scent and a 7 inch red tangiball that has a strawberry scent.

How does it work? It's texture, smell and color stimulates all of your child's senses.

Smell: The tangiball smells SO good...no rubbery ball smell from this cool toy. It's yummy vanilla and strawberry scents appeals to your child's sense of smell.

Sounds: Squeeze it...the harder you squeeze it, the louder the squeaking noise. My kids love to squeeze it until it's flat. One of the neat things about it is it also squeaks as it is re-inflating itself. They think that is so cool.

Touch: The surface of the tangiball is covered in soft...yet sturdy...nubs which aid any size hands in catching, carrying, and holding the tangiball. It satisfies that pleasure when it's explored with not only the hands...but also the mouth. It's perfect for teething babies...and it can take the abuse.

Where do I find it? Tangiball is made by Discovery Toys and can be ordered through their website.

How much does one cost? 4" blue tangiball $12.50 and 7" red tangiball $15.00

*I have also seen them on ebay and amazon for a little bit cheaper

Overall...I am excited to have found a toy that is played with more than the box it came it. My children with special needs have benefited from the sensory stimulation of the the tangiball and never even realized it. Who says therapy can't be fun!

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It's a Whole New Ball Game...

Meet the Families of Reece's Rainbow - The Beamish Family

I want to introduce you to the Beamish family. They are one of our Canadian families and are adopting from Eastern Europe! You can follow their adoption journey on their blog!







I've asked some questions to help you get to know Sara and Mike Beamish.

Tell me about yourself and your family. We have been married for almost 11 yrs, started dating in high school.  Always wanted to have a family:)  Had our first daughter 10 yrs ago.  Born with severe special needs, the light of our life.  Passed away 18 months ago.  Have a 4 yr old daughter, who is amazing and has been through so much in her short little life.  Stay at home/work from home mom.  Trying to get into the home schooling groove, not quite there yet, but working on it.  Home schooling is very important to us.  VERY close to our extended family.  Started our adoption processes in 2003 after suffering from secondary infertility.  We have waited through programs closing, programs refusing us, lack of funds, having an unexpected baby, having an unexpected foster child, having a severely ill child, and losing a child.  This has been a very long road for us, but in May of 2010 at our 10th Anniversary dinner I said to Mike "I think it's time for us to finish our adoption."  And I was shocked and elated when he replied with "Ya, I was thinking about that the other day"  I couldn't believe that we were completely on the same page about this.  We knew that the timing was perfect, and jumped in.

What can you tell me about the child you are adopting?
Kameron is a 6 yr old little girl currently living in an older children's facility in a tiny village in Eastern Europe.  She has cerebral palsy, and myopia.  She is descried by all of the families who have meet her as a very happy little girl.  We are told that she is tall, and skinny with dark hair and brown eyes.  She was the most beautiful smile:)  We've also been told that she talks a mile a minute. :p

Tell me why you decided to adopt a child with special needs? First I think it's important to point out that what other people consider to be as special needs, we usually do not see that way.  EVERY child is an individual, and has there own special issues that they will need help with, and that may be challenging.  So to us, this is not "special needs".  But we are aware that other people may not consider these children, which is SO sad.  We feel that if we are willing and able, then adopting a special needs child is exactly where we need to be.  EVERY child deserves to live in a home surrounded by love and their families.

What would be your advice to anyone wanting to adopt?Ask questions about EVERYTHING!  Find out all you can about everything there is to know about anything type of adoption you are considering.  Make sure to find people who live in your area too!!!  Yahoo groups are a great source of support and information, but the adoption process changes significantly with every factor.  The country you want to adopt from, the region in the country, the country that you live in, the state or province that you live in, possibly the area within our state or province, and your agency and social workers may have their own policies that they follow that could change your process and experience GREATLY from what you were expecting.  So take the time to RESEARCH.

The Beamish's will be traveling THIS SUNDAY and their SDA appointment is for the 29th of March,! They could really use some help raising the funds they need!  Please keep their family in your prayers and if you are able to donate it would be such a blessing to them. If you have a blog will you put their button on it?  If you can help in any way, thank you!

Be sure to right click on the box below and then select all.

<center><a href="http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorbeamish"><img width="100%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/kameron.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://ourjourneytohome.blogspot.com/"><img width="50%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/kamerongrab.png" /></a><br /></center>

For other ways to help the children from Reece's Rainbow, please read the How You Can Help page on the Reece's Rainbow site! If you are looking for a gift idea for someone, your donation can be your gift!Are you adopting? If you'd like to be featured on the 'Meet the Families' segment, please CLICK HERE. We'd love to feature your family!

If you have a blog, we'd love for you to put our Meet the Families Button on it!







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Meet the Families of Reece's Rainbow - The Beamish Family

Happy World Down Syndrome Day 2011

March 21st was chosen by Down Syndrome International (DSI) to mark World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) with the inaugural day being launched in Singapore in 2006.

The date (21st day of 3rd month) was chosen to signify the uniqueness of Down syndrome in the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome.

All DSI members, DS related organizations and individuals worldwide are encouraged to observe World Down Syndrome Day together.

This year, Reece's Rainbow is celebrating World Down Syndrome Day both at home and in Sofia, Bulgaria with our Birth Support Outreach Project, Connecting the Rainbow!  We encourage you to follow along with the CTR blog.

We hope you all have your WDSD tshirts and notebooks, totes and other great items with our World DS Day graphic to proudly share the beauty and uniqueness that is Down syndrome to those you come into contact with on this special day!

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Happy World Down Syndrome Day 2011

Are You Ready?

Monday is World Down Syndrome Day! It is celebrated every year since it began on the 21st day of the 3rd month in honour of the extra or third copy of the 21st chromosome that is present in people with Down syndrome.

I hope you have already ordered your WDSD tshirts and gear to wear and use on Monday! If you haven't, those items are available year round. There is a link to our shop on the toolbar at the bottom of the blog if you click on 'Places to Visit'.

The Connecting the Rainbow team are on their way to Sofia, Bulgaria right now and if you haven't heard about this yet, this is a truly historic weekend! Please keep the CTR team and the Bulgarian families in your prayers this weekend! And be sure to visit the Connecting the Rainbow site for updates during the weekend.

Thank you to all who donated towards this Live in Sofia event! Your gifts will go towards:

• airfare/hotel/food for our traveling volunteers
• educational software and therapeutic equipment
• promotional/printed/informational items for the families
• gifts and activities for the children in attendance

We are so thankful for all of you who support our ministry and believe in our vision!

Be sure to check the toolbar at the bottom for other upcoming events, as well. The 'Message from Reece's Rainbow' will have upcoming events and  ministry project information updated regularly so check that often! If you haven't had a chance to explore the toolbar, be sure you do!

As always, thank you for all you do to support Reece's Rainbow and Happy World Down Syndrome Day!

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Are You Ready?

The Burger's and their Brian

Bill and Sheri have been working hard to gather all the funds they still need to be able to bring their little boy home. They're celebrating 25 years together today (March 15 ~ Happy Anniversary!!) How awesome is that? They're blessed with two sons and a daughter who are just as eager to have Brian home as they are. Right now they have an online Pampered Chef fundraiser going on that you can read more about on their family blog and they're also working on getting an online auction going to help bring in more funds. The Burger family really need our help! Please be prayerful in your giving. God can do amazing things with our funds when they come from the heart.  You can give your life saving gifts here on their FSP
http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorburger
As always, thank you for sharing this family's need and all you do to support the families of Reece's Rainbow!

                                        Grab This!

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The Burger's and their Brian

Angel of the Week

Meet Elden!

Be sure to right click on the box below and then select all.

<center><a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/search/label/Child%20of%20the%20Week"><img width="100%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/RR/childoftheweek.png" /></a><br /> <a href="http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com/search/label/Child%20of%20the%20Week"><img width="75%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/RR/childweekgrab.png" /></a><br /> </center>

Elden is a special kid!


"Before he was weak but due to attention of caregivers and lessons he made a great progress. He become strong and now quickly learns everything new. He as well starts walking."

If you would like more information on him or any of the other children, please contact us! 

Elden has $0 currently in his adoption grant fund. So, even if you aren't able to adopt a child presently, you can still help him find his forever family by donating towards his grant fund.

He can be found here: http://reecesrainbow.org/elden-14g

Elden 14G

grx5-14G
Birth Date: February 2007
Gender: Male
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark
Character: calm

From a missionary who visited with him recently: Elden is very lively, joyful and playful boy. He loves games and jokes. He is the favourite of kids and personnel at the orphanage. Elden is a special kid. Before he was weak but due to attention of caregivers and lessons he made a great progress. He become strong and now quickly learns everything new. He as well starts walking.

$0 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Please grab our Child of the Week Button for your blog. Each week this button will change to show the current week's child (you only need to add the button once to your blog). The children that will be featured will be ones with $0 or very low adoption grant funds. By hosting our Child of the Week button we are hoping to not only raise awareness for that particular child but also to hopefully raise the amount in their fund. These funds have proven to help families who would otherwise be qualified and able to adopt them, except for the cost of an international adoption, feel able to commit to bringing home and giving the precious gift of a family to these angels.

Thank you for all you do to support and help Reece's Rainbow!

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Angel of the Week

Meet the Families of Reece's Rainbow - The Egan Family

I want to introduce you to the Egan family. They are adopting from Eastern Europe! You can follow their adoption journey on their blog!





I've asked some questions to help you get to know Jackie and Tim Egan.

The Egan family

Tell me about yourself and your family. I am Jackie Egan and I am married to Tim Egan. We have been married for 28 years. We have 3 bilogical children ages 27, 25 and 17. 4 children adopted from China, 3 of which were special needs. Our youngest has the most severe special need. Gideon is 4 and has arthrogryposis. This effects both his arms and legs. He is not able to walk yet but we are praying that one day he will. We are a Christian family and owe all we have to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Lord has called us on each of our adoption journeys and has shown us amazing things along each journey. This one is no exception.

What can you tell me about the children you are adopting?
We are adopting Emily and Miranda. They are best friends. Emily is 8 yrs old and has Down Syndrome, she is said to be high functioninng and healthy. Miranda is also 8 years old and has Down Syndrome. We don't know much more than that about her. Emily we will call Anya and Miranda we will call Abby.

Tell me why you decided to adopt a child with special needs? God has called us to special needs adoption. We have 3 other children with special needs. I was led to Reeces Rainbow after reading about a family on my adoption yahoo group that lost the father in a car accident just before Christmas. They had recently adopted 2 precious boys listed on Reece's Rainbow. I check it out and couldn't get all those precious faces out of my head. One face haunted me more than any other and that was Emily. We knew she was ours. Since committing to her we found out about her best friend who was also available and the orphanage begged us to keep them together. The Lord has made it clear to us that sweet Miranda is our daughter too and is meant to stay with her best friend.

What would be your advice to anyone wanting to adopt? Listen to your heart. The Lord is trying to tell you something. Though you may have many reasons why you shouldn't the reason you should is simply this is what the Lord wants you to do. These children just need the love of a family=someone to call mommy and daddy.

The Egans will finally be traveling SOON, and are trying to reach a goal of $8000 so they can do so!  Please keep their family in your prayers and if you have a blog will you put their button on it?  If you can help in any way, thank you!

For other ways to help the children from Reece's Rainbow, please read the How You Can Help page on the Reece's Rainbow site! If you are looking for a gift idea for someone, your donation can be your gift!Are you adopting? If you'd like to be featured on the 'Meet the Families' segment, please CLICK HERE. We'd love to feature your family!

If you have a blog, we'd love for you to put our Meet the Families Button on it!




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<center><a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsoregan"><img width="100%" src="http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/ReecesRainbow/emilymiranda.png"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.faithcanmovethemountains.blogspot.com/">Grab This!</a><br /> </center>





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Meet the Families of Reece's Rainbow - The Egan Family

Calling all RUNNERS! (and more RR news)

1)  Thank you to everyone who donated last week to help us fully fund our birth family mission trip to Bulgaria for World Down Syndrome Day!    We did it!!  The team is so excited to go, all of the therapy items and promo materials have been delivered, and they are starting to pack suitcases now.   Your prayers for all of them as they travel! 2)  REMINDER:   our 5-Year Anniversary Reunion Camping Trip is coming up SOON, and if you plan to join us, you need to book that site in the next two weeks.  The campground is filling up fast for the holiday weekend.   If you don't want/like to camp, there are plenty of motels and hotels very close by that you could consider as well.   This is going to be a very special five days together! 3)  Would like everyone to welcome Kelly Mokashi in her additional role on our leadership team.  Kelly has been serving as our Grant Writer and Board Secretary, but will now also be taking on the role of Individual Event Coordinator.  She will be assisting with the coordination of the individual events and various conventions we attend.

NEWS!!  A new fundraising program is being launched for all of you folks who like to run/walk in 5K/10K/30K events!  The program is called "One Step Closer to Home", and provides you with a fabulous new graphic and opportunity to raise awareness and donations for Reece's Rainbow.  Still working on a full page for the website, but this will post on the homep age when it's ready. Our first OSC event is being held March 27 in Ontario, Canada!  We can modify our graphic to create posters, shirts, etc to personalize and promote your event.  If you'd like to organize a full RR event, or just run in another one with our logo, please contact Kelly Mokashi.

Since we met our fundraising goal for WDSD so quickly, ALEXANDER has been given the opportunity to finish up the month of March as our Child of the Month.  Alexander is so sweet, but struggles with epilepsy in addition to his Down syndrome.   Your donations as an adoption grant for him will help him find his "forever family".

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Calling all RUNNERS! (and more RR news)

The Higbie's and their Lera...

LERA'S FAMILY IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF THE FUNDS TO MAKE THE TRIP TO BE ABLE TO BRING HER HOME..THEY WILL HAVE 2 TRIPS AND ARE NEEDING FUNDING FOR THEIR SECOND TRIP. UNTIL THESE FUNDS ARE IN PLACE THEY'RE AT A STAND STILL WITH THEIR ADOPTION OF HER. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE HIGBIE FAMILY THAT THE FUNDS WILL BE PROVIDED AND FOR LERA WHILE SHE WAITS FOR HER FAMILY TO COME FOR HER.
God must have grand plans for this little lady! Lera has lost families in the past for varying reasons. But now the family God has for her is just about ready to go bring her home...I for one can't wait to see what God has in store for this little girl!! You can read about them on their FSP, where you can also make a life saving donation.
http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorhigbie

You can also follow the Higbie's journey on their blog. http://www.savinglera.blogspot.com/



Psalm 139:5 "He has enclosed me from the front and from behind; He has laid His hand upon my head.. such knowledge is to wonderful for me.."

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The Higbie's and their Lera...

Focus on Down Syndrome - An Update!

The very first person to be in our Focus on Down Syndrome feature was Robert Pio Hajjar, motivational speaker and founder of http://IDEAL-WAY.ca. Well, since that time, he surely has been busy, as the following email shows! Please read the first post about him if you have the chance, as well! And CONGRATULATIONS Robert!

IDEAL WAY Founder and Motivational Speaker, Robert Pio Hajjar, born with Down syndrome is acclaimed Canadian Down Syndrome Society Self Advocate of the Year, nominated for the Order of Ontario, and recipient of the Unsung Heroes Award (City of Toronto), presented by Lt. Gov. David Onley.  When Robert Pio Hajjar was born, in 1977, doctors informed his parents “He will be profoundly retarded. Put him away and forget about him. Have another child.”  They did not realize that Robert was born to be a Champion.

Today, Robert  is making a difference in the world as a charismatic, motivational speaker who travels widely as living proof of what is possible when you include people like him, give them love, encouragement, opportunity. Blessed with natural showmanship, and a clear voice, Rob is a Champion for his peers that cannot speak, i.e. 4,000 people Indiana University. 

Enjoy IDEAL WAY’s most recent video of Robert speaking to students at MOUNTSFIELD PS, London, ON.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkRmQHd6_v0  

Best Buddies Canada Leadership Conference  http://ideal-way.ca/?page_id=377

Share this with as many others as you can, please.  “Everyone needs to be inspired”.

View our photo gallery to see some of the thousands of students Robert has inspired around the world.

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Focus on Down Syndrome - An Update!

Mission Trip to Bulgaria... we need your help!

Calling all RR advocates!   *** We urgently need your help with last-minute funding for our Connecting the Rainbow mission trip to Bulgaria on March 17. *** For World Down Syndrome Day, Reece's Rainbow is hosting a 3-day educational conference for *birth families* of children with Down syndrome in Bulgaria.   Connecting the Rainbow is an outreach program of Reece's Rainbow.   This project/fund provides therapy techniques and tools, current information about Down syndrome in general, and enouragement and fellowship to these brave families who are fighting social norms and have chosen to raise their own children at home instead of abandoning them to orphanages. Empowering these birth families is vital to reversing the abandonment rate, and for slowly eliminating the orphan crisis that exists for children with Down syndrome in particular.  They need to be encouraged and inspired, to believe about their own children what we in America & Canada already know!  Potential, value, purpose, JOY....to fight for their legal and social rights as human beings in their own countries.  This conference in Bulgaria is a monumental first step, and has the potential to truly get these families to next level.  We need to raise about $5000 in the next 2 weeks to fully fund this trip.  This will pay for such things as: airfare and accommodations for our leadership staff and volunteer therapists who are traveling educational tools for the parents printed and translated material for the parents toys and therapeutic games for the children to use at home promotional items necessary for the conference attendees (folders, pens, etc) financial help for ongoing DSA advocacy efforts in Sofia

Many of us here at Reece's Rainbow are also birth parents of a child with Down syndrome.   Despite the emotions and fears that many of us faced after the birth of our children, we had resources....we had other folks to lean on...we had laws in place to protect our children, services in place to serve our children.    These families abroad have nothing but each other, a small handful of pioneers fighting for their own children.   NOW THEY HAVE AN ENTIRE ARMY AT REECE'S RAINBOW TOO.  Be a warrior for these families and make a donation to Connecting the Rainbow today! One extra chromosome truly does unite us, and these families abroad need to know they aren't alone. 100% of your donation goes to fund this mission trip and other planned projects and CTR activities throughout the year.  Please forward this message to your family and friends, and share on Facebook as well.  Even if you can't donate, you can make a difference! CLICK HERE TO DONATE

http://www.connectingtherainbow.net/

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Mission Trip to Bulgaria... we need your help!

"We do not want there to be a need for Reece's Rainbow to exist!"

Connecting the Rainbow is gearing up for the Live in Sofia World Down Syndrome Day conference! This is an historic event on many levels! It is our wish that you would stand with these families in Bulgaria by being a part of it!  

We are still in need of donations for this conference and would love for you to join us as we prepare to Connect this part of the Rainbow!

Please read this post from the Connecting the Rainbow web site written by Shelley Bedford. She heads up this Birth Family Outreach Project and has herself, personally, adopted a child from Bulgaria! I've included one of our 2011 Reece's Rainbow Awareness buttons at the bottom of this post of Shelley with her son from Bulgaria! She and her husband have adopted 3 children from 3 different countries and are also now in the process of their 4th adoption!

The final plans are being put into place for the
Connecting The Rainbow trip to Bulgaria to celebrate
 World Down Syndrome Day with families in Bulgaria.
The conference is scheduled for Sunday, March 20, 2011 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
 We are very excited to have this opportunity to spend with the families in Bulgaria!

There are many WONDERFUL things happening in Bulgaria right now for families raising their children with Down syndrome. Their parent support group is GROWING....

that means that more and more families are choosing to raise their children with Down syndrome!

But, the sad reality is that many more families are still being advised by doctors to leave their babies with Down syndrome at the hospital and to sign their children over to the local orphanages.
This is the reality that these parents are FIGHTING.

The other part of that reality is that
IT IS STILL A FIGHT
for the families that make the choice to raise their children with Down syndrome.
These families need information on therapy techniques, education, medical needs and just basic information on how to help their children to function in their society.
Therapists and teachers need to be educated on the best practices for teaching children with Down syndrome and how to help the children to reach their full potential.
Doctors need to hear that these children ARE capable...and that there are some very basic things that can be done to ensure that the children stay healthy and can reach their full potential.

It is our hope and prayer that as more information is shared,
as more resources are provided,
as more FACTS about the true potential of children with Down syndrome
is shared with doctors, therapists and families
that the "advice" given to parents at the hospital will change
and that parents will be encouraged to
TAKE THEIR BABIES HOME!

I have said it before and I will say it again:
It is our heartfelt desire that every single family that is blessed with a child with Down syndrome will make the choice to take their baby home and raise him/her as a member of their family. We do not want there to be a need for Reece's Rainbow to exist! 

I will be sharing more in the coming days about the people that will be attending the conference, some of the many activities that are planned and what some of the specific needs are for this trip.
Right now, I would ask you all to please pray for the upcoming trip.
We are anticipating at least 50 families, therapists and doctors from all over Bulgaria to be in attendance.

We are still in need of donations for this trip.

There are many items that the families have requested that we'd love to be able to take with us in March. There are families in more remote parts of Bulgaria that are in need of funds to cover travel expenses to get to the conference. There are resource materials that they've requested that need to be professionally translated and mass produced for each family, doctor and therapist.

Thank you!

Connecting the Rainbow is supported by Reece's Rainbow. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization

Tax deductible donations can be made through Reece's Rainbow
with a notation that it's for CTR-Bulgaria trip.

 For more information, contact Shelley at:shelley@reecesrainbow.org *

CLICK HERE to share Reece's Rainbow on Your Blog! Thank you!

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"We do not want there to be a need for Reece's Rainbow to exist!"