This little girl is Bethany:
Bethany is waiting for her forever family
in Eastern Europe.
She has Osteogenesis Imperfecta,
also known as Brittle Bone Disease.
She has spent much of her life in a hospital.
She has had multiple broken bones in her lifetime.
Until recently, she was not even able to sit up.
Yet despite all of this, she is a sparkling jewel
of a little girl, incredibly bright and clever,
and ready to share her sweet smile
with anyone who has time for her.
But really, who better to tell you about Bethany
than Bethany herself?
Here is an awesome video about this little love:
True, it is all in Russian, but just watch this little girl and see her sparkle! Below are some excerpts from the video:
- The journalist is calling her “Sweet little dove”, she says seriously “ Why you are calling me Dove? I am not a dove, my name is "Bethany"”
- The journalist is asking her “ Do you like to sit in a armchair?”, she responds “ Of course, I like it. It is very convenient in general. You just need to put an extra roller for the back in order your back not to be curved”
- The journalist is telling to the camera about "Bethany's" medical condition and she comments “ Oh…I understand everything what you are saying here about me…yes…it is truth!”
- When being asked to introduce herself, she is saying " My name is "Bethany" and I am very smart"
- The journalist is asking her " Are your eyes being bothered by the camera's light?", she responds " No, because the light is pointing directly to my nose".
- The journalist is asking her “ Do you like to sit in a armchair?”, she responds “ Of course, I like it. It is very convenient in general. You just need to put an extra roller for the back in order your back not to be curved”
- The journalist is telling to the camera about "Bethany's" medical condition and she comments “ Oh…I understand everything what you are saying here about me…yes…it is truth!”
- When being asked to introduce herself, she is saying " My name is "Bethany" and I am very smart"
- The journalist is asking her " Are your eyes being bothered by the camera's light?", she responds " No, because the light is pointing directly to my nose".
Bethany is an amazing child.
Here is her profile from Reece's Rainbow:
Bethany 15H
December 2006
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
melx-15
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
melx-15
From volunteers who met her: This radiant girl lives in a Russian orphanage. She suffers from OI, Group 3. She was bedridden for the most of her life; until she was almost 4 years old she could not sit and could not turn over. She had multiple bones broken by simply moving around in bed. Only one year ago volunteers found her in a cast from head to toe. They have begun raising money for her rehabilitation in the American Medical Center in Moscow. As a result, she is now sitting vertically first time in her life. The first time she was able to look out the window, she saw the bleak Moscow landscape of late November and there was no limit for her joy! She takes such pleasure in being able to see that the street cleaning guy has a “soft” hat and that birds are “fuzzy .” Despite having such a handicapped childhood, Bethany is unbelievably bright. At three and a half she knew all colors, 1 to 10 numbers, could recite many children rhymes, and she has a perfect music pitch! According to the nurses, Bethany radiates positivism and humor to such degree that children from the hospital gather in her room for a good laugh, a song, or a story. When it was time for her to leave the hospital and to part with the nurses, she broke down crying for the first time, despite all the physical pain of the hospital procedures. She desperately wants to belong, to be part of a family.
Update Sept 2011: Bethany is extremely bright child…despite of the orphanage environment, her mental development is far beyond her age group. You should see how she responds to the questions and how she comments…she is so funny and so cheerful. She can sit without a help, but she is still not walking.
More information and a video from June 2011 is available for interested families. More pictures available. Potential families must have good medical coverage and be comfortable financially.
$9585.30 is available towards the cost of my adoption!
Bethany has been waiting for so long for a family to choose her. Well, here is some good news that might help:
1. Did you see her grant? People who love sweet Bethany have donated nearly $10,000 to her adoption grant!
2. Read this glowing report, written last year by volunteers who worked with Bethany (referred to as "Rita" in these quotes):
What our volunteers said about Rita
“Rita sat for the first time in her life! Finally! She sat for ten whole minutes. It made me cry. Imagine, she finally saw things that she had never seen before – falling leaves, a yard-keeper outside. She noticed that his hat was “soft”. Rita is now more mobile. She is crawling in her playpen and can move her legs. She is not afraid to roll over!”
“You've got to believe us, she is not only the most advanced of all the orphans we have ever seen, she is a true genius! She talks non-stop and knows a lot of things that even “regular” children her age don't know.”
“Rita recited me a poem and I told her a story about two silly hamsters. She asked me why the hamsters were laughing and immediately answered that question herself. “Because they are kind and silly, and because they got their grain stash!” When it was time to go, I hugged her and she said that my hair was “tickly”
“You've got to believe us, she is not only the most advanced of all the orphans we have ever seen, she is a true genius! She talks non-stop and knows a lot of things that even “regular” children her age don't know.”
“Rita recited me a poem and I told her a story about two silly hamsters. She asked me why the hamsters were laughing and immediately answered that question herself. “Because they are kind and silly, and because they got their grain stash!” When it was time to go, I hugged her and she said that my hair was “tickly”
3. Sweet Bethany has made huge gains since the last report was written! Check out the latest update:
Doctors at the European Medical Center have presented Bethany with a wheelchair, and Bethany moves herself on that wheelchair very dexterously, turning wheels with her little hands.
Bethany plays in a hospital’s playroom with a boy, the same age and OI stage 3 as Bethany, however that boy is walking, and Bethany is not. The only difference between them is that Bethany is an orphan, and boy is staying at the hospital with his Mom. The staff of the orphanage loves Bethany dearly but they can not substitute family’s effort to make a child walk.
The most ground-breaking news: Bethany CAN STAND now! She can stand without anybody’s help, holding bed’s post! Just imagine how happy Bethany was standing first time by herself on the floor! Hopefully, around New Year holidays, Bethany could start walking using orthoses, splints or walkers…
The personnel of the orphanage, who loves Rita very much and greets Rita every morning as their most beloved and important boss, already prepared a pair of special beautiful little shoes!
Bethany has a new nanny; today is nanny’s first day, but she already is under spell of our Asian princess’s charm.
Nanny says that Bethany is extremely smart and that is why it is so easy for Bethany to master geometrical forms, drawing, counting and so on: today they practiced counting backwards.
Currently Bethany can sit and turn in bed, can stand: her bones and back muscles are stronger, her legs are longer, she is growing rapidly, and, consequently, her body deformations are less severe.
Bethany plays in a hospital’s playroom with a boy, the same age and OI stage 3 as Bethany, however that boy is walking, and Bethany is not. The only difference between them is that Bethany is an orphan, and boy is staying at the hospital with his Mom. The staff of the orphanage loves Bethany dearly but they can not substitute family’s effort to make a child walk.
The most ground-breaking news: Bethany CAN STAND now! She can stand without anybody’s help, holding bed’s post! Just imagine how happy Bethany was standing first time by herself on the floor! Hopefully, around New Year holidays, Bethany could start walking using orthoses, splints or walkers…
The personnel of the orphanage, who loves Rita very much and greets Rita every morning as their most beloved and important boss, already prepared a pair of special beautiful little shoes!
Bethany has a new nanny; today is nanny’s first day, but she already is under spell of our Asian princess’s charm.
Nanny says that Bethany is extremely smart and that is why it is so easy for Bethany to master geometrical forms, drawing, counting and so on: today they practiced counting backwards.
Currently Bethany can sit and turn in bed, can stand: her bones and back muscles are stronger, her legs are longer, she is growing rapidly, and, consequently, her body deformations are less severe.
If you would like to learn more about OI, check out this website: http://www.oif.org/site/PageServer
Bethany could have a long and wonderful life! Yes, she will have broken bones. Yes, she will be in pain at times. This is true for her whether she remains an orphan or is adopted. But how much sweeter could her life be if she had a mommy and daddy to shower her with hugs and kisses, to sing to her, to gaze into her eyes and tell her that she is a precious jewel, loved unconditionally, created in the image of God?
Region 15 – General Information
- 2-3 trips
- 1st trip, Both parents for 5-7 days
- Wait 2-3 months for court
- Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days
- 10-day waiting period is NOT waived for special needs
- Only one parent would need to return after the 10-day wait
- Up to 8 children in the home if the family income is sizeable (the adopted child being the 8th child)
- Both parents must be younger than 60 years
- EASY TRAVEL IN-COUNTRY
- Fee includes orphanage donation
- Married couples and single mothers may apply
- Un-related children may not be adopted simultaneously
- Total program and travel fees approx $35-40K
And if you are a real fan of this little darling, here is one more video clip. This one is from last year, June 2010. This kid is CUTE!
She is funny. She is sweet. She is a smart little
cracker-jack. She is tough. She is determined. She can accomplish amazing, wonderful things, if only someone will give her the chance. She is adored by her caretakers. She desperately longs for a family to choose her. Please consider Bethany! Share her story. Donate to her account. Pray for her family to find her, and to find out who they've been missing!
1 comment:
She is soo sweet! :) Thanks for posting about her!
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