Thanks to all families who attended our 5th Annual Chinese New Year Celebration at Jing Fong Restaurant. It was a huge success this year! We look forward to next year!
Monday, February 04, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
MONGOLIAN SPOTS
We have received some inquiries regarding the presence of Mongolian Spots and thought it was important to share the below information with all Gladney Families. Talk to your caseworker if you have further questions!
WHAT ARE THEY?
Mongolian Blue Spots are flat birthmarks with wavy borders and irregular shapes, common among people of Asian, East Indian, African, and Latino heritage. Bluish gray to deep brown to black skin markings, they often appear on the base of the spine, on the buttocks and back and even sometimes on the ankles or wrists. Mongolian spots may cover a large area of the back. The pigmented area has large concentrations of skin cells called melanocytes, with normal skin texture. They commonly appear at birth or shortly after birth and may look like bruises.
Example of Mongolian Spot
Image Credit: Carl Kirton, RN, MA, ACRN, ANP-CS, Division of Nursing, New York University
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM?
Mongolian spots are benign skin markings, and are not associated with any illnesses, complications or risk factors. There is no known prevention and they generally fade in a few years and disappear by puberty. Though occasionally they persist into adulthood, there is no need for treatment.
DOCUMENTATION
Because Mongolian spots can be easily mistaken for bruises, particularly by well-meaning white people who have no experience with them, they have triggered accusations of child abuse against some adoptive parents. For this reason, it is important to be sure that both your child's pediatrician and the caseworker who completes your post-adoption work record information on the presence of Mongolian spots into their records. You can assist in the documentation of this information by taking snapshots of the spots and providing prints to be included in your child's files. Since you cannot take for granted that everyone will know what Mongolian spots are, it is good advice to have their presence recorded from the start.
An Insider's Guide to Transracial Adoption by Gail Steinberg and Beth Hall of PACT, An Adoption Alliance, 3450 Sacramento Suite 239, San Francisco, CA 94118; phone (415) 221-6957; website: http://www.pactadopt.org. This article may be reprinted by other groups without permission with the source information reprinted as above.
WHAT ARE THEY?
Mongolian Blue Spots are flat birthmarks with wavy borders and irregular shapes, common among people of Asian, East Indian, African, and Latino heritage. Bluish gray to deep brown to black skin markings, they often appear on the base of the spine, on the buttocks and back and even sometimes on the ankles or wrists. Mongolian spots may cover a large area of the back. The pigmented area has large concentrations of skin cells called melanocytes, with normal skin texture. They commonly appear at birth or shortly after birth and may look like bruises.
Example of Mongolian Spot
Image Credit: Carl Kirton, RN, MA, ACRN, ANP-CS, Division of Nursing, New York University
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM?
Mongolian spots are benign skin markings, and are not associated with any illnesses, complications or risk factors. There is no known prevention and they generally fade in a few years and disappear by puberty. Though occasionally they persist into adulthood, there is no need for treatment.
DOCUMENTATION
Because Mongolian spots can be easily mistaken for bruises, particularly by well-meaning white people who have no experience with them, they have triggered accusations of child abuse against some adoptive parents. For this reason, it is important to be sure that both your child's pediatrician and the caseworker who completes your post-adoption work record information on the presence of Mongolian spots into their records. You can assist in the documentation of this information by taking snapshots of the spots and providing prints to be included in your child's files. Since you cannot take for granted that everyone will know what Mongolian spots are, it is good advice to have their presence recorded from the start.
An Insider's Guide to Transracial Adoption by Gail Steinberg and Beth Hall of PACT, An Adoption Alliance, 3450 Sacramento Suite 239, San Francisco, CA 94118; phone (415) 221-6957; website: http://www.pactadopt.org. This article may be reprinted by other groups without permission with the source information reprinted as above.
Friday, January 11, 2008
The Waiting Game.....
What can I do to make the wait easier? I wanted to be connected, in a constructive way, to the agency that I had come to love and trust, as well as with children. As a physician I was interested in understanding more about special needs children and their particular medical problems. I read everything I could to see where they fit in the overall adoption process. I had lots of questions about what defined a “special needs child” and in particular what were their medical needs.
Shanghai Super kids caught my eye late one night when I was browsing the Internet. My husband and I are one of Gladneys waiting families from China. We knew the wait would be long and tedious. Now that it was a reality and with only a few months behind us, I was wondering how to make it more bearable. We had focused intently on all the tasks of assembling the necessary paperwork. There was nothing left to do, with huge sigh of relief all the paper work was off in flourish, and we had reached our intermediate milestone of a “log in” date.
After seeing the Super kids web site; http://www.superkidscharity.org
I contacted Janet fink fink.jant@gmail.com to ask about her budding charity and offered to volunteer. A month later I was on my way to Shanghai. The Fink led team was returning to Shanghai Children’s Home to further their previous efforts to develop awareness of the importance of normal development physical rehabilitation and physical touch. The orphanage is a stunning place with lush beautiful grounds and well cared for buildings. Walking down the long corridor of the orphanage the first day I was wondering what I would encounter within. The first room we entered I was met by the outstretched hand of a little toddler, sporting a huge smile, complete with a scar of a cleft lip repair. Chatting all the while to me, he lead me by the hand into a room with a huge floor mat where the team had already assembled and had begun their instructions with the caregivers.
The Caregivers were loving and attentive. The skilled physical therapists with us were demonstrating to them simple techniques to improve the motor skills and ambulatory function of the children. Throughout the week the therapists provided both the rehabilitation staff and the caregivers hands on instruction in therapeutic activities aimed at decreasing developmental delay. I worked closely with the medical staff, learning about the children’s medical issues in hope of supporting their medical care and improving their prospects for finding a family to call their own.
While we ride the ups and downs of International adoption process, it is refreshing to know that the Gladney agency has not lost sight of the orphaned children’s well being. Consider lending your support and or time to the Super Kids Team and the Gladney Initiative. http://www.superkidscharity.org/ and http://www.gladneyinitiative.org/
If you have a similar case of the waiting game blues, being a part of raising awareness of orphaned children’s needs is deeply satisfying. They need our involvement in their lives even before they come home to us. There are many more children who may never be adopted, whose lives we can help improve.
Volunteering has made a word of difference for me. I can say I will be involved even after it is my turn for Gotcha Day, because the memory of the smiles of those wonderful children will be with me for a long time.
E. McAleer, MD
Shanghai Super kids caught my eye late one night when I was browsing the Internet. My husband and I are one of Gladneys waiting families from China. We knew the wait would be long and tedious. Now that it was a reality and with only a few months behind us, I was wondering how to make it more bearable. We had focused intently on all the tasks of assembling the necessary paperwork. There was nothing left to do, with huge sigh of relief all the paper work was off in flourish, and we had reached our intermediate milestone of a “log in” date.
After seeing the Super kids web site; http://www.superkidscharity.org
I contacted Janet fink fink.jant@gmail.com to ask about her budding charity and offered to volunteer. A month later I was on my way to Shanghai. The Fink led team was returning to Shanghai Children’s Home to further their previous efforts to develop awareness of the importance of normal development physical rehabilitation and physical touch. The orphanage is a stunning place with lush beautiful grounds and well cared for buildings. Walking down the long corridor of the orphanage the first day I was wondering what I would encounter within. The first room we entered I was met by the outstretched hand of a little toddler, sporting a huge smile, complete with a scar of a cleft lip repair. Chatting all the while to me, he lead me by the hand into a room with a huge floor mat where the team had already assembled and had begun their instructions with the caregivers.
The Caregivers were loving and attentive. The skilled physical therapists with us were demonstrating to them simple techniques to improve the motor skills and ambulatory function of the children. Throughout the week the therapists provided both the rehabilitation staff and the caregivers hands on instruction in therapeutic activities aimed at decreasing developmental delay. I worked closely with the medical staff, learning about the children’s medical issues in hope of supporting their medical care and improving their prospects for finding a family to call their own.
While we ride the ups and downs of International adoption process, it is refreshing to know that the Gladney agency has not lost sight of the orphaned children’s well being. Consider lending your support and or time to the Super Kids Team and the Gladney Initiative. http://www.superkidscharity.org/ and http://www.gladneyinitiative.org/
If you have a similar case of the waiting game blues, being a part of raising awareness of orphaned children’s needs is deeply satisfying. They need our involvement in their lives even before they come home to us. There are many more children who may never be adopted, whose lives we can help improve.
Volunteering has made a word of difference for me. I can say I will be involved even after it is my turn for Gotcha Day, because the memory of the smiles of those wonderful children will be with me for a long time.
E. McAleer, MD
Monday, December 17, 2007
Here Is Something You Don't Do Everyday!
Maya Silver is back in China with her sister, Melanie, and her parents, Phil and Lisa.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Goodridges Visit Santa!!
Here is our pictures from our visit to Santa. Our Santa lets you bring your own digital camera and take some pictures. So we have the picture that we bought and the ones I took.
E was not scared, but got very quiet when Santa asked her what she wanted for Christmas. She said a yo-yo. I figured that Z would cry and he did. This picture captures him just as he is realizing that I'm not there with him. I think in the picture that we bought, he is all out crying.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
The Brueckel Children Celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Sarah is the pumpkin, Kathryn is the puppy (by her request!), and James is a Ninja Lord. The adorable turkey was made by big brother James.
Eliza Li Weiniger Wins School Wide Essay Contest!
Eliza Li Weiniger, Age 7, Adopted From Lodi,China
Eliza won a school wide essay contest at Jefferson Elementary School in Westfield NJ. The topic of the essay contest was:
If I could go anywhere on Earth I would go to ________.
There were many entries and one winner per grade. Eliza won the contest for the first graders.
Here is a transcript of the winning essay:
Eliza Li Weiniger
1st Grade-Mrs. Arkin's Class
EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY!
ESSAT CONTEST.
If I could go anywhere on Earth, I would go to China because I was born there. I want to see the sites.
I want to see the houses and the buildings. I may see a school there.
The Olympic games are going to be in China next year, 2008.
I want to learn how they speak their language. My mom and dad went to China to adopt me. They thought it was beautiful.
Eliza won a school wide essay contest at Jefferson Elementary School in Westfield NJ. The topic of the essay contest was:
If I could go anywhere on Earth I would go to ________.
There were many entries and one winner per grade. Eliza won the contest for the first graders.
Here is a transcript of the winning essay:
Eliza Li Weiniger
1st Grade-Mrs. Arkin's Class
EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY!
ESSAT CONTEST.
If I could go anywhere on Earth, I would go to China because I was born there. I want to see the sites.
I want to see the houses and the buildings. I may see a school there.
The Olympic games are going to be in China next year, 2008.
I want to learn how they speak their language. My mom and dad went to China to adopt me. They thought it was beautiful.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Favorite Fall Photos from the Gallagher Family
Some favorite fall photos from the Gallagher Family (Kevin, Jeannine, Kevin Jr, Sarah, Philip & Mei):
Hello from Nanchang
We arrived in Nanchang on Sunday afternoon and met Kiana (Shao Tong) about an hour after we arrived at the hotel. The first night was rough for this first time mommy. Everytime we picked her up or touched her she would cry..make that SCREAM! She did not want to sleep in the crib and spent the night in the stroller in front of the TV.
Day 2 we finally got a smile :) Now Day 5 is coming to a close...we have come a long way! Kiana now tolerates being held and sleeps well through the night. She loves going out and taking in the sights. We did the tourist thing and went to Tengwang Pavilion, August First Park, and shopping area.
-Amy & Kiana Lee
Whitney Visits Santa!
While picking out our Christmas tree earlier in the week, we had a visit with Santa! What a wonderful surprise to see Santa at the tree farm. Whitney is whispering her wish list: a toy shopping card and an apron! Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas :0).
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Go for Sam - Ted and Mira reporting from China!
It's Tuesday, November 2oth, 2007, Mira and her dad Ted left for China. She is going to write about her trip on her blog. In her first blog post, Mira wrote, "As my dad says, we are "go for Sam." We are on our way to China. I should have blog posts up on Thanksgiving day. Please visit then. I hope you enjoy the holiday. Click here to read their blog post from China.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Waiting Children from China
Gladney posts their waiting children from China at the below link. Check back periodically for updates. If you have interest in any of the children please contact gina.pariani@gladney.org for more information.
October Visit to Shanghai Children's Home a Big Success!
Superkids has just returned from a visit to the Shanghai Children's Home. Traveling were Dr. Eileen McAleer, a cardiologist, two pediatric physical therapists, Karen Teters and Pat Marcus, and founder, Janet Fink. The purpose of the trip was to continue training caregivers and volunteers in baby handling and therapeutic activities, deliver needed equipment, and to provide direct treatment to the children.
Superkids was thrilled that the caregivers and the large volunteer community had been following through with their picture directions to exercise infants. These directions were posted in the children's playrooms. They were able to revisit some of the children from their previous trip who were developmentally delayed and we could already see the progress due to the excellent follow through by the caregivers and volunteers.
Dr. MacAleer examined many children with cardiac conditions and many others with serious medical problems. Additionally she was able to help the therapists with medical consultations for the most serious cases. Through donations, they were able to provide a walker for a child with cerebral palsy and teach her how to walk. They were also able to provide a wheelchair for a child who could not sit up without the support of this wheelchair. Additionally, they taught a 7 year old girl with a severe skin disorder to feed herself and provided special coloring equipment so she could play. The therapists also saw many babies with minor medical conditions and developmental delay.
They provided fun therapeutic activities to decrease these delays. The therapists were able to directly treat over 25 children with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders. They were able to continue with training of the caregivers, rehabilitation staff and the volunteers in special handling and positioning for children with neurological disorders.
This coming spring, Superkids looks forward to expanding to a regular, non-special needs orphanage in another province. They also plan to return to the Shanghai Children's Home to continue their work.
To learn more about Superkids please visit their website:www.superkidscharity.org
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Superkids Wheelchair Project
Pictured are four orphan teens living at the Shanghai Children's Home in Shanghai, China. All have spinal cord injury and desperately need quality pediatric wheelchairs. Superkids has not found any wheelchair companies willing to donate or give discounts. Charities able to donate do not offer the appropriate type of chair. These teens are already starting to develop scoliosis and breathing problems because they are not in good chairs. A good, pediatric wheelchair costs approximately $3,000 (includes extra supports and shipping). If they can raise the money, Superkids founder, Janet Fink and head therapist, Pat Marcus, will go to the Shanghai Children's Home to make sure the chairs are fitted properly to these children. They will also teach the caregivers at the orphanage how to care for and repair the wheelchairs if needed.
Donations are tax deductible. Thank you for taking the time to read about these terrific teens.
Bon jour Gladney Families,
This French Poodle, dubbed Fifi, is Lindy Li-Xiao Osborn from San Antonio, just shy of 2.5 years old at the time. Lindy had tons of fun this Halloween and didn't mind her costume (even though it was quite warm outside) because she knew the end result was CANDY. Maybe next year I'll remember it doesn't get very cold in south Texas!
Au revoir~
Fifi Osborn's mommy, Lisa
This French Poodle, dubbed Fifi, is Lindy Li-Xiao Osborn from San Antonio, just shy of 2.5 years old at the time. Lindy had tons of fun this Halloween and didn't mind her costume (even though it was quite warm outside) because she knew the end result was CANDY. Maybe next year I'll remember it doesn't get very cold in south Texas!
Au revoir~
Fifi Osborn's mommy, Lisa
Snow White!
I thought you might enjoy seeing a picture of Olivia (ChangDe, Hunan) dressed in her Snow White Halloween costume!
Friday, November 09, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Trick-or-Treating Fun with Annick!
A picture of our daughter Annick (6, from Quzhou in the front) and Malia (5, local girl, with the white knitted top).
Fairy Princess
Here is a Halloween picture of Lena Stefan. She was dressed as a fairy, because her school teacher who organized this wanted to have non scary outfits.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Jiangxi beauty
she's a jiangxi beauty, adopted 05/04. her name is anabelle stella-rong and she's 4 yrs old.
doting mom,
christine accetta
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