Helping Disabled Orphans Find Homes!

Andrea Roberts has a son with Down syndrome. When it came to her attention that children born with Down syndrome in other parts of the world are often abandoned at under-funded orphanages, and then transferred to archaic mental institutions where many die within the first year, she did something about it. Andrea founded Reece's Rainbow. This organization helps families in the U.S. fund adoptions from the Ukraine, and other eastern European countries where these children do not have a chance of having a good life.

Andrea and Reece's Rainbow was featured by People Magazine in the March 1, 2010 issue (Vol. 73, No. 8). You can view the article Here.

Now, Andrea is  in the running for People's Hero of the Year. If she wins, she will receive $10,000 - a sum that could go a long way to help many more children find forever homes. Please click this link to Vote Now!

To learn more about the lives of children born with disabilities in many Eastern European countries, please visit my "Show You Care" website.

Thank you in advance for your votes!! The lives of children just like this one are on the line.

 Elizabeth is waiting for her forever family!

The following are pictures of children who were not adopted, living in a Bulgarian mental institution.

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A Brilliant Fourth Anniversary

As many of you know, in my spare time (because I have sooooooo much of it) I do everything I can to raise funds for Reece's Rainbow - a WONDERFUL organization that helps families adopt children with Down syndrome and other cognitive or physical issues from other countries where they would otherwise be institutionalized by the age of 4. Often, these children die of neglect and malnutrition shortly after institutionalization.

This cause is VERY near and dear to my heart. These beautiful babies are just like my own Skink... it breaks my heart to think what so many of them are going through.

Reece's Rainbow was started by a mom. Not a company or some big organization... a MOM. This mom has now helped save the lives of more than 250 children!

There are many more waiting children and plenty of waiting families... but adoption is expensive and many people don't have the money to bring home the child they have already given their heart to. This is why I am looking for ways to raise funds without asking YOU for money. If you have a FaceBook account, you can help just by joining THIS PAGE. If we get enough members of the page, we may be able to get a healthy sum of money from ABC Television. It may be a one-in-a-million chance, but Betty White got to host SNL from a social networking campaign just like this.

If you DO happen to have $5, $10 or even a little more you think you could part with, every dollar helps!
You can send it directly to Reece's Rainbow:
Reece's Rainbow
PO Box 4024
Gaithersburg, MD 20885

Or via credit/debit card through this secure site:
DONATE NOW

Here is a beautiful slide show about Reece's Rainbow - enjoy!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Proverbs 24:12 "Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."

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Call Me Crazy... Over the edge for Reece's Rainbow

I have to share a cause near and dear to my heart! Reece's Rainbow is an organization that helps people in the U.S. adopt special needs children (primarily those with Down syndrome) from other countries like Estonia, the Ukraine, Serbia and Bulgaria. In these countries, most children born with any kind of "defect" are put into orphanages. At 4-5 years of age, they are carted off to institutions where many die of neglect. Parents generally don't try to keep children with physical or cognitive issues because they have to pay for any of the "defective" child's medical expenses out-of-pocket.

Unfortunately, the institutions and many of the orphanages are underfunded, understaffed and overcrowded. Children with medical issues rarely receive proper medical attention, nourishment or the stimulation they need.

It turns into a vicious cycle where the culture shuns people who are different and places no value in those who have Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, blindness, autism, cleft pallet and other birth defects.

Because my husband and I are not financially able to adopt or send more than $10 to Reece's Rainbow every now and then, I have been looking into new and different ways of raising funds and awareness.

I may have gone off the deep-end, but this week I started a campaign to get ABC's Dancing With The Stars let me come on the show with 100 percent of the profits going to Reece's Rainbow. I realize it's a one in a million chance, but at very least, maybe I can get more people to go to the RR website and help out.

My FaceBook fan page can be found at: Ask ABC to Help a Great Cause! DWTS & *her*

Please spread the word! These beautiful angels all deserve a chance!

For more information, please click Reece's Rainbow

You can also make a donation directly to:
Reece's Rainbow
PO Box 4024
Gaithersburg, MD 20885

Or by credit card at: Show You Care

Most importantly, please spread the word!!