For Baxter:

Krysten

Just moving Krysten back up to the top. :)

Do it Anyway:

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway.

--Mother Teresa

Ok people...

...I have, sadly, had to post about this before. I guess its time again. Leaving comments like, "Nice blog entry," then leaving a link to get your cabinet's refurbished or, "I like your blog, Come check out my beauty supplies at --another spammed web url--" is not okay. It's spam. And personally I feel its rather rude.

Please, this is a blog about adoption and such things. Not a place to try and sneak spam in by saying two nice words first; which loose their meaning when it turns out to be merely an advertisement. These comments are immediately deleted or marked as the spam that they are. So, please don't even go there in the first place. Thank you.

Now, please, lets focus our efforts on Krysten in the post below -- and stop trying to sell haircare and beauty products off of these entries. Again, thank you.

Meet Krysten:

Hi everyone. Today, I would like to introduce you to the little girl in the picture to the left - Krysten. I have never met this child, probably I never will. I realised today that it has been a very long time since I posted a child needing adoption on this blog, and friends, little Krysten really, really needs a family to love her and I am beyond honored to include her today.

Let me back up a little here to say that I don't know why I was browsing "AdoptUsKids.Org" hopeful I guess, that some of the kids I posted before might have been adopted by now. But I know I felt led there. And soon, after seeing this sweet little girl's face, I knew why.

Little Krysten is only 7, and she lives with a disease/condition called metachromatic leukodystrophy. Folks, my heart broke into a million pieces, this is a life-shortening disease. Let's get her a family to live it with for every blessed second she has got? Is she your daughter? If you can't adopt her can you please pass word of her along; on your facebook, your blog, the next time you are out with a neighbor? It doesn't matter where. Her family is out there. These kids deserve love and a family too. Like little Julia who had previously been diagnosed with Cockane Syndrome, who came home last year after an outpouring of love brought her to her family's attention?

The following is from Krysten's profile at adoptuskids.org:


Krysten is a sweet little girl who loves being in the midst of family activities. While she can contentedly watch TV, her favorite activities are having regular time with favorite adults, including visits by her birth mom, and being around children who interact and play with her.

A medically fragile child, Krysten's overall development is much like that of a non verbal baby who communicates primarily by facial expressions, such as smiling, or pointing and gesturing. While her care needs are extensive, Krysten seems to be content and accepting of what life has to offer without much complaining.

Krysten has an inherited condition called metachromatic leukodystrophy (or sulfatide lipidosis) caused by the lack of an essential enzyme, which results over time in an accumulation of metachromatic lipids in tissues of the central nervous system, kidney, spleen, and other organs that impact her health and her life expectancy.

In addition, Krysten has global (overall) developmental delays, a neuromuscular disorder, and seizures. Her special needs require that she be fed through a G-tube.

Krysten's routine care and treatment include daily medication and feeding regimens, frequent medical appointments, and attendance at a specialized school program for children who have significant developmental delays. Her adoptive parent(s) will need the interpersonal skills to interact effectively and cooperatively with doctors, therapists, and special education teachers on a regular basis, and will need to be proactive and creative in advocating for Krysten's needs.

Krysten is doing well in her school setting. Her IEP includes physical, occupational, and speech/language therapies, and incorporates goals for increasing her developmental growth and acquiring life skills.

Her physical and occupational therapies are helping her to increase her strength and range of movement in her limbs. Currently, Krysten's right arm appears to be stronger than the left arm and she is using it more than the other, but she moves both of them and is able to point and grasp a hold of toys and other objects. Although she has a wheelchair, she also crawls and walks about. When out of her wheelchair, Krysten really must have a caring adult nearby to provide highly attentive supervision as she has a propensity for getting into whatever is within her reach.

Her adoptive folks will need to have experience caring for medically fragile and/or significantly developmentally delayed children or, at the very least, be able and willing to learn a new specialized skill set.

It will be important for her adoptive family's well being to be able to strike an emotional balance between investing wholly in Krysten's growth and development while knowing that they may lose her prematurely; many children born with metachromatic leukodystrophy do not live into their teens. Given the circumstances of her special needs, Krysten deserves to experience life to her fullest capacity and to belong to a family and know that she is wanted. Patience, kindness, and the capacity to love and nurture will be parental traits that Krysten and Krysten's family recruitment team will value highly.


Ok everyone, let's past this on? Let's find her family. For more information visit her profile. Information for "the next step" is there. Thank you very much and have a wonderful day.

Little Angel Tripp...

One of the world's sweetest angels, Tripp, has gone to Heaven today. I found this on his mothers blog, posted Dec 11, 2011:

The Brave Little Soul

By: John Alessi

Not too long ago in Heaven there was a little soul who took wonder in observing the world. He especially enjoyed the love he saw there and often expressed this joy with God. One day however the little soul was sad, for on this day he saw suffering in the world. He approached God and sadly asked, "Why do bad things happen; why is there suffering in the world?"

God paused for a moment and replied, "Little soul, do not be sad, for the suffering you see, unlocks the love in people's hearts." The little soul was confused. "What do you mean," he asked. God replied, "Have you not noticed the goodness and love that is the offspring of that suffering? Look at how people come together, drop their differences and show their love and compassion for those who suffer. All their other motivations disappear and they become motivated by love alone."

The little soul began to understand and listened attentively as God continued, "The suffering soul unlocks the love in people's hearts much like the sun and the rain unlock the flower within the seed. I created everyone with endless love in their heart, but unfortunately most people keep it locked up and hardly share it with anyone. They are afraid to let their love shine freely, because they are afraid of being hurt. But a suffering soul unlocks that love. I tell you this - it is the greatest miracle of all. Many souls have bravely chosen to go into the world and suffer - to unlock this love - to create this miracle for the good of all humanity."

Just then the little soul got a wonderful idea and could hardly contain himself. With his wings fluttering, bouncing up and down, the little soul excitedly replied. "I am brave; let me go! I would like to go into the world and suffer so that I can unlock the goodness and love in people's hearts! I want to create that miracle!"

God smiled and said, "You are a brave soul I know, and thus I will grant your request. But even though you are very brave you will not be able to do this alone. I have known since the beginning of time that you would ask for this and so I have carefully selected many souls to care for you on your journey. Those souls will help you create your miracle; however they will also share in your suffering. Two of these souls are most special and will care for you, help you and suffer along with you, far beyond the others. They have already chosen a name for you". God and the brave soul shared a smile, and then embraced.

In parting, God said, "Do not forget little soul that I will be with you always. Although you have agreed to bear the pain, you will do so through my strength. And if the time should come when you feel that you have suffered enough, just say the word, think the thought, and you will be healed." Thus at that moment the brave little soul was born into the world, and through his suffering and God's strength, he unlocked the goodness and love in people's hearts. For so many people dropped their differences and came together to show their love.

Priorities became properly aligned.

People gave from their hearts.

Those that were always too busy found time.

Many began new spiritual journeys, some regained lost faith - many came back to God.

Parents hugged their children tighter.

Friends and family grew closer.

Old friends got together and new friendships were made.

Distant family reunited, and every family spent more time together.

Everyone prayed.

Peace and love reigned.

Lives changed forever.

It was good.

The world was a better place.

The miracle had happened.

God was pleased.

Rest in Peace Little Angel, and know all the wonder and beautiful changes you brought to the world, the people you touched the lives you changed. Sweet Dreams.

January 8, 2011:

One Year.

Everything changes. No one forgets. My heart goes out to you, your families and loved ones.

Rest in Peace those lost in the Tucson Shooting.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3674595221543443747

January

...is here. Happy 2012.