Sharing this post from The Shepherd's Crook Ministries -- Pray for little Destiny and that her forever family finds her soon!
Urgent Need: Destiny
--
Dear colleagues,
We are looking for homestudy ready families who wish to be
presented to our new Illinois birthmom [...] as potential adoptive
parents for her daughter, Destiny. (we have a New York license, so NY
families would also be eligible )
Destiny was born on January 27, 2012 at an estimated 28 weeks
gestation. She weighed 2 lbs, 13 oz at birth. Destiny has been in the
Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit since birth. She is growing nicely and as
of this week she weighs 5 lbs. She does not require supplemental
oxygen, is breathing on her own and in an open crib. Destiny is
currently feeding about 41 mL every three hours. She takes half of her
feedings by mouth and half through her feeding tube.
A head ultrasound completed at one month of age showed
Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). As [we are] not a resource for
general medical information, we encourage families to contact a
physician and conduct their own research to learn more about PVL. Here
is information from NIH which provides a brief overview.
Destiny's birthparents are both African American. [The birth
mother] does not report using alcohol or drugs during her pregnancy. The
birthfather has not been identified and the 30 day Putative Father
Registry search showed no results.
[The birth mother] would like hear about any interested
families. If an adoption occurs, she would like to stay in contact with
the adoptive family through photos and letters and perhaps an annual
visit, depending upon where the family resides.
If you have a family who may be interested in learning more
about Destiny and would like to be considered as an adoptive parent,
please let us know. Interested families will receive all of the
available medical information and photos of Destiny.
--Destiny has progressed well in her young life, but it is likely that she has a long road of medical treatments and therapy ahead of her. She actually reminds me a bit of my seven-year-old sister-in-law, Kathryn, whom some of you know. The two girls aren't identical in their needs or in the root causes of their disabilities, but Kathryn's condition is similar to what children with PVL can experience as they grow. Kathryn is doing exceptionally well compared to the prognosis she was given as a baby in Guatemala, and that is due in no small part to the love of her parents, who advocate for her needs and get her the physical therapy that she needs. As a child made in the image of God, Destiny deserves the same advocacy and love. Please pray for her and for her future parents, and feel free to forward this e-mail on to others. Any interested families should write to destiny@theshepherdscrook.org for more information on this little girl.




