He is a beautiful and bright little four-year-old boy, waiting for a home. Born abroad, “Carlton” (who’s real name cannot be revealed due to the law in his home country prohibiting it) is considered “disabled” and has some issues with his legs and cannot walk just yet. Currently, he is in a hospital in Russia, recovering from surgery and awaiting his transfer to the “mental institution.” “There is nothing psychologically wrong with him,” states Laura Bailey. “It’s an unfortunate truth that the disabled orphans in his country are left in institutions with little care provided to them when they have come of age…a tender age, I might add.”
Stevenson Ranch residents, Michael and Laura Bailey are hoping to adopt little Carlton. Veteran parents of a disabled child, the Baileys have a biological son, Tyler, who has a multitude of health issues. “Like Carlton, Tyler cannot walk, so we are familiar of what it takes to parent a child with this condition,” states Laura.
The Baileys saw Carlton listed on Reece’s Rainbow, an organization who’s mission is to rescue orphans with Down syndrome through the gift of adoption, to raise awareness for all of the children who are waiting in 25 countries around the world, and to raise funds as adoption grants that help adoptive families afford the high cost of adopting these beautiful children. Reece’s Rainbow began in 2004 as an outreach program and in 2006, the program expanding to promote the international adoption of children with Down syndrome.
The Baileys felt an instant bond with Carlton, the moment they saw his picture listed on the Reece’s Rainbow website. They knew he had a place in their home. “The moment we saw him, we planned on how we would bring this beautiful little boy home, to give him the mommy and daddy that he has been asking for,” states Laura. “If it were only so simple to adopt, Carlton would already be home with us.”
The Baileys are working hard at fundraising, so that Carlton’s adoption can happen quickly, to avoid Carlton’s transfer to the institution. “International adoption is expensive,” states the Baileys. “We need to raise roughly $30,000 to complete Carlton’s adoption. This may seem like a lot, but many families have raised the funds to complete their adoptions, and we can too.”
For more information on how you can help, or to donate, http://www.savingkhariton-com.webs.com/. You can also donate through Reece’s Rainbow by visiting http://reecesrainbow.org/29641/sponsorbailey.