Please Allow Me to Introduce…

… Wesley to you. My son and i are praying for him.

Wesley is an orphan. He wasn’t always one. He spent the first 6 years of his life with his family. And then according to his records, he was abandoned. i can not imagine what that feels like for a little boy of 6. i can not imagine what went through his head when he finally figured out that he wasn’t going home. My heart just breaks.

i have a vague idea why he was abandoned. i believe that he was left because of his special need, which in my opinion isn’t much of a special need. He has albinism and vision issues as a result of his albinism.

However, i think that in his country his condition is not accepted and could likely have been a cause for ridicule and bullying and even family shame. So he had to go. Sad, but that’s how cruel society can be sometimes.

Most people know or have an idea of what albinism is. It is a condition where there is a lack of pigmentation in skin, eyes and hair. So most people with this condition have milky white or very light colour skin (or lighter than other family members), usually blond or very light coloured hair (sometimes it can be brown, depending on the type of albinism) and their eye colour can vary from blue to pinkish or red, sometimes white.

There are associated health issues with albinism. Vision problems is the big one. Because of the lack of pigmentation, the iris in the eye can not protect the retina and this makes them sensitive to light and can cause squinting. It can also cause reading problems. Sometimes the eyes also develop addition conditions such as nystagmus.

Wesley has albinism but he is also a little boy who needs a family to love him, to let him that he is loved even though he may look different. He needs a mum and dad who will support him and encourage him to be everything he can be.

i like what it says on the kidshealth.org page about albinism:

Except for eye problems, most people with albinism are just as healthy as anyone else.

Wesley has nystagmus but that does not mean he has to lead less of a life. This is what allaboutvision.com website says:

• Don’t lower your expectations for your child. Most people with nystagmus can see, learn and interact well enough to lead very normal lives.
• Be positive. Nystagmus, while a visible “disability,” is not the end of the world. As they grow up, children with nystagmus need help in understanding why their eyes are different. Reassure children that nystagmus won’t stop them from being normal kids and normal adults.

So can you see that Wesley is as healthy as the next child, except that his skin, hair and eye colour are different and his eyesight isn’t great?

Please pray for Wesley – i’m amazed that with what he has been through that he still has a gentle temperament, is polite and sensible, and gets along well with others. Pray that his forever family comes for him so that he can have the opportunity to lead a full life. His albinism shouldn’t be a factor that he misses out in life, his vision problems can be helped, if not corrected.

His file says that he likes watching cartoons, listening to stories with peers, playing games with kids outdoors, likes playing balls and toy cars best. Just like any other little boy. Could he be your little boy? He has been waiting 6 long years for a family to love him, just as he is. Please step up if God is leading to be part of this boy’s life. Contact Reece’s Rainbow for more details.

In his country, there is little chance that he will be chosen for adoption because he stands out so much in appearance. However, in a society that might be more accepting of his condition, he could thrive. That would likely mean international adoption, which would costs an arm and a leg (almost literally); anywhere from US$25,000 to US$45,000.

Please do not let a lack of funds stop Wesley from having a family. He has a very small adoption grant at the moment. You can help by contributing to that grant and help lessen the burden of his forever family reaching him. Click on his name or picture to donate.

Thank you so much for your kind attention. And if you do make a contribution to Wesley‘s grant, please leave a comment below. i would like to send you a thank you gift.

syc