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Description
The England Grant of $2500 may be available for qualifying families.
Individualized grant funding for qualifying families may be available through our President’s Grant. Contact us for more details!
***Update***
We are happy to have received an update on these cute sisters from April 2023. The psychologists who visited with them said the following:
The contact with the girls was easy and pleasant. They looked with interest at the new, musical toys I gave them. Both girls loved them and the toys kept their attention for a long time. They freely interacted with each other, exchanging toys without getting angry. The girls follow simple instructions. Maria tries to speak, saying single words or short sentences. Alba does not speak. She was silent during my whole visit. Both girls turn when called by name and know the names of the children at the Center. They have developed self-care habits – they can wash their hands by themselves, use the toilet by themselves (use a diaper only when sleeping), feed themselves, have a good appetite and have no particular preference for food. They drink from a glass. Alba and Maria know how to make their own beds – putting a pillow and duvet on from the cupboard. Alba and Maria share a room, and each of them has a bed, a desk and a wardrobe for clothes. Each of them has their own clothes, and quite often they have preferences, for example, in the afternoon they can sometimes refuse to put on the clothes they wore in the morning. They dress and undress themselves – buttons make it difficult for them, but they can handle zippers without a problem. Still when putting on shoes, they sometimes switch shoes (left-right). They can arrange their own wardrobes and take care of the order and cleanliness of their room. They fall asleep on their own and their sleep is peaceful! They love to bathe!
The social worker shared that Alba is more mischievous and tries to impose her will and also not always wanting to share toys. She does not show auto-aggression. Maria is often looking for what Alba does and follow her. The two girls definitely have a close, emotional bond built up. Both tend to help others as well. Maria also has favorite animated films. She also likes Bulgarian traditional music and likes to watch Bulgarian folk dances on TV. In general, both Alba and Maria do not recognize letters or numbers. Maria recognizes the basic colors and more popular animals (bear, bunny and hedgehog). Maria tried different ways to play with the toys and in some cases Alba tried to copy her, performing the same movements. Like all children, Alba and Maria enjoy personal treatment and individual attention! The girls don’t play with other kids very much but play with each other. They hold on to toys and if another child happens to take a toy out of their hands, they directly look to get it back or express displeasure, and sometimes Alba can even try to hit. They like to go out in the yard. They like the swings as well as the slides. Alba pinches herself at times, especially on her legs. The staff believe that this is because of boredom since many times during the day they have nothing to do.
The work with specialists at this stage is extremely limited. According to the staff, Maria is extremely loving and easily gets attached to people. Both girls need regular, systematic and purposeful work with specialists and a suitable, stable and loving family environment..
A note from the social worker: Please note that Alba was given the diagnosis of Congenital anomalies of the corpus callosum when she was at the home for babies. Unfortunately the baby home kept all the documents and tests and only gave me a sheet with this diagnosis. So there is no test or nuclear magnetic resonance testing to verify results. As of 3-2019. Alba received a stage of disability based on the Corpus Callosum anomalies diagnoses. The sisters have never been taken to specialists for examinations such as a neurologist, eye doctor, cardiologist etc. Alba takes a daily medication (contact us for name and dosage).The sisters are rarely sick.
The psychologist who met the girls says the girls are very positive and used to being around adults and children. The only way they will progress is to be with a family who will love and give them the education and support they need to improve.
Videos – April 2023
***
We are excited to represent two beautiful sisters Alba and Maria. Alba was born November of 2013 and Maria was born May of 2016. The information we have is from January 2023 however we will be receiving new photos, information and video very soon. The information is as follows:
We met the two children in a relaxed environment. They were informed in advance about the meeting and were looking forward to the meeting with interest. The children were communicative and responsive.
The older one, Alba, understands what is said to her and what is asked of her. Verbally and expressively, she has a problem with sounding out words. In the Center, they are trying to secure a resource teacher for long-term studies with her but as an obstacle to this is the flu wave at the moment. According to the staff, she is more playful when interacting and playing with other children nearby, and is reported to be an energetic child.
Maria, the younger one, is smiling and curious and shows interest in contact with an adult. She understands and carries out orders and answers in short words. She is also more emotional with a natural smile and loves to be hugged.
The two children were clearly neglected in their family, and now they need time for self-awareness and return to conceptual and meaningful perception, and upbringing in the new environment at the Center. According to data, at the moment their mental capacity is 45-50 COR, but in reality it is clear that their condition is much better.
Physically, the sisters are healthy, mobile, self-supporting and love to help. Especially little Maria is attentive to the younger children in the Center. They eat common food on their own and have a good appetite. They use a normal toilet and communicate their needs during the day. At night, the staff puts a diaper on them for security. The children like to be outside in the sun. Summary: Regardless of their special needs and family burden (parents with mental retardation), I see in them wonderful possibilities for growing up in a normal family atmosphere, with good care, attention and education.
Video – 1-2023 from another organization
For more information, please contact: Kathy@wiaa.org. You will be asked to complete a parent eligibility form before any file information can be released.
Please be aware that children on our waiting list may be under review by multiple families. Additionally, a child’s availability status may change on short notice. Please contact Kathy@wiaa.org for the most up-to-date status of a child.
Disclaimer:
WIA is not responsible for the medical information summarized here. Medical information sent by other countries may be inaccurate or incomplete. Prospective Adoptive Parents reserve the right to have medical information evaluated by a medical professional in the United States.
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