Please keep sharing...

The past week has been so insane that I have neglected to update properly.

Of course, you know about Masha...she's been on my mind all time. This girl is really something special. I did not advocate for her during the Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree season because the focus was on children with Down Syndrome. I felt terrible about that knowing that she would turn four years old in January.

In fact her birthday is the same as my Zhen. Never did I expect this to happen quite so soon, but she is being prepared for her transfer to a mental institution. Imagine plucking a child out of your family and dropping them off at a hospital to live. She will be removed from the only home she has ever known. As dysfunctional and cold as orphanage life is, for all practical purposes, that is her family...her brothers and sisters and mommies.

She is the size of a one year old baby. An easy mark. Who will make sure no one hurts her? Who will make sure no one steals her food? Who will encourage her to walk and talk and learn new things? Will she be afraid? Will she be cold? Will she lose her sparkle?

Knowing that transfer day was possible I started a chip-in fundraiser for her at the beginning of the month. I was supposed to draw winners on my birthday...but...I ended up out of town. I had an opportunity to attend a Down Syndrome conference in Kansas City. I got home late on Saturday and Sunday morning my husband was ushering at church so I had to get nine kids ready to go.

Monday morning was eye appointments for Zhen and Theo at 8am. 8AM!! The news for Zhen was not good. He needs surgery and even then may not regain sight in his bad eye. Tuesday I found out about Masha's imminent transfer and scheduled my 18 year old son for knee surgery the next day. Wednesday was his surgery plus four parent/teacher conferences.

Today was...NOTHING!!! YAY!!

So now I have time to update properly. I decided over the weekend to extend Masha's chip-in fundraiser because I was just so busy and there weren't that many contributors anyway. Now I'm glad that I did. BUT...since a generous benefactor has donated $17,000 to her grant fund, I'll be ending the chip-in and drawing names on Saturday.

God willing, she will have a committed family very soon. Will you continue to share her story so that her family will find her?