Who is Valenz?

You can see the first of my weekly posts about Valenz here: “Human“

Let me tell you a little more about Valenz, “my” little orphan boy, whom we’re supporting through an Angel Tree Fundraiser. (Donate $35 or more to his grant and you will receive his Christmas Tree Ornament to remind you of the true meaning of Christmas. See Valenz’s Angel Tree page for more details.)

His Reece’s Rainbow profile says,

“DOB: July 19, 2007
Valenz is delayed in all areas of his development. However, he has shown marked improvements in recent months. He can sit unassisted and pull up to his knees in an attempt to stand. He shows a general interest in toys and will hold them, moving them from hand to hand. He makes spontaneous sounds and basic syllables. He watches the other children and has begun to smile when interacted with by staff and other children. He eats thick consistency foods from a spoon, but still requires someone to help feed him. He sucks his thumb when he sleeps. ”

Know what my first thought is? It’s that Anna has sucked her thumb since she was six weeks old. It gave her a measure of comfort during the months of colic and continued to be one thing in this crazy world that she can rely on. It never leaves. It always there when she’s sad or hurt or upset. And Valenz too has found this… absent of a mother.

The second thing I notice is that he is not standing yet. And he was 3 1/2 when the last report was made… which was about a year ago. This little fella hasn’t had somebody committed to giving him the attention he needs. Since he had been making progress in the months just before the report, I wonder how he has done this year. He is only just beginning to smile.

Why hasn’t he been smiling? A piece of his story is untold in the Reece’s Rainbow profile. Valenz was with his birth family for the first 13 months of his life. And then they brought him to the orphanage. I don’t know why. Maybe they couldn’t feed him. Maybe they were frightened of his disability. One thing is certain; they did whatever is needed to move him towards being adoptable. My guess is that they wanted to do the best they could for him and held some hope that somehow there was somebody, somewhere who could love him and give him the home he deserves. But poor Valenz has not been smiling. Not been interacting. Not been learning… even a baby, even a baby with Down Syndrome can and does grieve the loss of everything they hold familiar. That’s why he hasn’t been smiling.

Unfortunately, his moves are not finished. Pretty soon, he is going to be transferred to a poor older children’s orphanage or to a mental institution, where he will again lose everything familiar. The total adoption process takes about 12 months… somebody needs to start down the path to give him hope, to give him a family. Is it you?

And just for a point of reference… a very important one: at 3 1/2 years old, Valenz was only 17 pounds and 31 inches tall. That’s the height of a 18 month old and the weight of a SIX MONTH OLD INFANT. I don’t know what other issues he may have going on besides Down Syndrome… his profile shows no heart abnormalities. It could be a food allergy like Vinnie. It could be poor food and feeding. It could be a “failure to thrive” stemming from grief and change and poor conditions. I am praying I get to see a smile on his face in the land of the living.

Be involved, visit Valenz’s Angel Tree Page.