Caring for Serbia's Kids

When we were in Serbia for Abel's adoption, I was thrilled to learn of the changes made in the facility located in Belgrade. It is formally known as the "Center for the Protection of Infants, Children and Youth", referred to as Zvescanska (Zvez-chonska) by the locals.

The facility has hired brand new therapists, who were thrilled to show me the new sensory rooms that had been donated by a local NGO. The rooms include the kind of equipment the best therapy centers in the US strive to have. These rooms are a therapist's dream. The staff from Zvescanska were hoping to receive training very soon to learn all the ways they could utilize these gifts! They are eager and excited! They have a state-of-the-art space, and they are ready to help these kids!!

One of the biggest problems faced by the children in Zvescanska, and that the therapists are trying to work with,  are severe feeding issues. Most of these are caused by lack of oral stimulation as infants and archaic force-feeding methods for the infants and toddlers.

Photo Credit: http://www.zvecanska.org.rs/dom_stac.php

While there are changes being made for the younger kids, the older kids are left with mouths that cannot function properly. (We are still working to overcome both Asher and now Abel's feeding problems!) The therapists and I talked at length about some of the things I do with my kids to work on these problems after adoption, and they told me how they are working with the kids of Zvescanska.

One of my most valuable tools is a Z-Vibe. 

The Z-vibe provides a wide range of sensations for oral stimulation, encouraging tongue movement,  lip movement, swallowing, and...well the list goes on. I use my Z-Vibe almost every day for both Asher and Abel! 

The  speech therapist from Zvescanska was very proud to show me that she has **A** Z-vibe. Yes, that's right. She has ONE. One single, lone Z-vibe to be used with several hundred children. The few tips she had left were all chewed up by the constant use. Some were really not safe for use anymore. Her battery had died a couple months before and they can only be purchased in the US. She wanted to order more batteries but discovered the $6 battery costs an insane amount of money to ship from the U.S. 

I want to solve that problem. I went out on a limb and I made a promise.  I promised I could get her more Z-vibes. I promised I could get her more batteries. I promised because my readers helped me collect 300 blinking toothbrushes for the same kids back in 2011. 

My friend Mary Borojevich, COCI board member and director of COCI-Serbia, is headed back to Belgrade in a few weeks. I want to be able to send the needed Z-vibes with her. 

I have created a wish list on Amazon for the items needed. (please note the thumbnails on descriptions are not always accurate!) The shipping address is included, as well as the Federal Tax ID for your donation to COCI. The deadline for shipping is September 20th. 

Thank you SO MUCH for considering helping the kids of Serbia. The staff are working so hard to make the changes necessary. They really cannot believe there are people here in the U.S who care about these kids. Lets show them just how much we care!

***8/26*** Thank you to the person who purchased the batteries!!!

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No no no! This can't be happening to another family! A couple years ago, the Newbolds only daughter, Chloe, (who had Down Syndome) lost her battle with leukemia. While still recovering from the loss of their daughter, her parents were led to help others with DS who were not so fortunate, and decided to adopt a child from Reece's Rainbow. A child with Down Syndrome. A child who was at risk of "aging out" and being moved to an institution. As it turned out, they decided to adopt TWO!

They went through the long, arduous process that is known as the adoption process, and finally traveled to Ukraine to meet their children. With Ukraine adoptions this is often a two-trip process, and theirs would be a "two for one" type of adoption, saving them THOUSANDS of dollars, and a child's life. Sadly, when they got to little Dasha they discovered that she'd not been available long enough, and would have to wait several months before bringing her home, but they DID bring John Paul home with them!

The months past, and as they bonded with John Paul, they longed for their daughter who they'd held, and loved, but could not bring home. All the while scraping together the necessary funds for Dasha's adoption and travel to get her.

They are now in Ukraine, and had a bombshell dropped upon them. Please read their story here.

Knock Knock Knock

Knock Knock Knock....go to your door and open it. As you do, imagine being greeted by this darling face.


You say, "May I help you little girl?"
She says, "I'm not little! I'm almost 12!"
You say, "Ok almost 12 year old...what can I do for you? And I don't want Girl Scout cookies, I already have a freezer full"
She says, "Oh...ok...This is way better! Do you see me? Do you see that I have Down Syndrome?"
You say, "Really? I hadn't noticed."
She says, "I do! There are alot of people in the world just like me, and there are more coming. Maybe your own baby, maybe a niece or nephew you don't know about yet. Maybe your neighbor? Maybe next week you'll hold your new grandchild who is just like me. They're coming. Can you help them? Will you help them? Please...go to this website to help them. My mom wrote something there.

Of course, you will go there, to read what this girl's crazy mother has to say!