Journey to Motherhood
As some of you may know, I’ve been planning on becoming a mother for some time, and not to my ark of animals at home. There is of course, all the concerns with maintaining my role as lawyer, managing my firm, and still being momma bird and momma doggie. Juggling it all, which is what each of us does each day as a woman lawyer. We know how to micro-manage, multi-task and get it done, in essence, to kick butt.
When I came to the realization that I wanted to be more than a canine or avian mom, my biological clock hadn’t just stopped, it was now missing parts. So I began searching for alternative means to become a Mom and discovered the world of international adoption. This may sound strange coming from a lawyer who practices family law, but I had never explored this avenue for myself until now.
I made an amazing discovery. My daughter has been living in China! I’d like to share with you a wonderful program I was fortunate enough to stumble upon and then I’d like to ask for your help. It’s called Gracie’s Room-First Hugs Program. The Program is solely funded by private donations from around the world and consists of volunteers, professional women, like you and me, who devote their time, efforts and money to give orphaned babies a chance to be loved.
Babies and love? You’d think they come hand-in-hand. There are more than 600,000 abandoned children in orphanages in China. Unfortunately, there are not enough caregivers or money to provide daily one-on-one care for all these children. Gracie’s Room Project was established by the family and friends of Gracie Reilly, a little girl who was adopted from an orphanage in China by her forever family in the U.S. Sadly, little Gracie passed away at the age of 3 from a rare form of leukemia. The motto of the infant nurture Program established in her honor is “what better way to cherish this little girl than hugging babies in her room every day.”
--Gracie’s Mom.
Gracie’s Room currently has 15 babies in it with an average of one nanny per three to five babies. Children are chosen for Gracie’s Room because they have special needs and the Program and nannies are trained to help these angels thrive. These kids are held and played with. Instead of a propped bottle under their chins as they lay in a crib, they are held in their nanny’s arms. The children have daily exploration away from their cribs and opportunity to crawl and interact with their nanny and other children. Their nanny will hold their hands and help them walk when they’re ready to totter around. Most orphanages have a ratio of 1 nanny to every 20 children. As a result, most infants spend their time alone, oftentimes in cribs, bouncy seats or walkers. Gracie’s Room provides invaluable emotional and physical development. The children in Gracie’s Room receive individual care and opportunities to explore their new world and environment. Simply, the babies get daily love and attention.
Please help me in supporting the Gracie’s Room First Hugs Program and its children, one whom I hope to call my own this year.
--Wendy J. Lems (donations can be made at www.dianjiangkids.com)
“Mommy bird, kick butt in court with grapes!” --Solo the Bird
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