My name is Amy Cunningham. I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. I am married to a wonderful man, and we have a family of 8. With six kids life has always been lively, but I wouldn't want it any other way. We had 4 children biologically then we adopted two special babies with downs syndrome. They have been such a blessing to our lives. Not to say that there hasn't been a few trying moments, but isn't it like that for every family, That is just life.
Our children now range from ages 22 to 8. Our two oldest daughters are already out of the nest. One has already married and hoping for a little one of her own one day. Our son is 17 and is on rescue and is soon to join the fire department like his Dad. Our third daughter has had a very hard time with kidney stones since she was five years old, But she is doing well now. And the two littlest ones that we adopted are both 8 years old, 3 months apart, adopted from two different families.
The main reason I am starting this blog other than to share my experiences with our children, is to help raise awareness of the need of homes for children with special needs and what a blessing they can be to your life. There is such a difference in the future of these children in other nations. In the United States they are foster families verses the orphanages and institutions that they face in these countries that offer little hope or love.
A couple of years ago I came across a website named Reece's Rainbow which helps to match these children (mostly with downs syndrome) with families and help to raise money to get these kids the help they need.
Last year we signed up for being a Christmas warrior to help raise money for these kids to try and find a home by Christmas. We raised some money and he did actually get adopted before Christmas, it was amazing!!! You can read there story at www.blessingsfromabroad.blogspot.com This amazing family adopted three while they were in Ukraine.
This year I have signed up for another little one called Shaun.
Here is a letter that I made up to send out, hopefully it will touch others and they will help if they can
Dear friends,
I am writing in regards to a program that is near and dear to my heart, Reece’s Rainbow. As many of you know Eric and I adopted Isaac and Savannah 8 years ago and they have been such a joy in our lives.
Reece's Rainbow is a registered 501(c)3 charity which promotes and facilitates the international adoption and rescue of children with Down syndrome in particular. They are not an adoption agency, they are only a connecting point for these children to their "forever families
Reece's Rainbow serves as a VOICE OF HOPE for these children who are languishing in orphanages and mental institutions around the world, when there are literally hundreds of families here in the US, Canada, and the UK who would rescue them if only the funds were available to do so!! Grant funds from individual donations make the cost of adopting these beautiful children affordable for interested families
In only three years, we have found adoptive families for (200+) children in (32) countries around the world. We still have over (200) waiting children on our site who are in need of adoptive families.
As many of you may remember Arthur the little baby boy from Ukraine that we raised funds last year to help him find his forever home, and he did! You can read all about his story at http://www.blessingsfromabroad.blogspot.com/
This year I have selected this sweet little baby from Russia, Shaun who was born May 2010. He is such a sweet baby. Just starting to coo. I so wish he could come to our home. But that isn’t possible so I know the Lord has a good home just waiting for him to be loved and cared for. I am hoping to raise $1,000 to go in his grant fund to help him find a home for Christmas. PLEASE HELP US raise grant funds and awareness for these precious, waiting angels. You really can save a life, with even the smallest gift!
Without help of finding a forever home these children are usually put in an institution by the age of four years old and are then considered not available for adoption and will have a very bleak and loveless life. To think that this is the life that Savannah would have had if we had not found her, it is to scary to even think of.( she was born in Tokyo, Where Isaac was born in the states he would have gotten to go to foster care till his parents, us, found him. Savannah would have went to the institution)) All those other children that are living like that is so sad . I want to try and do all I can to help other children to find loving homes, Please help if you can and share this letter with others to help give these children a voice. Please pray for all these forgotten children. May others realize that God created them for a reason. That they are so loving and touch other’s lives in so many ways.
Those who give more than $35 receive a beautiful photo ornament of their sponsored child to hang on their Christmas trees. These ornaments make fabulous gifts for your friends, family, and fellow Down syndrome advocates, while providing a life-saving gift for the child who is waiting.
Please write checks payable to Reece’s Rainbow and send in the envelope enclosed or you can visit there website www.reecesrainbow.org and pay thru paypal, just please list Shaun (12tqv-25c) in the comments area so the money will go to his fund. (All donations are tax deductible)
God Bless,
Eric & Amy Cunningham
