My husband and I are pursuing the adoption of little "Jacob," a 5 year old orphan in China. He was in the U.S. this past winter as part of an orphan hosting program. He stayed with a wonderful host family in PA. While there, he saw a cardiologist to evaluate his congenital heart defects (CHD). The evaluation revealed his CHD is far more severe than previously thought.  It was devastating news for his host family, the adoption agency representatives, and us because we all adore this child.

Jacob is in critical need of a cardiac catheterization test to better determine the extent of his CHD. He will also have a stent placed to help increase blood flow, and he will definitely need expensive but essential medication to manage his pulmonary hypertension.  If he had the necessary interventions 5 years ago, he likely would not have pulmonary hypertension, which makes it all the more urgent that he have the treatment done as soon as possible. The longer it goes untreated, the worse his condition will become. 

The procedures (to be performed in China) will cost approximately $10,000 (a fraction of what it would cost in the U.S.), and as soon as the money is raised, he can get the care he needs so critically. I have set a fundraising deadline of May 6, 2017, but we hope to raise the funds MUCH sooner!  Without these funds, he will likely not be able to have any of the procedures performed.

UPDATED EXPLANATION:

There are 3 questions about this fundraiser that people are asking:

1.  Why can’t Jacob just have the procedures done while waiting for funding?

2.  Why can’t these procedures be held off until he is adopted, comes to the U.S., and is on our insurance?

3.  How long does a Waiting Child Adoption from China take?

Here’s the quick explanation:

-         Jacob is an orphan, which means he is a ward of the state. Any care he receives is determined and paid for by the orphanage. His needs are more severe and costly than the orphanage is willing or able to pay for. They have many other children to consider.

-         China’s medical care system requires payment before care is administered. Jacob cannot receive any medical care until the funds are fully available. He will receive only what can be paid for in full. If there are no funds, he does not receive care. This is the tragic reality of medical care in China.

-         Other funding sources are largely no longer available due to new laws in China that restrict non-government organizations that used to help fund cases similar to Jacob’s. We were all hoping that we would benefit from other funding, but that largely is no longer possible.

-         His catheterization is essential in directing the course of his care. It is a diagnostic test that will provide doctors with much-needed information about the extent of his condition and how best to help him.

-         The stent will buy Jacob time and improve blood flow and oxygenation. It is not a permanent fix, but it will help him until he can come home to U.S. with us for further care.

-         Jacob must have medication to help bring his pulmonary hypertension under control.  The PH is causing a lot of stress and strain on his heart muscle and lungs. This is a majorly critical aspect of his care! The medication is very expensive, unfortunately.

-         A "typical" Waiting Child Adoption can take about one year to complete, but it could be longer. We are seeking a medical expedite for our adoption, which will shorten the process, but we don't know by how long. Regardless, the adoption will take longer than Jacob can wait for the care he needs.

-         Jacob's prognosis is worsening each day that we wait to obtain funds for the procedures he needs. Please consider whether it were your child--would you make him wait for necessary medical care?

-         Jacob will definitely need more surgeries once he is home with us. However, he literally cannot wait the 8-10 months* (approximate- we don't know how long for sure) it will take for us to bring him home. His needs are immediate and worsening each day. He needed this medical intervention years ago. Please help us to not make him wait any longer

Please visit our family’s blog: www.onfaithandfamily.com for more details and to read more about our story. Thank you for considering contributing to the fundraising efforts to help our adoptive son-to-be.

*We will be submitting our dossier within the next week, we hope.  Our documents must be approved and authenticated. Then we start the home study process, which takes months. Then we must wait for official approval from the CCCWA in China, which approves adoptions. Then we travel to China for Jacob. It could be be shorter, but we have no way of knowing.

**All of the money raised will be used for Jacob's medical procedures. If there are any funds that exceed what is necessary for his medical care, those funds will be used toward his adoption costs. We are using Pure Charity because only 5% of the funds go toward their operational costs. But more importantly, 100% of your donation is tax deductible, and you will receive a tax donation letter.