Adoption
Medical Mystery Surrounding Highly-Sensitive Kids ... Solved?
This book could help in diagnosing your child's sensitivities. Courtesy of Sensory World
You have a gut feeling that something's wrong with your child: He's often cranky, confused, overwhelmed, fatigued. At times you suspect a rare illness -- maybe autism or ADD? But his pediatrician gives him a clean bill of health, and his teacher says those other labels don't quite fit. Neurodevelopment expert Roya Ostovar may have the answer.
Her book, "The Ultimate Guide to Sensory Processing Disorder," introduces the little-known developmental condition. Children with the disorder cannot properly process stimuli received through the senses. Because sensory processing disorder is just now gaining wider recognition outside specialized clinical circles, it can be difficult to diagnose and, therefore, treat. Not only does "The Ultimate Guide" thoroughly explain the condition and offer many real case examples, it lists detailed, situation-specific strategies for children and their families that can produce life-changing results.
108-Year-Old Woman Wants a Baby
Wook Kundor, 108, wants to adopt a baby with her 38-year-old husband. Credit: STR / AFP / Getty Images
Wook Kundor's biological clock has been ticking for a very long time.
Now, the 108-year-old Malaysian woman is looking to fulfill her dreams of becoming a mother. Her 23rd (yes, 23rd) husband, 38-year-old Mohd Noor Che Musa, says he realized his wife wanted a child when she pointed out a story selling mittens and baby products, the Malaysian Star reports.
Mohd Noor says the couple would prefer to adopt a toddler.
"I can't expect my wife to be running around at her age when I have to work to fend for my family," he says.
Edie Falco Dishes on Adoption, Momzillas and Why it's OK to Ask for Help
Edie Falco adopted her son, Anderson, and her daughter, Macy. Credit: Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images
Edie Falco is one busy lady these days. She's starring in an off Broadway play called "This Wide Night," has "Nurse Jackie"on Showtime and is also a mother to Anderson and Macy who she adopted by herself. She spoke to ParentDish about being an older mom and how she balances it all.
ParentDish: I'm an older mother like you. Can you believe how much energy you need?
Edie Falco: I totally get it now why people do this when they're young. Though there are advantages and disadvantages but I never would have done this when I was young just because of my mindset, I couldn't have handled it very well. The energy level thing is definitely an issue.
PD: What do you mean by mindset?
EF: When I was in my 20s I was all over the place. I was a mess. I wanted to be an actress and I was living in a little hovel in New York. I was waitressing, I never had enough money. I was smoking and drinking and not taking care of myself in general. There was just no way I could have tried to take care of a kid. The brain that I have now and the inner workings are sort of optimum for raising kids but my physical level is nowhere where it should be. I say that but it's also true that I'm doing so many things right now. I'm doing a play; I'm doing "Nurse Jackie" publicity stuff and running my household so the truth is I'm doing a lot so I think that a young person would have difficulty doing all that too.
Facebook Makes Couple's Adoption Dreams Come True
Seth Edlavitch and his wife, Melissa Segal, pictured with their son, Noah, never thought that Facebook would make them a family. Credit: Michael Krauthamer
The Kensington, Md. couple turned to private, independent adoption, which is facilitated by adoptive parents and a birth mother without the assistance of an agency. Little did they know that posting their hopes for a child on Facebook would make them a family of three.
"When you pursue a private, independent adoption, you are responsible for all the marketing," Edlavitch, 39, tells ParentDish. "We did some newspaper advertising and we sent an e-mail to all of our friends, but as part of this spread offense, we turned to some of the Internet mediums."
Amazing Mom: Yolande Dumont
Yolande Dumont with her grandson, Ethan. Dumont Family Photo.
Yolande's Family: Husband: Julien, married 54 years; Kids: Michelle Reese, 51, Ronald, 50, Rene, 47, Raymond, 43
Yolande Lives In: Lewiston, Maine
Why Yolande Is Amazing: Yolande Dumont is decidedly a mother -- not an activist. But when her son asked her to support the Protect Maine Equality campaign, designed to encourage voters to approve same-sex marriage, the mother of four had to step up.
Her loving description of her son's relationship with his partner and their adopted son became one of the cornerstone television ads in the fall 2009 campaign asking Maine voters not to overturn a law allowing gay marriage."When I get to talking about something I feel very strongly, I forget to be shy," she says. "I start speaking through the heart."
In the commercial, Yolande was filmed saying, "I've been a Catholic all my life. My faith means a lot to me. Marriage to me is a great institution that works, and it's what I want for my children, too."
When the ad started appearing, it created a stir within the Catholic community. Brian Burch, the president of the Chicago-based organization CatholicVoteAction.org, characterized it as 'shameless'.
He said the ad suggested that the Catholic Church does not support the traditionally recognized nature of marriage and called it "disingenuous, dishonest, and an insult to the intelligence of Catholic voters in Maine."
In the weeks leading up to the election, where voters ultimately repealed the law allowing same-sex marriage, Yolande and her husband Julien stopped attending services at the Catholic church.
"It's very hard. It hurts," she says. "I miss it."
But the couple felt unwelcome in church where leaders were asking priests to speak out against gay marriage. "I don't feel that I've done anything wrong," she says. "My faith is intact."
Yolande was surprised by how much positive reaction the commercial also received. Friends and family praised her efforts. She only received one hate letter.
Although she's not accustomed to the limelight, Yolande says she felt a duty to let others know how she felt about the issue and its impact on her family. She says she was proud to speak up for her youngest son because she loves him and his partner.
"Raymond is a good person. He's a hard worker. He's raising a family," she says. "I don't feel it's his choice that he's gay. I gave birth to those children. It was my responsibility to raise them and educate them and now I need to be there for them."
Yolande's Son Raymond Says: "She always made us feel strong enough to say exactly what we believe in."
Recognition: Yolande received a phone call from Maine Governor John E. Baldacci thanking her for the work she did on the Protect Maine Equity campaign. She also was recognized at the Equality Maine Annual Dinner.
Yolande's Guilty Pleasures: Friendly's pistachio ice cream and a nip of sherry after dinner.
Yolande's Best Advice: "It's very important to support your children. If your mother doesn't support you, who will?"
Related: Amazing Mom: Lisa Spicknall-Horner
Amazing Moms: Nursing Mothers of Marquette, Mich.
Robbie Goodrich, center, and his 6-month-old son Moses, surrounded by some of the women who breast-fed the baby. Credit: Susan Tusa, Detroit Free Press/MCT
They Live In: Marquette, Michigan
Why They're Amazing: When Susan Goodrich of Marquette, Mich., died during childbirth on Jan. 11, 2009, her friends rallied to the side of her husband Robbie Goodrich -- offering to breastfeed his newborn son Moses.
Other friends and friends of friends joined in -- some two dozen in total from this small town -- and in short order, baby Moses had more than enough milk, and motherly love, available to him.
Life turns on a dime, Robbie realized, but this crossed the border into surreal. "I've spent the past few months getting used to the fact that this is reality now," he said last year.
And speaking of reality, at least six television producers have approached him about starring in a reality show.
"It would be a really boring show," Goodrich said.
Maybe not. The idea of two dozen women taking turns breast-feeding a widower's baby became quite the sensation last summer. Laura Janowski, a family friend who was already nursing her own 4-month-old daughter, asked if he would like her to breast-feed Moses as well. Almost instinctively, Robbie said yes.
Marquette is a college town of about 20,000 on the shore of Lake Superior in what Robbie said is not so much rural as "rugged." Everyone knows everyone else -- or least knows someone who knows someone, so word of Susan's death spread quickly. Her best friend, Nicoletta Fraire, took charge of organizing the nursing team.
Team member Carrie Fiocchi told the Savannah Morning News that she realizes Moses isn't her baby, but the bond is inescapable. "He definitely feels like family."
Although the women's love for baby Moses touches him, Robbie says it's bittersweet. "Every moment of joy has sorrow in it." He still grieves the loss of his wife, but tries to put on as brave a face as possible. "The crying goes on in private," he said.
"Many of Moses' moms have donated and even breast-fed Devyn over the past six months so that every day he has had at least some breast milk," Robbie says.
Robbie and the moms stay in touch. "We host a weekly dinner every Thursday at our house and invite the moms and their families -- always a house full of kids with every lap at the adult table with a baby," he says. "We all want to keep the bonds as intimate as they have been and it does appear that the Moses community is well-integrated."
As for Moses, Robbie says he's doing wonderfully. "Chubby, bright and happy," he says. He took his first steps on Dec. 6, "but he did not truly decide to walk as a preferred option until late February. He's walking solidly now."
Robbie and the moms celebrated Moses' birthday at the local YMCA and invited all the families. He cherishes the bonds he's forged with the moms and admires the way they keep helping. "I hope the legacy continues," he says.
Robbie, The Dad, Says: "These are loving, nurturing women. They're proud of what they're doing. They're proud of the community, and they're proud of their new micro-community."
Recognition: The women who nursed Moses have gotten plenty of worldwide attention. Most recently, Susan's story was used in the documentary "No Woman, No Cry" about global maternal mortality. The movie premiered last month at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.
Related: Amazing Mom: Saranne Rothberg
Want to see who else made the list? Click here for the rest of AOL's 2010 Amazing Moms!
Amazing Mom: Diane Granito
Diane Granito is all about catching attention through a photograph. Credit: Courtesy of Diane Granito
Diane's Family: Kids: Nicole, 40, Kyle, 18
Diane Lives In: Sante Fe, New Mexico
Why Diane Is Amazing: Twenty years ago, Diane Granito was working in Italy for Columbia Pictures, followed by a stint in New Mexico as a legal researcher.
Then one morning she woke up to a life-changing epiphany. She didn't want her efforts to benefit rich folks any more; she wanted to help those less privileged.
Spotting an ad for a job with her local Children's, Youth and Families Dept. (CYFD) as a recruiter for adoptive and foster parents, she applied and landed the job. Her first task: Upgrading the bad quality photos of the kids on the registry.
"The kids never stood a chance," she says of the original photos. She recruited professional photographers and had portraits done of every child, showing the hope and aspiration in their eyes and the essence of their budding personalities.
Then she had another brainstorm. She engaged a local gallery to do an exhibition of the portraits in an effort to attract potential adoptive parents. The idea took off and the first Heart Gallery was born in 2001. The opening attracted 1,200 people and half a dozen children were found forever families that night.
"When I saw the emotion on the viewers' faces and felt it in myself," Granito recalls. "I knew we were on to something."
Since its inception nine years ago, the Heart Gallery has spread to 120 locations around the United States.
One of the Kids Diane Placed for Adoption Says: "We have to go and get some more kids!," he told his adoptive family after he read an invitation to a Heart Gallery exhibit.
Recognition: U.S. Children's Bureau Adoption Excellence award and best practice honor in the field of social work, an award from the Adoption Means Love Foundation and several from The Adoption Exchange; Diane was named one of the 10 Who Make a Difference in 2005 by The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper.
Fun Fact: Diane doesn't just help rescue kids, she is also a home-design hobbyist. She recently gave new life to a 1939 adobe house.
Diane's Guilty Pleasures: Diane likes words, so to relax she does crossword puzzles and plays Scrabble.
Diane's Best Advice: "For every sad story about a child being abused or neglected, I see a wonderful family who wants to change that."
Author Rosy Cole lives on the West Sussex Coast in England, where she writes articles, poetry and novels. Read her blog on Red Room.
Related: Amazing Moms: Nursing Mothers of Marquette, Mich.
Want to see who else made the list? Click here for the rest of AOL's 2010 Amazing Moms!
Sandra Bullock Isn't Alone - Celebrity Single Parents Abound in Hollywood
You're in good company, Sandra Bullock. From Sheryl Crowe to Minnie Driver to Ricky Martin, plenty of celebrities are balancing high-profile careers with single parentdom.
Opinion: Bacon Should Have No Bearing on Becoming a Foster Parent
When it comes to foster parenting and adoption, agencies should focus on the applicants' ability to care for a child -- not their religion or sexual orientation. And certainly not whether or not they eat bacon.
Baltimore's Tashima Crudup, a practicing Muslim, was recently told by a private screening agency she was unfit to be a foster parent because she didn't allow pork in her home. The company, Contemporary Family Services of Baltimore, tells local station WJZ it wasn't the absence of pork per se, but her "inflexibility" on the issue.
According to The Baltimore Sun, Crudup contacted the ACLU, saying her application was denied based solely on her religious beliefs. Since most of us generally acknowledge that not serving pork chops to a child does not constitute abusive behavior, she is probably correct. (FYI, a representative for the Maryland Department of Human Resources tells The Sun that if Contemporary Family Services' decision about Crudup was based on her choice of food, then denying her application would be a violation of state law.)
Russia Suspends All Adoptions to US families
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia has suspended all adoptions to U.S. families until the two countries can agree on procedures, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday -- a week after an American woman sent her 7-year-old adopted son back to Russia on a plane by himself.
The boy's return -- without supervision or explanation aside from a note he carried from his adoptive mother saying he had psychological problems -- incensed Russian authorities and the public, and prompted aggressive media coverage of foreign adoptions.
A U.S. delegation will visit Moscow "in the next few days" to discuss a possible bilateral adoption agreement, ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said.
"Russia believes that only such an agreement which will contain effective tools for Russian and U.S. officials to monitor the living conditions of adopted Russian children will ensure that recent tragedies in the United States will not be repeated," Nesterenko said in a televised briefing.
An Adopted Child's Body and Mind, a Roadmap for the Future
Dr. Jane Aronson, with her adopted sons, Des, standing, and Ben. Credit: Brian Branch-Price
As the latest adoption buzz continues around the case of Artyom Savelyev, a 7-year-old Russian boy whose adoptive American mother sent him back to his birth country last week, questions arise as to how much medical information prospective parents receive before deciding to move ahead with an adoption.
As part of the international adoption process, federal regulations require American adoption agencies to provide would-be parents with an English-language translation of the child's medical records at least two weeks before the child's placement, or two weeks prior to the date of travel to the country where the adoption will take place.
But the data supplied can be difficult to interpret.
That's where Jane Aronson, M.D., comes in. Parents in the know turn to doctors like Aronson -- a specialist in pre-adoption medical reports, photos and video -- to help them make informed decisions.
