In his country an extra x chromosome makes him inelgible to be in a family. In our country, his syndrom "Klinefelter's" will not hold him back. With the love and support that we are anxious to give him, he will grow up to be a wonderful man! We love this little guy more than words can say. If the ransom money was rasied and the hoops were down, he'd be in the loving arms of his mommy and daddy. A few more months and we will have our baby home. It's with your support that this is happening! Thanks to all of you!
David and LouAnn met 10 years ago via an online forum. Nearly 2 years to the day the couple was married during a whirlwind of planning as Dad was called up to serve his country. Their first year was spent a half a world apart. Dad returned home safely to enjoy a wonderful coming home party/wedding reception/Mom’s graduation reception. 1 year and 32 days later the couple welcomed a daughter into the world, 14 months later a son. Nearly 6 years later the family is seeking an outlet for the love that they have to share. A friend of the couple adopted through RR and peaked the curiosity of the family to “just take a look.” After months, of “just looking,” their hearts were stolen. Now the real journey begins, giving at least one boy, hopefully two, a mommy and a daddy, a sister and a brother, 3 grandmas and a grandpa, aunts and uncles, a church family, a puppy, neighbor kids, and a backyard with a swing set- but most of all a for real home and family. The mountain is high to bring our little boy(s) home, but every mountain is conquered by putting one foot in front of the other. This hike will bring a lifetime of joy!
In the Press
LouAnn Bruster had one simple goal growing up.
"As a teenager, I thought I would have one kid, and adopt as many as I could," she said.
She met her husband, David, in an online forum 10 years ago, and after the two fell in love, her plan was altered only slightly.
"I ended up having two kids," she said.
Now the Brusters are looking to adopt. When they saw a story in The Hawk Eye last year about the West Burlington DeLlanos family, who adopted a Ukrainian child through the Maryland-based Reece's Rainbow Adoption Ministry, they knew they had found a way to do just that.
"She texted me at work and said, 'Look at today's paper,' " David said.
Started in 2004 as an outreach program for families with Down syndrome babies, Reece's Rainbow expanded to include promoting the international adoption of children with Down syndrome and other syndromes in 2006.
LouAnn already knew the DeLlanos family before the article appeared, and helped support them through the difficult adoption process after the story ran. The experience only reinforced her drive to adopt a child of her own.
"We want to give him a puppy and playground and a brother and sister. He has nothing," she said. "When he has an nightmare in the middle of the night, who's there for him?"
Her plans are to bring home a 3-year-old child who was given the name of Jeremy by the ------- orphanage he lives in. But the Brusters aren't looking to adopt just one child. With luck, they'll also be bringing home 1-year-old boy by the name of Sanders. But that's still in the works.
"His international adoption has not been cleared yet," she said.
Though children in --------- orphanages are given the best care possible with the limited staff available, many of those who suffer from Down Syndrome and similar abnormalities are placed in a mental institution when they reach the age of 4 or 5.
Jeremy, who the Brusters plan to name Jeremiah once he reaches America, has a chromosomal abnormality similar to Down Syndrome.
"He'll probably have some cognitive problems and a few physical problems. There could be other problems we don't know about," LouAnn Bruster said.
The biggest obstacle facing the Brusters is a lack of funding. They need at least $25,000 to adopt Jeremiah, which includes money paid to the adoption agency, the Ukrainian government, a translator, motel stays and plane tickets. If they can adopt Sanders as well, they will need $30,000.
"If the donations would roll in, we would just do it. But we have to keep the household running," LouAnn Bruster said.
LouAnn is a paramedic and an emergency room nurse, and has been taking on as many extra hours as she can to raise the money.
David works at Champion Spark Plug Co. while volunteering for the Mount Pleasant Fire Department, and the two manage to split their schedules so one of them is at home to take care of their 5-year-old daughter, Emerald, and their 4-year-oldson, Jedidiah.
"We're thinking of selling the rental house, and we've already canceled cable. If it isn't nailed down, we're selling it," she said.
For LouAnn, adopting children seems as natural as having her own. Though she is an only child, she grew up with two foster brothers, and several other foster children and local kids without parental guidance were regulars at her house.
"Sure, we could have more natural kids, but why do that when the world is full of uncaring parents?" she said.
Needles to say, their biological children can't wait to meet their new siblings.
"They've wanted a little brother for the last couple of years," LouAnn said.
-From an article on thehawkeye.com
