In February, 2001, I saw my son for the first time. It wasn't on the ultrasound machine or in the maternity ward. I was researching international adoption on my home computer. I was immediately in love with the little boy on the screen. His brown eyes and crooked smile stole my heart and I knew he would be my child. The description that followed the photo was vague but it did mention that he had a cleft lip and palate. At that time, I barely knew what a cleft was. The next 6 months were blurred by paperwork, travel plans, and researching issues regarding a cleft lip and palate. On September 5, just five months after it all began a court in a small Kazakhstan village agreed to our adoption. My prayers had been answered and Stephan (pronounced Ste-pon) was our son.

It wasn't until after our adoption was complete that we found out what Stephan's fate could have been. He was already 4 years old and it was time for him to leave the "baby house." Other orphanages had declined to take him due to his cleft. If we hadn't come for him, he was destined for a psychoneurological infirmary .

The perception of special needs children in Kazakhstan is perplexing. A child born with a disability or minor imperfection brings shame on the birth family. Often, these children are abandoned at the hospital. They are housed together in the poorest orphanages and often overlooked for adoption due to their condition.

There are so many children like Stephan. They face little to no hope of being adopted in their country. Their fate is in the hands of people half way around the world. Every orphaned child deserves the hope of a future. The Special Needs Adoption Project of Adoption Ark was created to promote the adoption of special needs children living in Kazakhstan , Russia , and the Ukraine. If you are considering international adoption, I hope you will give one of these special children heartfelt consideration.