Jesse
8 yrs old * blind * described as happy and precious * lives in a special foster home for vision impaired children
Here is a very important update about this wonderful little guy. His story, beautifully written. Could you be the next part of his story?
Sweet Jesse still needs his very own family. He is blind, and such a precious boy! Here he is in January 2016.
Here he is in October 2016
October 2015. Isn’t he a handsome and sweet boy?
Playing the balls in August 2015
Swinging in October 2014
Jesse is a beautiful little boy who resides at a specialized foster care home for blind and visually impaired children. It is a small home with only five children and the carers are specially trained to work with blind children. He is being taught life skills and self-care that will help him prepare for adoption and eventually independent living.
Here is an update from May 2014!
“To see the happiness in his face when he walks is fantastic”
Here is an update and new photo from December 2013.
His caregivers are happy with his progress and aren’t as concerned now about his delays. He had such a rough start and he has such a tender personality – it has taken him a long time to get going again.
“Jesse is now standing much more confidently and working regularly on a small indoor trampoline which is improving his strength through his hips. His walking is improving and he is moving around the house, in a familiar environment much better. He is willing to touch people and find different things like hair, mouth, clothes etc. He does experience a lot of things with his mouth and we are trying to encourage him to change to using his hands to identify new textures etc.”
Life has not been so fortunate for Jesse. He was abandoned at the gates of his orphanage when he was 9 months old. His blindness was caused by an untreated eye infection, and he was so ill he was sent to a palliative care home to die. He arrived a very sick and frightened little boy but was nursed back to health and given the opportunity to gain confidence and trust others around him. He is currently healthy with no further medical problems but is delayed in some areas of his development such as walking and feeding himself.
Jesse is now a happy child, interested and aware in all that is around him. In the absence of sight, he uses other senses to explore the world. He is quite timid in nature but likes to be around other children and his carers. He is sometimes uncertain when trying new things but enjoys praise and attention, so this motivates him to keep going. He would be a wonderful son with a great future but just needs his family to find him.
Jesse has an adoption fund started at Reece’s Rainbow. Right now, it is at $700. If you cannot bring him home right now, you can help his future family by contributing to his fund. Thank you!
REPORT FROM JULY 2013
Jesse is currently living at a foster home for blind and partially sighted orphans.
Medical
Jesse’s general health is good. His sleep pattern is still occasionally a problem, as he will be awake all night and want to sleep the following day. His dry skin issues and bowel problems are in order. He is eating and drinking well.
He seems to be well and is showing happiness. He is playing and interacting with some of the other children.
Issues/Concerns
No new issues at this time. Concerns remain about the level/pattern of development, no significant improvements have been seen during this month.
Development Plan
No changes will be made to his plan right now. He has daily exercise and speech sessions which are specific to him, to encourage walking and talking. He joins gross and fine motor skills classes with the other children, but is happier in the company of one ayi at those times. He is not happy in the specialist walker but sessions continue at 3-5 minutes per twice per day with a reward at the end.
General
Jesse remains happy, seemingly in his own little world, and is quite happy to be taken outside, he enjoys gentle motion, like in a car, on a toy or being carried etc, but is still not too excited about being expected to walk by himself. He is, however, very agile and able to move around the lounge and playroom areas of the house to get where he wants to be. He can feed himself snacks, drink by himself from a cup but shows no inclination at present to feed himself from a bowl. This is being encouraged but not forced.
Here is a great resource, an ebook about adopting a child with a visual impairment. Read about families who have done this!
Please let me know if you would like more information on how to adopt Jesse.