Meet Nate, he will age out soon and is waiting for his forever family!
We are so thankful for the many One Orphan Storytellers who continue to share about waiting children once they are home from their trips. Today Amanda took the time to share about Nate, a quiet yet busy young man, who waits for his forever family. Please join us as we speak up for him today. Nate is 13 years old and will age out very soon.
Nate is a quiet, industrious guy who spends hours building with blocks, connecting velcroed craft sticks together, or stringing beads on pipe cleaners to make bracelets. His sweet grin shows up when he is given a gift or gives a gift. He made several bracelets and gifted them to me, but instead of just giving them to me, he gently slid each one over my hand and onto my wrist. When he was done with the beads, he cleaned up what he had been using. He shared beads and pipe cleaners with the other children. He came oh, so close to laughing when I tried to give him more pipe cleaners out of the wrong end of the bag. He is shy, but leaned into the frame to take a selfie with me. Melted my heart.
He is quick to respond to caregivers commands and smiles when spoken to or when another child is playing near. He was quick to hand others blocks and could help solve problems. Our team got to observe Nate eating cake! He truly seemed to enjoy EVERY bite he took while holding the plate in one hand and using the fork. Nate is able to dress and undress himself, manipulate stairs safely, and is able to use the bathroom on his own..
Nate seemed to be bonded to one boy in particular. When spending time on the playground together, they stayed close and went down the slide together with big smiles on their faces. Nate has a gentle and sweet spirit about him and would thrive and flourish in a family. It breaks all of our hearts to think about this sweet soul aging out this year and the potential that he may not have the opportunity to be adopted. Are you Nate's family?
Nate has been diagnosed with a neural condition and as of testing done in 2014, shows mental delays. His file notes that he has lived in both a foster home and orphanage care. He can help adults do some simple housework and can take care of himself simply. He likes listening to music, is excited when watching cartoons on TV, imitates actions of the cartoons, is energetic, and his file notes he likes to play with a chicken and dog.
Please share far and wide to advocate for this precious boy!
If you are interested in learning more about Nate please contact our China staff at china@awaa.org. You can also read more about the China waiting program here. This file is special focus and can be pursued by a family at any stage of the process.