Giving Thanks Day Ten - Reece's Rainbow

Today, and every day, we are thankful for Reece's Rainbow.  Without Reece's Rainbow, we would have never found our sweet Katie.

Reece's Rainbow has helped to save the lives of hundreds of orphans.  Literally, the lives of those children have been saved.  Not just changed; saved.  Katie would have had no life in Russia.  Her orphanage was nice and she was well taken care of, but what kind of life is that?  She would have never gone to school.  She would have never lived outside of an institutional setting.  She would have never had a family.  She would have never had anyone love her.  Think about that for a minute.  Nobody loved Katie ever, until we found her.  Not one single person ever came to visit her in almost five years, simply because of an extra chromosome.  Without Reece's Rainbow, that would have been her life forever.  She would have moved out of her orphanage when she turned 18 and moved into an adult mental institution where she would spend the rest of her life essentially just waiting to die.  

I dare you to look at that face and tell me that's OK.

Because of Reece's Rainbow, Katie and hundreds of other children just like her -children who were discarded like clothes that don't fit or like trash from last night's dinner - live now in families.  They have parents who love them, soft beds to sleep in, teachers who want to educate them, friends to play with, food in their bellies, medicine and snuggles when they are sick, and toys that are all their own.  More importantly? Katie has hope and a future.  She will have a life worth living, not a life spent waiting to die.  I know that sounds grim, but that is the reality for children like Katie.  Reece's Rainbow is changing that, and I am so proud to know our family is part of the Reece's Rainbow family.