About Miss Milanija...

    I wanted to share a little more about our sweet Miss Milanija to give you a glimpse into how amazing she is:

You'd never know she was in need or so handicapped by her personality.  She is cheerful, helpful, and happy.  It didn't seem like her circumstances had dimmed her spirit at all.   She is sharp as well caring.   We were told that she has proportional dwarfism as well as the other 2 diagnoses.  She will be 6 in December and she wears a 2T; she's tiny.  She is half the size of the other children her age but twice the size in personality!   She will fit into our family dynamic beautifully; these boys of ours need a little sister to boss them around! :)
     
   When we met Milanija she did not have a walker or a wheelchair.  The orphanage just could not afford it.   They are on a very tight budget, even rationing out diapers. (each child is allowed 5 diapers a day, for example).  Keep in mind, this little one has Spina Bifida and Hip Dysplasia.  She was literally dragging herself around with her upper body.  It broke our hearts watching her having to do this, but she never skipped a beat.  In fact, she was faster than all of the other "able-bodied" children in their room of  8.  Nothing slowed her down, she would whip around that floor like it was her domain.  ...because it was and, she knew it!

   This creative, "out-of-the-box" little thinker figured out a way to get around a bit easier though.  Milanija found a broken dolly stroller someone had long ago donated and used it as a walker, bless her heart.  We are not the only ones to see this unique amazingness in her.  Periodically, different groups of people in Vilnius will visit or volunteer in the orphanage.  At some point during one of these times she captured the attention of someone who ended up including her in a T.V. special and a subsequent fundraiser for a wheelchair for her.  Now she finally has a wheelchair of her very own that will come back with us. I think she calls it her "wheels". 

   Over the past several months Rich and I have been looking at our house through the eyes of a wheelchair-sporting Sassafras.  Some changes are obvious; next year we'll need hard floors throughout the top floor for sure.  We'll need some kind of step-stool for the bathroom sink and maybe the kitchen too.   But other changes to the house we'll figure out once she's here, I guess.  Unless one of you have any wisdom you'd like to impart? 

• Changes that were worth the cost? 
• Changes that seemed worth it at the time but, in reality, didn't really help at all?

I'd love to hear your insight!