'We have a heart for them', says American adoptive parent

Duo (center), adopted by the Raney family in Portland, Oregon, enjoys a summer day blowing dandelions in a field with his siblings, including Jude (left) and Evy (right). Provided to China Daily

Besides trips to doctors for checkups, Jack's summer stay has involved a great deal of swimming in a pool and trips to museums and parks. Jill Johnson also plans to take him to her school to see what an American school looks like. "We will also take him on the trip to the University of Alabama when my son goes back to college," she said.

Michelle and Scott Morell, a part-time physical therapist and a leadership trainer in Allen, Texas, are seeking an American family to adopt Jay, a 13-year-old boy with a mild liver condition who is otherwise healthy.

The Morells have five adopted children, 7 to 14 years old - three from the US and two from China. They are also adopting another Chinese boy, a 3-year-old who has some colon malformation, and expect to bring him home from China in December.

"Last summer we thought that our family is done, but how can we help more? We found out about this hosting program, we figured we could help other kids to find a family. That would be something good that we have done in this world," said Michelle Morell.

Jay is not the first Chinese orphan the Morells have hosted. Last summer they had 6-year-old Teddy, who has cerebral palsy.

"We had great experience hosting Teddy. He is smart, sweet and precious. I created a private advocacy page for him. I had a friend take professional photos of him and posted those. I talked to a lot of people. GWCA also helped to get his story out," said Michelle Morell.

Special adoption

Jennifer and Brad Fredrick in League City, Texas, vice-president at a credit union and an astronaut trainer for the International Space Station at the NASA Johnson Space Center, respectively, saw Teddy's story a week before he was to return to China and fell in love with him.

"I have followed GWCA for a couple of years, but haven't chosen any child. Then I was sent Teddy's advocacy page and photos of him at the zoo, going shopping at grocery store, playing at a lake and interacting with Michelle's children. I showed his photos to my husband, and said this is the right kid for us," recalled Jennifer Fredrick.

The Fredricks, who have a 6-year-old biological son, moved quickly to begin the adoption process and got everything done in 8 1/2 months. "My son Connor wanted to have a brother really bad and was really excited, he went to China with us to bring Teddy home," said Jennifer Fredrick.

Cerebral palsy has weakened Teddy's left side, and he can't walk correctly. "It will take a while to improve. He is now receiving physical therapy every week. We got him new braces for his leg and are looking into surgery to correct his condition," she said.

Teddy has been a member of the family for a couple of months now. "He is exceptional, he didn't have any transitional issues and took to my husband and me immediately. He gets along with my son Connor very well. Unlike most other adopted kids who usually grieve for the life they lost and go through a tough transitional period, Teddy just embraces the change and loves it. A trip to the grocery store is fun for him. I hated grocery shopping but he made me want to go," Jennifer Frederick said.

According to her, Teddy was enrolled in Sunshine Kids Academy learning English three days a week at the orphanage and is very good at math and English. "He can communicate with us fairly easily. In the first month after his arrival he was learning four to five new words a day, three weeks later he was thinking in complete English sentences. He's really smart and very intelligent," she said.

"He is up for any challenge. He is taking swimming lessons, about to start karate lessons, and is excited to start second grade in late August. He lets nothing hold him back. People have commented on how he always has a smile on his face."

The Fredricks said that if it were not for the hosting program, they would not have adopted Teddy.

"I knew adoption is something I want to do. I knew all about the process, and I have been reviewing it for years, and China has always been on top of our list.

"However, it is intimidating to take on a child you know nothing about. On his profile, there was one whole page regarding his medical condition.

"If it had not been for Michelle's hosting and introducing, we would not have adopted Teddy. Speaking to her to find out about his personality really did it for us," said Jennifer Fredrick.