ANDREW!
Hello world,
this wonderful boy pictured above is Andrew. You may remember him being briefly mentioned when you were introduced to Patrick a few weeks ago. Andrew is deaf, but that does not define what he can and cannot do. Andrew is a free spirit who is always in the mood for an adventure. When I imagine Andrew's family, I see him in a house with some siblings to do silly, fun, crazy things with! Here are some of the wonderful qualities of Andrew:
this wonderful boy pictured above is Andrew. You may remember him being briefly mentioned when you were introduced to Patrick a few weeks ago. Andrew is deaf, but that does not define what he can and cannot do. Andrew is a free spirit who is always in the mood for an adventure. When I imagine Andrew's family, I see him in a house with some siblings to do silly, fun, crazy things with! Here are some of the wonderful qualities of Andrew:
- Andrew the Engineer: Andrew loves arts and craft projects! In school he always makes incredible little gadgets out of paper. His teacher at school told me about how he found a jack-in-the-box in a back room at school, and decided to replicate it out of paper; he even found a way to fold paper to make the jack pop out!
- Andrew has an endless supply of energy: Want a good work out? Spend an hour with Andrew! I have run half marathons, but I can honestly tell you I have never been more winded than after spending a day with this active boy! He can run for hours on end. He loves to spend the afternoon playing outside on the playground with visitors and the other children! Andrew is also always up for playing games! Whether it is duck duck goose, hide and go seek, hangman, tic-tac-toe or Temple Run, Andrew always has fun while playing!
- Andrew is a Goofball: Andrew can find a way to make anything funny! There are many warrior statues around the office of Andrew's foster home. One day when I walked into the office, I saw Andrew standing exactly the same way as the statue, completely still with his big goofy grin on his face. The younger children and workers that were with him were laughing their heads off from watching him!
Andrew does not just want a family, HE NEEDS A FAMILY.
Andrew has never been thoroughly taught how to speak or sign. Andrew manages to communicate what he wants and needs pretty well, but without fully knowing a language, it is impossible for him to fully communicate all of his thoughts and feelings. This would make anyone frustrated and angry at times, and I've seen Andrew break down from the exhaustion he feels when communication is not clear between him and whomever he is trying to communicate with.
However, Andrew tries his best to overcome this challenge with the help of those around him. He and the other children and nannies in his house have come up with their own set of "home signs" that they use to communicate basic commands to one another. Caroline and I are both majoring in deaf-related fields (ASL and Deaf Education) so we work in the school to teach sign language to the children and some staff when we are there. Andrew is thriving at his foster home and loves having so many people around who are supporting him by trying to understand him and make him comfortable in his house, but Andrew needs a family who can give him so much more; a home, attention, an education, and most importantly, love. With only a few years until he ages out, it is urgent to find Andrew's forever family as soon as possible!
Andrew has never been thoroughly taught how to speak or sign. Andrew manages to communicate what he wants and needs pretty well, but without fully knowing a language, it is impossible for him to fully communicate all of his thoughts and feelings. This would make anyone frustrated and angry at times, and I've seen Andrew break down from the exhaustion he feels when communication is not clear between him and whomever he is trying to communicate with.
However, Andrew tries his best to overcome this challenge with the help of those around him. He and the other children and nannies in his house have come up with their own set of "home signs" that they use to communicate basic commands to one another. Caroline and I are both majoring in deaf-related fields (ASL and Deaf Education) so we work in the school to teach sign language to the children and some staff when we are there. Andrew is thriving at his foster home and loves having so many people around who are supporting him by trying to understand him and make him comfortable in his house, but Andrew needs a family who can give him so much more; a home, attention, an education, and most importantly, love. With only a few years until he ages out, it is urgent to find Andrew's forever family as soon as possible!
Please help spread the word so Andrew can finally find his forever family!!
For more on Andrew, please email us at [email protected]
For information about adopting a child who is deaf, please click here
By Kelly Lukens
For information about adopting a child who is deaf, please click here
By Kelly Lukens