American Families Saving Children With Down Syndrome

Last night ABC News aired a segment on a family in Utah who adopted a little girl with Down syndrome from Ukraine.

What a positive message this was and such great awareness for the plight of orphans in Eastern Europe and for Reece's Rainbow!

Here is the video that aired:

Here is another short video on their website about Mia and her new family:


There is also a great article on ABC News about the whole process the Cox family went through. ABC News went inside a few mental institutions in Ukraine and reported on the conditions the children were living in. Children as young as 5 living in adult mental institutions; with adults who have severe mental illnesses. Sent there to live out their lives.

Here is a quote for their adoption coordinator in Ukraine about what life (if you can call it that) is like for a child with Down syndrome born in Ukraine. "Children with Down syndrome are considered outcasts, she said, throwaways. That's why they place them to closed institutions They have to spend the rest of life being outside of society. Absolutely," Angelina said. "They ... have absolutely no choices, no opportunities in this society."

How sad is that?