News from Starfish

Before I forget, as I did already, the cost of the calendars are US$30 with an addition price for shipping and handling (US$5 in the US and US$13 for international).  Thank you so much to Michelle for taking care of that. I appreciate her hard work on behalf of the babies so much. 

A few weeks ago I got my VPN back again and now I can get to Facebook, blogs and youtube  which are usually blocked in China.  I am very grateful for this luxury.  If you want to friend me and learn more of the daily happenings at Starfish on FB, then you can find me.   I hear there are a few Amanda de Langes on FB.  That blows my mind. So look for me at:

Amanda de Lange in Xian, China. 

We have still not moved and I am not sure when that is going to happen.  I get asked this question a hundred times a day.  We are inching closer and everyday there are so many problems to solve. I feel somedays defeated by all the never ending troubles and arrangements but I am grateful for all of those people who offer help and have been tenacious in seeing the project through.  I am also grateful for all the letters of encouragement. This too shall come to pass......

On the medical front there has been a lot of action.  We just got Caroline and Charlotte back from Hangzhou.  They both had very serious surgeries.  Caroline had her heart repaired and a few days later a cyst removed from her lung. Then Charlotte who was purple before, had stage 1 of her heart surgeries.  I was surprised to learn that she got two bi directional shunts.  This is really unusual.  There were some complications after the surgery with her heart retaining some fluid but she is also back at Starfish looking really pink, a great color to be.  We also have Bella back.  She went to Shanghai for Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus shunt surgery.  She look so good and looks very different from the baby that arrived. This morning we send another two for the spina bifida babies to Hong Kong.  I cannot adequate express my gratitude for the doctors and the hospital staff as well as Baobei foundation for their help with these kids.  They offer so much hope and makes the babies so much easier to get adopted.

On the adoption front.  We have just completed adoption 51 of Nadia to her family who live in Southern California and it went so well.  I just love it when there the trauma is minimal and things go smoothly. We have a group of 14 babies who are going to hit the shared list soon and I am sure there is going to be an interesting few days to see who is going to get a starfish baby.  We also have just completed Mila's adoption dossier and will wait for her to get to the C2A2 and get matched.

Preparing to take our Christmas pictures. The question is:  From the new house or the old apartment?

Life, love and laughter,
Amanda

At Starfish, we have taken care of 124 children to date, arranged more than 100 surgeries and had 51 international adoptions, so our little starfishes live all over the globe: the US, Netherlands, Norway, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and in China.  Our latest adoptions are to Washington State and New Mexico, Georgia and to Southern California.  We currently have 45 babies under the age of 3 and three foster homes.  Preparing to move to our new "castle" hopefully before the end of the year.

Starfish Children's Services
US Tax Number:  20-4682916
Xian China

www.thestarfishfosterhome.org
http://chinesestarfish.blogspot.com
http://chinesestarfishcleft.blogspot.com
Email: throwingstarfish0913@gmail.com
Cell: 86.1348.812.4847