Adoption Advocate Seeks Loving Home for "Kit", Young Boy in China

[photo caption] Penny Phillips of Canton pose with “Kit,” a young boy they met on a trip to China in 2015. Phillips is trying to spread the word that "Kit" needs a good home.

Are you or someone you know the right family for "Kit"? If so, a $3,000 Special Blessings Grant is being offered by Holt International to help bring this very special boy home.

Let me tell you about Kit.

Two years ago, my daughter Joy and I joined a Holt International Adoption Ambassador trip to China. Our group of mostly adults met over 40 children with special needs who were waiting for a loving family. Since then, many of them have been adopted. But a good number are still waiting — and Kit is among them.

Born with stiffness in his hips and legs due to a mild form of CP (cerebral palsy), Kit was placed into care at the age of 5 months.

Kit grew up supported by many loving caretakers and doctors. As he grew, he became self-sufficient, able to manage personal care activities, read and write, and memorize long passages of Chinese poems. He even received surgery to improve his mobility.

The surgery was a great success. As you'll see in a sweet video on his GoFundMe page, Kit bursts with pride as he climbs up and zooms down the playground jungle gym slide. He’s finally able to have fun with friends and get around on his own.

While walking is a huge accomplishment for Kit, what he needs most is a family of his own. Once home with his new family, he will likely benefit from continued physical therapy to improve his gait, and perhaps another surgery or two to help him walk longer distances without a walker or wheelchair.

I found Kit to be a loving, joyful and charming boy. He is handsome, kind and bright. He longs to have a family of his own and I can confidently say that the right family would benefit from having this special child in their lives.

In the two years since Joy and I met Kit, we’ve learned a thing or two about why Kit is considered “harder to place” than others waiting to be adopted. Here is this handsome boy's sad reality.

1. Girls are adopted more often than boys.
2. Younger children are adopted more often than older children.
3. Children with CP are less likely to be adopted, although many excel in life —with professions in law, medicine, education, and much more.
4. Children in China are no longer eligible for adoption upon reaching their 14th birthday.

In just a few short weeks, Kit turns 12 and an adoption usually takes about 12-16 months from beginning to end. Each night we pray that the right family will find him soon and begin the adoption process before it is too late.

Penny Phillips & Joy Shand | Canton, Connecticut

To learn more about Kit and donate towards his adoption fund, visit https://www.gofundme.com/kits-adoption. For adoption information, contact Jessica Zeeb, child match coordinator, China Program, with Holt International. Zeeb can also be reached directly at jessicaz@holtintl.org or 541-505-5578.