Category: adoption

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This Baby with Down Syndrome Has a Smile That Goes Viral and Makes the Internet a Better Place

There’s nothing quite like a baby’s smile to light up a gloomy day.

Even when a cranky relative claims, “They’re not smiling at you. It’s just gas.”

One new adoptive mom from Texas proved cranky relatives everywhere wrong, when she shared a video of her beautiful little one smiling on cue.

The video, posted to Facebook by the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network, shows 8-month-old “Baby H” lying on a blanket for tummy time.

Image credit: Facebook

When her mom asks how her day is going, Baby H smiles up at her.

Mom coos back that she loves her new smile and asks, “Can you show me again?”

After a moment, the little girl obliges, grinning from ear to ear.

Image credit: Facebook

Her mom is so tickled that she laughs. “Oh my goodness! I like that new smile.”

Thrilled with the attention, Baby H keeps it up.

As long as mom will laugh, she’ll cheese for the camera.

Image credit: Facebook

Children, and babies especially, change and grow so quickly that it’s always a joy to record precious moments for posterity.

This family was not only lucky enough to document their daughter’s sweet smile, but they were willing to share their delight with the rest of the world.

As they told the Daily Mail:

“You can tell by my laughter how much we adore this smile and she actually only smiled like this for a couple of weeks so this video is a treasure for us.”

They decided to share the video, courtesy of the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network, because:

“We hope that all the viewers will see the beauty that lies in people with Down Syndrome. Although a Down Syndrome diagnosis can be scary, the reality is that your child has a purpose and will be able to live a full and happy life.”

The video has amassed more than 300,000 likes and over 38,000 comments on Facebook.

Watch it and see for yourself.

New Smile!

New smiles are the best smiles! #babygirl#smilingsweetie #Downsyndrome #Downsyndromeadoption #spreadingjoy

Posted by National Down Syndrome Adoption Network on Monday, October 7, 2019

Baby H certainly does light up the whole room, doesn’t he?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

The post This Baby with Down Syndrome Has a Smile That Goes Viral and Makes the Internet a Better Place appeared first on UberFacts.

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Girl Asks if She’s an A-Hole for Resisting Adoption

Family dynamics are strange, especially when you’re a teenager.

But when you’ve lost someone close to you, or you live in a blended family, there really are no clear cut answers in life, as shown in this recent AITA conversation.

AITA for not going along with being adopted to make everyone happy?

I hate to post here because I know there are so many of these but I really need to hear what you all think.

I (16f) lost my mom when I was 7. My sister was 2 at the time and my brother was a a few months old. Our dad met my stepmom about a year later, started dating her six months after they met (it was a thing for single parents). She had two kids who were close in age to my siblings. After they got married things were fine at first and then they wanted to adopt each others kids. Her kids were excited as were my siblings but I did not want to be adopted. This wasn’t made into a huge deal but they really quizzed me on why and tried to figure out if they could change my mind. They weren’t able to and I know this really hurt her feelings. Over the years it was let go. They adopted the other kids and everyone was happy. Or so I thought. It seems like it made them unhappy I said no to the adoption and my siblings have wondered why I didn’t want to be adopted too.

I love my stepmom. I get along with her really well. I think she’s great. But I don’t love her the same as I love my mom or dad. It’s different with her. Not bad just not as close. And that for me was reason enough to not be adopted. But there’s also the fact I don’t want my mom’s name erased from everything. I know they’re not trying to replace her but if I’m adopted her name is no longer the legal name I put down, it doesn’t change biology but it does make my stepmom my mom and no matter how much I care about her I just don’t want her to be my mom in all official senses of the word.

It has come up again because they offered the adoption again and my answer was the same. My dad decided we needed to go to therapy (the three of us) and the therapist told them they couldn’t therapy me into agreeing. My stepmom said it’s not about that for her, she just wants to know what she did wrong, and why I’m opposed. My dad said he feels like I’m holding back and he said there is an unhappiness with the fact I have kept myself on the outside by not becoming a more official part of the family unit.

It bothers me. But part of me feels bad that this is something that makes them so unhappy.

AITA?

So many feels on every side of this one. The original poster went on to add:

I feel like I could be the asshole because I know how much this means to them and I know it might make some things easier for them if we were all legally the kids of both my dad and stepmom.

Readers, however, felt differently, and the consensus was strongly in favor of the teen.

Many reacted negatively towards the parents, labeling them as the real problems in the situation, such as this respondent who felt the parents should back off:

Image credit: Reddit

And this one, who agreed that the parents were drifting towards AH territory themselves.

Image credit: Reddit

Others pointed out that everyone’s heart was in the right place, and the family just needed to continue working to understand each others’ points of view:

Image credit: Reddit

Many shared their own similar experiences, including a widow who sided with the teen:

Image credit: Reddit

An adult chimed in with a story about their friend, who chose to be adopted later:

Image credit: Reddit

And another shared her painful story of giving into the parental pressure:

Image credit: Reddit

But while many expressed their dismay at the parents’ insistence, a few readers offered a potential explanation for their behavior:

Image credit: Reddit

There’s no right or wrong answer here, but two things are clear. Adoption is a very personal matter for both the parent and the child, and people can’t just change their feelings to suit others.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

The post Girl Asks if She’s an A-Hole for Resisting Adoption appeared first on UberFacts.

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These Before and After Animal Adoption Pics Will Melt Your Heart

About a year ago, my parents rescued a dog from a local rescue. They hadn’t had a dog in the house in over five years since their last one had passed away, and I think they were a little bit nervous about it.

But Coco has been an absolute delight and my parents absolutely love her to pieces!

It just goes to show you how much love and happiness that animals bring into our homes.

Are you ready to meet some rescue animals that will melt your heart? Let’s take a look!

1. Fred’s getting fat!

And that’s a good thing!

When I found Fred on the side of the road he was skittish, neurotic, and sweet as could be. One month later he’s still all those things, but now he’s fat too. Love him more every day. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

2. Don’t get a pet if you don’t “want to deal with it anymore.”

But we’re glad that Dooby is now living his best life.

This is my precious little man, Dobby. He was dumped off at a shot clinic. The owner said she did not want to “deal with him anymore“. I cannot imagine the pain that he was in. He has made a miraculous recovery and is a very special little guy! from BeforeNAfterAdoption

3. Rescued from the streets.

This one was a major turnaround.

Phoenix was rescued from the streets and was covered in hot tar. Little over a month later, he looks amazing, he loves humans and is ready to enter a loving home ? from BeforeNAfterAdoption

4. We’re going to take care of you.

And we’ll keep you safe.

When we met her in the shelter my daughter immediately started whispering in her ear “your okay, we’ll take you home and keep you safe, we love you already” from BeforeNAfterAdoption

5. Now you can relax and enjoy yourself.

Look at how calm she is in her new home.

After 4 years in the street, Annie found her home with my parents. First day vs 1 week later from aww

6. Keep losing those pounds.

Way to go, Shiloh!

Fed junk food and never given any exercise her whole life, Shiloh couldn’t walk more than 10 meters before having to stop and rest. 3 months later, she’s lost 30 pounds and can walk over 1 km without stopping! from BeforeNAfterAdoption

7. What a good boy!

Clearly enjoying his new home.

This is Edgar before and after getting adopted. (My first shelter pup, Steve, is in the back there.) from BeforeNAfterAdoption

8. A heart of gold.

Bringing joy to her owners every single day.

After surviving severe neglect, heartworm and mange, Waffle still has a heart of gold and loves everyone she meets. She makes us smile everyday! from BeforeNAfterAdoption

9. Who the hell would do this?

People are really terrible sometimes.

My next-door neighbors abandoned their dog and got a new puppy. She was in the shelter for a full month before I realized what happened. This is Missy in the shelter, and when she realized she’s never going back. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

10. Look at this transformation.

Hello, Midnight!

My Midnight’s transformation from BeforeNAfterAdoption

11. He loves taking car rides!

And he’s loving his life now!

Ride from the shelter VS. Ride for fun from BeforeNAfterAdoption

12. Saved from underneath a car.

You did a good thing. Bravo!

One year ago, Jake was found underneath a car, alone and half frozen. He was 4 weeks old and his mom was gone. Now he’s the biggest kitty with the most personality that I’ve ever met. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

I can’t get enough of these pics!

And now we want to hear from you.

In the comments, please share some photos of your furry friends.

Thanks in advance!

The post These Before and After Animal Adoption Pics Will Melt Your Heart appeared first on UberFacts.

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Before and After Photos of Dogs Who Got Adopted

It’s wonderful to see the transformation that animals go through after they are adopted and given unconditional love.

In the before photos, you can see how dejected, sad, and depressed these dogs were. But the after pics? A completely different story. A 100% turnaround!

You might want to get a box of tissues because these photos are very sweet.

Here are 16 moving before and after pics of some lucky pooches.

1. Look at her now.

My gorgeous pupper with her puppies before I adopted her and now 3.5 years later from BeforeNAfterAdoption

2. From the streets.

Reddit, meet Anna! She was living on the streets of Italy before my mom brought her to Germany. Now she’s happy and loves her buddy Iluq. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

3. An amazing transformation.

The shelter I volunteer for has incredible before and after’s from BeforeNAfterAdoption

4. Awful “before” photo.

A Korean family rescued this golden from a breeding facility. Went from 15 lbs to a healthy 60 lbs. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

5. Living her best life!

From a severe case of mange and dumpster diving in the streets of San Antonio to 3 months later loving life, growing, and learning sign language! Meet our deaf dog, Rue! from BeforeNAfterAdoption

6. Not scary at all.

No one wanted to adopt him because of his cropped ears and "scary" looking face. He had stopped eating at the pound and was severely underweight. Now Bronco is healthy, always smiling, and loved by everyone he meets. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

7. Spoiled rotten!

Adoption Day vs Today. She has come a long way and is spoiled rotten. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

8. Say hi to Gus Gus.

Gus Gus was saved from the meat trade in China. He just moved into his forever home and now gets to spend his vacations in Tahoe. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

9. You’ve come a long way.

New foster pup Nic, she’s come so far already! (Donation page in comments) from BeforeNAfterAdoption

10. A new lease on life.

Timmy was hit over the head with a blunt object by his racing trainer. After surgery to repair his broken skull, therapy to help him regain proper use of his legs and plenty of TLC he was rehomed and lived everyday to the fullest! from BeforeNAfterAdoption

11. “The love of my life.”

I found her 4years ago, covered in blisters, no hair and starved…who knew she’d be the love of my life. She’s the greatest from BeforeNAfterAdoption

12. Happy as a clam.

Rescued a skeleton and ended up with this sweet girl who is always smiling. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

13. Fluffy, fat, and happy.

Lucia, right after she was rescued from a hoarder. You couldn’t touch her. Curious but terrified. Fast forward 2 years she’s fluffy and fat and happy. ❤ from BeforeNAfterAdoption

14. All settled in.

Rescued Last Night, Settled In 2 Hours Later and Slept With Me All Night from BeforeNAfterAdoption

15. Look at this guy!

Our pug had a hard start to life. Raised by a trucker who couldn’t take care of him and get him the treatment he needed. Then a vet who didn’t diagnose him correctly. Now he’s a healthy stud-muffin! from BeforeNAfterAdoption

16. Dex is a survivor.

This is Dex. He fought for his life after having been left for dead on the streets of Austin. After 10 weeks of being nursed back to health by Pug Rescue Austin, we were lucky enough to adopt him in our loving home. from BeforeNAfterAdoption

That just warms the heart, doesn’t it?

Do you have a pet that you adopted from a shelter?

Share a pic and tell us about them in the comments! We’d love to meet them!

The post Before and After Photos of Dogs Who Got Adopted appeared first on UberFacts.

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Pictures of Newly-Adopted Pets Should Put a Smile on Your Face

It’s hard to think of anything more rewarding than the look of relief and satisfaction on an animal’s face after it is adopted.

And these adorable animals are no exception.

Let’s take a look at these heartwarming photos.

1. Hi, Pumpkin!

Adopted a rescue cat today. Meet Pumpkin from cats

2. Welcome home!

Me: "We don’t have room for any more dogs" Sister: *sends this pic from the shelter* Me: "Ok maybe one more dog" Everyone say hi to Gemma from aww

3. Falling in love.

We adopted an 11-year old cat from a Chicago shelter. He and my 13-yo daughter fell in love. This is them after she got back from a week at camp. from aww

4. He looks relieved.

This is my rescue dog at the vet right after being freed from the puppy mill from aww

5. You might’ve been wrong…

First time cat owner. I used to think I was a dog person, but I think I may have been wrong. from cats

6. Live long and prosper.

Adopted this handsome good boy yesterday! Reddit, meet Spock! from aww

7. No more of that.

After months of living in the streets and being bullied by other cats, I rescued Masha. She is now a happy indoors cat. from cats

8. Love the name.

Neighbors abandoned him when they moved, he’s now my best friend. Say hi to Mister Meow. from cats

9. Destroy all the basketballs you want.

Surrendered for adoption 5 times because of too much energy, I present Kadie: Destroyer of Basketballs. from aww

10. New year. New best friend.

Our new years eve was spent getting this cutie. 2020, meet Baker! from cats

Are those photos wholesome, or what?

I know they put a big smile on this guy’s face.

Do you have any pics of your adopted furry friends? Share them with us in the comments! We’d love to meet them!

The post Pictures of Newly-Adopted Pets Should Put a Smile on Your Face appeared first on UberFacts.

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A Single Dad Adopted a Baby With Down Syndrome After She Was Rejected by 20 Families

This is an adorable story about the power of love and how important relationships are in our lives. An Italian man named Luca Trapanese adopted a beautiful little girl named Alba when she was only 13 months old.

Alba has Down Syndrome and was rejected by 20 potential families before Trapanese came along to give the girl a new life. Trapanese has been working for and volunteering with organizations that focus on children with special needs since he was a teenager. He’s wanted to be a father for many years, but seeing that he is still single, Trapanese decided to go the route of adoption.

In July 2017, Trapanese was given permission to adopt a child even though he was still single, under one condition: he had to adopt a special needs child who had previously been rejected by other families. It was then that he became aware of little Alba. When he first met her, the connection was instantaneous. He said, “When I first held her in my arms, I was overcome with joy. I felt she was my daughter straight away. It was the first time I held a newborn baby. Before that moment, I had always been scared. But, when I first held Alba, I knew I was ready to be her dad.”

Trapanese said, “Alba revolutionized my life and everything revolves around her. She brought me happiness and a sense of fulfillment. I am proud to be her dad. I wanted her to be my daughter.”

A beautiful story, don’t you think?

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20 Famous Men and Women You Might Not Know Were Adopted

You probably know at least a couple of people in your life who are adopted. It could be friends, family members, co-workers – anyone really.

There’s also a good chance that you know people who are adopted, but you don’t know it because they haven’t told you. Every adopted person is on their own journey and they can choose to divulge that information if and when they see fit.

Here are 20 celebrities that you might not know were adopted, and you might be a little bit surprised.

Take a look.

1. Steve Jobs

 

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2. Frances McDormand

 

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3. Keegan-Michael Key

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At the London @lionking premiere with my Queen.

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4. Liz Phair

 

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5. Faith Hill

 

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6. Nicole Richie

 

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7. Debbie Harry

 

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8. Nelson Mandela

 

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9. Melissa Gilbert

 

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10. Sarah McLachlan

 

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11. Kristin Chenoweth

 

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12. John Lennon

 

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13. Ray Liotta

 

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14. Jamie Foxx

 

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15. Andy Dick

 

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16. Scott Hamilton

 

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17. Dave Thomas

 

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18. Colin Kaepernick

 

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19. Simone Biles

 

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20. Maya Angelou

 

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Do you know of any more famous adopted folks who we left off the list?

Share them in the comments! Please and thank you!

The post 20 Famous Men and Women You Might Not Know Were Adopted appeared first on UberFacts.

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Having Grown Up in Foster Care, This Woman Explains Why Adoption Isn’t the Best Alternative to Abortion

The abortion debate is becoming increasingly intense again, and many anti-abortion activists are in favor of adoption as a more humane alternative to abortion. But a woman who grew up in foster care wants people to know that adoption is not the simple solution that it seems.

Olivia Paige knows exactly how broken the adoption system is in the US because she grew up in it. She posted on Facebook to explain what it’s really like for children in the system.

“Let me start off by reminding you of the 390,000+ children and teens in foster care, 100,000+ of which are waiting to be adopted,” Olivia’s post began. “Around 50,000 are placed up for adoption each year—these abortion bans are sure to make those numbers grow so let me share some statistics with you.”

Posted by Olivia Paige on Sunday, April 28, 2019

“20% of teens who age out of foster care become instantly homeless, with no support system in place.
There is less than a 3% chance that any of these kids will obtain any sort of degree.
25% suffer from PTSD.
1 out of every 2 kids will develop substance abuse problems.
Adopted children make up only 2% of children under 18.”

Then Olivia went on to share her own experience as one of the “lucky ones” who made it out alright. She attached a photo of a flyer that was handed out to prospective adopters when she was a teenager. She was never adopted, she says.

I debated posting this for a while, I’ve decided to do it because not many people know what it’s really like as a child…

Posted by Olivia Paige on Tuesday, May 28, 2019

“I spent a decade in foster care, bouncing between ‘homes’ with strangers in places I’d never known before. With no warning, a social worker would show up and tell me I’d have to pack my things (the very few I had) and leave whatever strange place I’d kept myself from getting too comfortable in at the drop of a hat,” she wrote. “I had no say in the matter.”

In two of her foster homes, Olivia was physically and sexually abused. Many times, she watched her foster parents take their money from the state and spend it on themselves instead of her. Sometimes, there were no homes for Olivia to stay in, so she had to sleep in a cubicle at Family Services.

“I spent ten years feeling unworthy of love, unwanted and waiting for the next bad thing to happen to me,” Olivia wrote.

it’s Octoberween and this is one of my favorite self portraits so ~ figured it was fitting ?

Posted by Olivia Paige on Thursday, October 4, 2018

Thankfully, Olivia aged out of the system at 16, and she’s been doing well ever since. But there are tens of thousands of children just like her currently going through the same thing.

“I dare you to say ‘adoption is always an option’ to any of the several tens of thousands who have been waiting patiently for years for someone to come along and give them the chance to define the word ‘family’.”

Olivia wrote that, while she doesn’t wish she’d been aborted or that she were dead, she does believe that abortion is preferable to forcing so many kids to go through this.

missing doing shoots with Rich Adams Jr.!

Posted by Olivia Paige on Tuesday, November 27, 2018

“A life is not saved just by letting it be born,” she said.

“Kids should be in homes with families that truly love them. If you’re so adamant about kids being born—go through the process and adopt some yourself.”

The post Having Grown Up in Foster Care, This Woman Explains Why Adoption Isn’t the Best Alternative to Abortion appeared first on UberFacts.

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Dad Melts Hearts with His Wheelchair-Accessible Snow Fort

Parenting is a hard job, and I’m literally only saying that with the experience of being a puppy parent! Whether you have a fur baby or a real baby, it’s hard to always find the energy to play with them – especially when it’s cold outside.

That’s why I gotta give mad props to Greg Eichhorn of Ohio, who is a father to 9 adopted, special needs children. Although two of those kids are wheelchair-bound, Greg figured that shouldn’t stop them from enjoying a snow fort like every other kid on the block.

Photo Credit: Reddit

“We built a bigger igloo – one that had a handicap-accessible hole so Elijah and Zahara could experience it, because I did when I was a kid,” he explained.

The adorable, thoughtful act garnered attention on social media when a friend of Eichhorn shared a picture of the fort and his buddy’s ingenuity on Reddit.

Comments poured in and were, true to Reddit form, all over the board. That said, the majority of people thought he was a pretty awesome dad for not only getting out there, but going above and beyond to ensure that all of his children were able to enjoy the day.

Photo Credit: Facebook

As far as Eichhorn himself, he doesn’t think he did anything special. But he is using his moment in the spotlight to advocate for adoption.

“Our family is getting kind of full and it would be great if people stepped up, took on the same roles and enjoyed the kind of joy that we do. Because yeah, we get a lot of joy out of life.”

What’s more, when people reached out with offers to donate money to Eichhorn and his family, he declined, suggesting they donate the money to their local adoption agencies instead.

He sounds like a stand-up guy – and one with some pretty serious snow fort building skills. I’m not sure what else you need to be voted Dad of the Year.

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