News

For those of you who have been following the story of Zamo, the little girl from Swaziland who was brought to California by Dr. Sean Bush for surgery to treat a snakebite, I have an update. Zamo was to head home yesterday, but her trip was delayed due to some contractures of her new skin and she is going to need some additional treatment. She was limping and it was determined that there needs to be some physical therapy to stretch her new skin. So, she will be here a little longer. The bad news is, all of the funds that were provided by the drug company that provided money for her surgery have been exhausted. We're not yet sure how much physical therapy she will need, but it will likely be costly, so be sure if you need a tax write off this year to donate in her name to Loma Linda (previous blog article).

Congratulations to Katie and Dale on your recent match! You guys have my vote for parents of the year. After all those boys, I'm going to "think pink". You have a lovely family and the patience of saints! I don't know what you put in your cereal, Katie, but we all need some! Share your secrets. You amaze me!

Thanks to all of you for your prayers. Baby Austin is doing much better and recovering from his pneumonia. He's growing like crazy and making progress.

Thanks also to those of you who e-mailed me in support of the boycott of the movie, "Orphan". I hope the efforts of adoptive families around the country will convey a message to the media that adoption isn't a horror or a joke. Perhaps someone will tell a true adoption story which is real and heartwarming. I know where they can find quite a few!

Reminder: Our office is closed on Wednesdays for paperwork and projects. I do know I haven't produced a newsletter in a while and I am working on it, but it's slow going and my days run into nights very quickly. I'll get everyone a newsletter as soon as possible. For those of you asking, I'm glad you enjoy it and it's on the way soon!

Our waits have been a little longer than usual lately and I know families don't want to hear that, but it is the reality of our world today. Lots of factors contribute to this -- the lowest birth rate since the great depression -- the highest abortion rate in many years -- fewer birth parents who are harder to find. I think we have to find a way to educate people before they get to the abortion clinic. Not everyone is aware that there can be a happy ending to an unplanned pregnancy. I am doing what I can to let young women know that there are options. If anyone has any ideas about how we can get the word out to potential birth parents that there are loving families waiting for any baby, perhaps a few abortions would be unnecessary.

Happy Birthday to my BFF Laura on July 30! Do something fun because next year you'll be on the dark side of the century!! Where are those black balloons?

Advertising, Business, and the Advertising Business

Even though I do adoptions, my job is more of a glorified advertising representative, as I spend a lot of my time sorting through tear pages and placing ads. While we do mostly yellow page advertising, I'm always on the lookout for additional ways to connect birth moms to adoptive families and to promote what we do. I recently stumbled upon a new concept that I think may take off in the world of advertising and I believe in it enough to put some of our own advertising dollars into it and I am actively promoting it as a solid business concept. While I don't advocate placing adoptive parent or birth mom information out there on the internet for all to see, I do think the internet is a powerful advertising tool. I just hadn't seen a way that it might work for us. Local Ad Link is a company founded by Bob McNulty, who is commonly associated with e-commerce. He has been successful in implementing several innovative business concepts, such as Home Depot, and Local Ad Link is another one. It goes public in April and my guess is that it will take off. The reason I am talking about it is because it is a new and exciting business opportunity for not only people who are currently out of work, but also those new moms who want to stop working outside of the home so that they can stay at home with their new babies, and yet still earn an income. The current job market being what it is makes it even more intriguing. The goal of Local Ad Link was to have 4,000 representatives when they go public in April. They already have 30,000 as people recognize what a ground floor opportunity it may be. While I have been rather outspoken on the topic of multi-level marketing, this is a company that I could see working. There is no guarantee, but everyone who is in business needs advertising, and they have made it affordable and localized. If you're interested in learning more about Local Ad Link, check out the video on the following site; http://www.localads2go.com. It may be a good opportunity. Contact me if you'd like to talk more about it.