I was perusing the shared list as I do most nights, searching by gender, then by age, then by province, then by special need. Clicking on so many different files, and seeing so many different faces.
When for some reason I decided to open the absolute last file on the list. Number 3,598.
Yes, that is number three thousand five hundred and ninety-eight. Say it with me….THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT. I can’t even comprehend how huge that number is when it is in reference to waiting children. And, as we know, that number doesn’t even scratch the surface of the number of orphans in the world.
Any way….I digress. Back to that file….the last one on the list. #3598. I knew I had to do something for him. Because he is not just the last file on the list. He is not just number three thousand five hundred and ninety-eight. He is a child. He is a boy. He is a soul. Waiting. Waiting for what all the children are waiting for….a family to say Yes to him.
As I open his file and start reading, I notice the date that it was posted to the shared list. March 19, 2010. 9 years ago. Nine years. And since we’re talking about numbers here, let’s say that number together too…..NINE YEARS. His file was released 9 years ago. What were you doing then? I was getting ready to meet my first child. Who is now ALMOST 9. I feel like I have lived an entire lifetime in these past 9 years. And that whole time, Johnny has been waiting on some list.
His file was completed when he was 4 months old. He’ll turn 11 in a few short months.
His file talks about baby babble, and rolling over. There is nothing about his life as a toddler, or as a little boy, or as now a young man.
Nothing about his likes and dislikes. There are no updates.
Of course we are doing all we can to get an update, but what if we can’t? What does that mean for Johnny? That he will continue to hold his spot as #3598? The last on the list? The one that sat and sat and sat for years, with no one asking about him, until he turns 14 and loses his chance at a family?
Please, please let that not be the case. Johnny needs more than just us fighting for him. He needs a family fighting for him. Demanding answers. Begging for updates. Johnny needs a family, his family, to step up and never, ever let him hold last place again.
Johnny is currently waiting with Madison Adoption Associates. He will turn 11-years-old in a few months. There is a $1,000 grant available to the family who adopts Johnny, with other grants possible. To learn more, please complete the Prospective Adoptive Parent form.
The Gladney Center for Adoption is a long-established, Hague-accredited adoption agency with more than 135 years of experience in creating bright futures for children and families. Gladney’s international adoption program offers families across the United States the opportunity to adopt children from around the world, with active programs in countries such as Bulgaria, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The agency is deeply committed to ethical and transparent adoption practices that prioritize the best interests of each child. Gladney’s international program focuses on “waiting children”—those who are legally free for adoption but may be older, part of a sibling group, or have identified medical or developmental needs. Families who work with Gladney receive comprehensive support throughout every stage of the process, including pre-adoption education and training, home study and dossier preparation, coordination with foreign partners, travel guidance, and post-adoption services. With a dedicated team of professionals and strong relationships with child welfare authorities abroad, Gladney ensures that each adoption is handled with compassion, integrity, and excellence. Families who partner with Gladney become part of a lifelong community, supported well beyond placement as they help their children thrive in their new homes and embrace their cultural heritage.
