Nathaniel and his prospective family

No, unfortunately Nathaniel has not yet found his forever family, so please keep those prayers coming.

Thanks to a physician who contacted me regarding Nathaniel, I would like to write the following:

Nathaniel needs a family who is experienced with severe medical needs, and because of his urgent need preferrably a family that is homestudy approved to adopt a child who has a high possibility of not surviving. It can take a lot of effort, time and money (good insurance), not to mention it can be emotionally and physically draining as a parent, to take care of a child with hydrocephalus. Nathaniel definitely needs surgery, but how much he could improve, only a specialist here could give him any kind of western level prognosis. Just like no one can say he will be normal, no one can say for sure what his true lifespan will be like until he is here and evaluated here. What we are trying to prevent is further brain damage or medical complications, and giving him a chance of life and to know the love of a family. It would be a leap of faith for any family, particularly considering no family is able to get him sooner than a few months from now, and anything can happen within a few months.

There are several families who have adopted children (through Reece's Rainbow) with severe heart conditions and/or other life-shortening diseases. They knew they were going to bring their child home and either bury them soon, or help them to live a life longer than anyone would have expected because they were able to get quality medical care.

Nathaniel is a precious creation, made in God's image, who deserves surgery to relieve his pain and likely improve his condition, and he deserves to do so in the arms of a mommy or daddy, love he's never known.

PS: While I am not a physician, I have a daughter with hydrocephalus, have researched (as a layman) hydrocephalus for nearly 6 years, have been part of many communities and support groups, and am comparing Nathaniel's case to that of Baby Klaus in Texas just last year, who was in a much worse state than Nathaniel is, yet benefited greatly from surgery. All of the above give me hope for Nathaniel, in addition the fact that Nathaniel is a worthy creation, deserving of surgery and a forever family, regardless of where/what he might be in a year, or 5. He is suffering alone, and does not need to be - nor should he be.