Rachel is about six years old and her smile absolutely lights up the room when you interact with her. She is interested in toys but has a difficult time interacting with what is available (not much). She stares intently at you when you talk to her and then will make "talking" motions with her mouth as if to communicate, but no sound comes out. She loves to be tickled and will laugh and laugh.

Rachel loves to be held and gotten out of her bed. She spends most of her day laying in a dark room in her crib or in a stroller sitting on the porch. She eats well (being fed) and is a good size for her age. Sadly, there have been no efforts to potty train her.

She has cerebral palsy, which means her body is very stiff and she has a hard time controlling her limbs. It is difficult to tell how she is affected cognitively because CP affects her mouth muscles and she cannot speak. Some children with CP are typical cognitively and others have cognitive disabilities.

This sweet girl will certainly benefit greatly from the love of a family and some intensive physical, occupational and speech therapy. She has a lot of potential that will never be met in the small, impoverished orphanage in which she lives. Rachel's orphanage doesn't believe anyone would ever want to adopt her and will not put any more paperwork together on her file until we find a family for her. We have limited background information at this time but if we found a seriously interested family we would be able to get more information. Please contact Salem if you or anyone you know might be interested in this beautiful little girl.