Prayers for Polly ---- Day 24

As you can see from my new button on the right of the blog, we are praying for Polly.  Our dear friends, Gillian and Sergei have four wonderful little girls.  Elaina, Zoya, Polly and Evangeline.  The first three are biological and the newest member, Evie, is a blessing by adoption from Ukraine.  Polly and Evie both have been also blessed with that extra chromosome that we love so much!!  Their family has had a difficult week.  Polly (3 1/2) was diagnosed with Moyamoya Syndrome.  Please pray for their family!!

I want to give you a little background on my relationship with Gillian.  Just about 3 1/2 years ago, I was reading posts on a Down syndrome forum that I am a member of.  I was captured by a particular post about a woman who was living in Ukraine and had just given birth to a little girl with Down syndrome.  She was originally from Michigan and her husband was Ukrainian.  They were missionaries in Ukraine with their two daughters when little Polina was born.  Well, we know what typically happens to children with special needs in Ukraine.  I was captured by Gillian and her family.  I ready every post and kept up on their journey.  Just 6 weeks after Polly was born, they returned to the US in order to make sure she had everything she needed as far as medical care and Early Intervention!  I was in awe of her.

Time went on and I continued to follow her journey.  I was in-love with Polly and the pictures I saw of her stole my heart!  Then in September of 2008, I traveled several hours to Peoria, Illinois for a meet-up weekend.  Gillian, Sergei and the girls were there.  I felt an instant connection to Gillian and her sweet Polly.  Though they were only there for one night, we did have a couple of nice talks.  Once we were home, I felt compelled to email her.  We exchanged emails and soon after that, I emailed her that we were thinking about adopting!  It was with much surprise that I received an email back that they too were thinking about adopting a little girl from Ukraine.  Our friendship grew from there and we traveled the adoption path together.  Gillian and I were able to meet up a couple times in Ukraine at the end of my trip and the beginning of hers. 

I know now why God pulled at my heart strings that weekend in Peoria.  We were traveling a similar path and she has become a wonderful and dear friend to me!  Please Pray for Polly and her family!!!