Felix

Felix, pictured here at 18 months, lives with his family in Bucharest, Romania. He's one of seven children that are either adopted or are in the process of adoption by his foster mother Sarah. Originally from the United States, Sarah has been working with orphans and abandoned babies in state orphanages and hospitals in Romania for the past decade.
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Sarah met Felix when he was just one week old, and knew instantly that he would belong in their family. He spent four months in a local hospital for abandoned babies, then came home when his paperwork was completed. Within that next month, Felix reached an important baby milestone: rolling over! Sarah says that as a baby he constantly "cooed," rarely cried, and always smiled when interacted with, in addition to being known for giving out hugs. He started sitting around 10 months old, and on his first birthday was able to sit for his “cake smash” photos, even though he wasn’t yet eating solid foods at the time. He began his "army crawl" around 13 months old, and after 18 months, started pulling himself up to stand. Felix isn’t walking just yet, but is working on this together with his therapist. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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A few fun facts about Felix: He loves any toys or clothing with sequins, loves playing in the bath, and performing the hand motions along to the Moroccan children's song "A Ram Sam Sam." He's a big cuddler and likes giving out hugs, especially to his siblings. Sarah says that he's “an amazing, happy little boy who makes our house so much happier! I can’t imagine life without him!"

"My son’s mom asked me how I wasn’t going to be embarrassed to take him in the park. The mentality of the Romanian people is that a child with a disability should be kept separate from the 'normal' kids and many of the parents abandon their children."
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It appears that a shift is taking place in the country, though:
"Romania is developing more and more centers for children with disabilities, which include physical therapy and other therapies." One such program is the Angels Down Friends Association, established in 2013 with the aim of promoting, protecting and representing the "legitimate rights and interests of children and adolescents diagnosed with Down Syndrome for better adaptation and social integration, as well as to increase the level of independence in solving daily life tasks." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It's exciting to watch these movements take root, as many who know a loved one with Down syndrome would affirm that they are among "the lucky few." (This term we have @theluckyfewofficial to thank for—they have another amazing Down Syndrome adoption story!)