Ok...Went to Philadelphia to the Mexican Consulate..the office there was as helpful as can be...she took all our info & ID from Hubby and was going to research and make a call to Mexican Embassy in NY. Before we got home we had an email from the gal!
She was very nice & helpful...Thanks for all your prayers..but keep em' comin'.... we have to contact the US Embassy in Mexico City on Monday...So maybe that office can help us better and being they are in the capital of Mexico...I think so too! Atleast I think this is where Interpol is in Mexico. I called the US embassy today there but that office was already out and I will call again Monday.
I also called our translator today in Eastern Europe..she told me that they are hoping they'll have something on Jan 4 th..so hoping & praying as well....She also spoke to our Marco and he said to tell me thank You for the gifts and he is waiting for us! And to say hello to my mommy..Oh Lordy...I needed this to keep going...it's been 8 weeks since our 1 st trip and we should have been back 2 weeks after that...I miss him so much and can't wait until we get him home...I know with all this extra added stress it's all the more sweeter when it really happens! Every adoption seems to be that way....
Happy New Year...
& thanks for your prayers & I'll take some more if you'd please!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Mexican Consulate here we come...
Ok...so very early in the morning we will leave to go to the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia! They open at 8:30 am. We hope to have them persuade Interpol to fax a letter over to the Eastern Europe Angency while we wait...we will need prayers for this one..
Thanks to you all on the yahoo group praying for us..soon I will have to go private with all this talk about agencies! etc..but for now this is where we're at...we need Interpol just to tell SDA that my hubby is not the guy in Mexico...Different Nationality but his name is very common and mine never had a middle name...
stay tuned....
Thanks to you all on the yahoo group praying for us..soon I will have to go private with all this talk about agencies! etc..but for now this is where we're at...we need Interpol just to tell SDA that my hubby is not the guy in Mexico...Different Nationality but his name is very common and mine never had a middle name...
stay tuned....
Met Larissa in person today!
Had a nice talk sharing about our adoption experiences while doing Larissa's hair this morning! So nice to finally have someone in our own town adopting through Reeces Rainbow!
Please continue to pray for Interpol clearance..We are heading to the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia if our fax doesn't get to anyone soon!
Please continue to pray for Interpol clearance..We are heading to the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia if our fax doesn't get to anyone soon!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Soon....
Our blog will be going private...I will be adding many pictures and and info on the kids & our adoption process...please email me for an invitation so you can continue to view our blog. We have some beautiful pictures & videos of the kids I have been saving to put on the blog. The kids are growing so fast and doing so well..Most of you on Face Book have gotten to see all the kids..but I have new pictures I will be putting up here while we are private..I know I have thousands of visitors..but I think I can only invite 100 if I'm not mistaken...so they will fill up fast..Thank You all for following our adoptions...email me anytime at rubenandjoann@msn.com from around the world! I can also update this way..
Moratorium Update
Well the vote is now pushed back until January 11 th...at this time if a vote passes it will not stop adoption now, but changes will be made for a Hague country for adoptions...The process has some differences which I will post on later is it happens.
We almost had our date! Our facilitator thought maybe a way to expedite but still nothing yet...Trying to be patient and just keep busy & keep improving and purging & decorating the house inside...
Glad to have all the kids home now for the Holidays...so looking forward to our trip to Disney when we finally get Marco home...I think it'll be around Easter...
For now we are Homeschooling 5 of the older kids using Switched on Schoolhouse. Finally a dream come true..and it feels right this time..We have done some home schooling in the past and it just wasn't the right timing..I feel like I have my kids back..
The 5 littles are still in school and our 5 th daughter with Downs will probably join the home schoolers for 6 th grade next year, modified. When Marco comes we will just focus on Rosetta Stone English to start, which my friend Lyndi is sending me this week. The boy they adopted is speaking pretty well already after 4 months so she is done with disc 1 which is the basics.
We almost had our date! Our facilitator thought maybe a way to expedite but still nothing yet...Trying to be patient and just keep busy & keep improving and purging & decorating the house inside...
Glad to have all the kids home now for the Holidays...so looking forward to our trip to Disney when we finally get Marco home...I think it'll be around Easter...
For now we are Homeschooling 5 of the older kids using Switched on Schoolhouse. Finally a dream come true..and it feels right this time..We have done some home schooling in the past and it just wasn't the right timing..I feel like I have my kids back..
The 5 littles are still in school and our 5 th daughter with Downs will probably join the home schoolers for 6 th grade next year, modified. When Marco comes we will just focus on Rosetta Stone English to start, which my friend Lyndi is sending me this week. The boy they adopted is speaking pretty well already after 4 months so she is done with disc 1 which is the basics.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
This beauty needs a Mommy!
This is a child we have been trying to find a family for a long time. We call this little girl “Lisa” and she has waited a long time due to her HIV status and the fact that Thailand has been relatively strict as far as eligibility. However, Thailand has loosened their requirements in order to find a family for this child. Single women are now eligible for her adoption! Our program specialist has just come back from a visit and described her as being “absolutely adorable.” Her ID number in our system is H09-02 and she was born at the end of 2005. She is an incredible girl with bright eyes. She has rosy chubby cheeks. She enjoys playing physical activities. She likes to play on the jungle gym and jump on the trampoline. She has great fine motor skills and can build a bridge using blocks and string beads on a thread. She is described as a happy and bright child. She enjoys other people and likes to play with her peers. She is affectionate and gives the younger children hugs and kisses. She can speak in her native language and knows some English words. She waits for her own family because she is HIV positive. Her family will be so lucky to see her smile each day! We are seeking a family that is paper ready! She has been waiting for almost a year! Contact Lisa Trinh for further information ltrinh@chsfs.org or 651-255-2252.
Finally!
Well we finally got an email there is a way to expedite our interpol paper...but the facilitator will not know for sure until Dec. 27th...and then was wondering if we could come for the 29 th or 30 TH!!!LOL I think one day notice to book flights will be tough!! Not to mention the cost! So we are hoping for an alternate court date soon!
Very relieved and excited to know we will be going very soon though...So I think it's safe to say we will have Marco by his birthday January 14 th!!!
Very relieved and excited to know we will be going very soon though...So I think it's safe to say we will have Marco by his birthday January 14 th!!!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Merry Christmas to Everyone!
Well Christmas is almost here and there are some who will get nothing...won't you help an orphan in need of a family by doing 1 of 3 things..Pray...donate...adopt one?
Reeces Rainbow,,, Reece's Rainbow was begun in June of 2006 by Director, Andrea Roberts. Since that time, the organization has grown exponentially, and many new volunteers have stepped up to assist with the increasing needs of our families and waiting children. God never intended for this to be a one-woman-show! We are seeking additional volunteers to help us in various areas, so we can continue to grow and effectively meet the needs of our adopting families....
Many of the children have large grants which helps families tremendously! There is not a shortage of people who want to adopt...but it is not cheap. Many families like us that don't have much & have done it! We have adopted 4 and in the process of the 5th child from Eastern Europe...That's 5 children in 5 years which makes a total of 11...Sound difficult? Well, if we can do it so can you. If you have ever thought of adoption in the past, why not bring that thought to the future. The future of a little child depends on it! It all works out somehow and we are a large happy family. We find the humor in almost everything, that's how we have so much fun and less stress than some small families. Our typical Biological kids have learned so much from these children and vice versa. Compassion, patience, joy and that the simple things are great & not to be taken for granted. Of course God is our Rock and we depend on Him to raise and guide us and our children daily.
Our fifth daughter is now 10. She has designer genes called Down Syndrome after Dr. John Langdon Haydon Down.
John Langdon Haydon Down was a British doctor best known for his description of a relatively common genetic disorder that is now called Down syndrome.
Down was born in Torpoint, Cornwall. He was descended on his father’s side from an Irish family, his great-great grandfather having been Protestant bishop of Derry. John Down went to local schools including the Devonport Classical and Mathematical School. At 14 he was apprenticed to his father, the village apothecary at Anthony St Jacob’s. The vicar gave him a present of Arnott’s Physics which made him determined to take up a scientific career. At the age of 18 he went to London where he got a post working for a surgeon in the Whitechapel Road where he had to bleed patients, extract teeth, wash bottles and dispense drugs. Later he entered the pharmaceutical laboratory in Bloomsbury Squareand won the prize for organic chemistry. He also met Michael Faraday and helped him with his work on gases. More than once he was called back to Torpoint to help his father in the business until he died in 1853. Down would have liked a career in science but in those days there were few prospects for a career in chemistry.
Kids with Down Syndrome are Radiant! They are entertaining and funny & wity! If we could all capture every funny thing they said we could make a weekly TV sitcom. They are true blessing to have in your family.
Some children are born with medical issues that most times can be fixed through surgeries. I thought I couldn't handle our Amelia when she was born & her medical problems, but God gives you the grace to handle it. After a couple of days in the NICU I was just so relieved she would live...and the Downs was just a tiny part of Amelia's being. First they are a child...a blessing, a gift like any other child. Please don't be scared off by a little title they have be given..which I have changed to Designer Genes anyway! The word “down” seems negative...but I can assure you having 5 little ones with Downs is not the case. They are nothing but UP! And that's where they bring us...up!
We hope that you will visit the Reeces Rainbow Website at www.reecesrainbow.org and The Worlds Waiting Children http://waitingchildren.wordpress.com/ and www.Rainbowkids.com
We have adopted through all of these websites.
Please pray as you look upon the faces of these little ones and try to imagine what they need....a family.
Won't you do 1 of the 3 things above? Pray...1.For the families in the countries of the children to accept their baby and not give them away for adoption. 2. Pray For families to spark an interest in adoption and research the websites available on the internet of all children. 3.Pray For people to donate to the Angel Tree for Christmas in someones honor that may have passed away or special to them and in their lives today. 4. Pray for your family & that maybe God is placing adoption on your heart.
Everyone can pray these things..
But please take it a step further and donate or adopt a little one into your heart & family. I have seen the children with my own eyes....
“ Once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts & knows our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act.”
Prov. 24:12
"It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14)
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…defend the rights of the needy." (Proverbs 31:8,9)
The children are so precious and some very delicate due to their needs not getting met. What better way then to donate to a ministry where the money is put into an account for a family who is willing & led to adopt one of these angels! . The best medicine and way to fix this problem is adoption into a family.
Since I have been visiting and adopting children, I have met at least 2 children in the past year that have passed on to Jesus' arms...These children laughed , smiled and hugged me....along with others that came and didn't know them. They were so willing to be loved and hugged. Unfortunately they got sick and didn't have the medicine or endurance to make it through. Please reach inside yourself & pray about adoption. It is one of the most fulfilling & enriching things you will ever do.
There is a team at Reeces Rainbow and The Worlds Waiting Children and Rainbowkids.com ready to answer your questions & guide you through a process you'll never forget. The end of this process is the reward of one of these beautiful angels waiting for you.
Take a leap of faith! You will be glad you did.
Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Torres Family
Reeces Rainbow,,, Reece's Rainbow was begun in June of 2006 by Director, Andrea Roberts. Since that time, the organization has grown exponentially, and many new volunteers have stepped up to assist with the increasing needs of our families and waiting children. God never intended for this to be a one-woman-show! We are seeking additional volunteers to help us in various areas, so we can continue to grow and effectively meet the needs of our adopting families....
Many of the children have large grants which helps families tremendously! There is not a shortage of people who want to adopt...but it is not cheap. Many families like us that don't have much & have done it! We have adopted 4 and in the process of the 5th child from Eastern Europe...That's 5 children in 5 years which makes a total of 11...Sound difficult? Well, if we can do it so can you. If you have ever thought of adoption in the past, why not bring that thought to the future. The future of a little child depends on it! It all works out somehow and we are a large happy family. We find the humor in almost everything, that's how we have so much fun and less stress than some small families. Our typical Biological kids have learned so much from these children and vice versa. Compassion, patience, joy and that the simple things are great & not to be taken for granted. Of course God is our Rock and we depend on Him to raise and guide us and our children daily.
Our fifth daughter is now 10. She has designer genes called Down Syndrome after Dr. John Langdon Haydon Down.
John Langdon Haydon Down was a British doctor best known for his description of a relatively common genetic disorder that is now called Down syndrome.
Down was born in Torpoint, Cornwall. He was descended on his father’s side from an Irish family, his great-great grandfather having been Protestant bishop of Derry. John Down went to local schools including the Devonport Classical and Mathematical School. At 14 he was apprenticed to his father, the village apothecary at Anthony St Jacob’s. The vicar gave him a present of Arnott’s Physics which made him determined to take up a scientific career. At the age of 18 he went to London where he got a post working for a surgeon in the Whitechapel Road where he had to bleed patients, extract teeth, wash bottles and dispense drugs. Later he entered the pharmaceutical laboratory in Bloomsbury Squareand won the prize for organic chemistry. He also met Michael Faraday and helped him with his work on gases. More than once he was called back to Torpoint to help his father in the business until he died in 1853. Down would have liked a career in science but in those days there were few prospects for a career in chemistry.
Kids with Down Syndrome are Radiant! They are entertaining and funny & wity! If we could all capture every funny thing they said we could make a weekly TV sitcom. They are true blessing to have in your family.
Some children are born with medical issues that most times can be fixed through surgeries. I thought I couldn't handle our Amelia when she was born & her medical problems, but God gives you the grace to handle it. After a couple of days in the NICU I was just so relieved she would live...and the Downs was just a tiny part of Amelia's being. First they are a child...a blessing, a gift like any other child. Please don't be scared off by a little title they have be given..which I have changed to Designer Genes anyway! The word “down” seems negative...but I can assure you having 5 little ones with Downs is not the case. They are nothing but UP! And that's where they bring us...up!
We hope that you will visit the Reeces Rainbow Website at www.reecesrainbow.org and The Worlds Waiting Children http://waitingchildren.wordpress.com/ and www.Rainbowkids.com
We have adopted through all of these websites.
Please pray as you look upon the faces of these little ones and try to imagine what they need....a family.
Won't you do 1 of the 3 things above? Pray...1.For the families in the countries of the children to accept their baby and not give them away for adoption. 2. Pray For families to spark an interest in adoption and research the websites available on the internet of all children. 3.Pray For people to donate to the Angel Tree for Christmas in someones honor that may have passed away or special to them and in their lives today. 4. Pray for your family & that maybe God is placing adoption on your heart.
Everyone can pray these things..
But please take it a step further and donate or adopt a little one into your heart & family. I have seen the children with my own eyes....
“ Once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts & knows our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act.”
Prov. 24:12
"It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14)
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…defend the rights of the needy." (Proverbs 31:8,9)
The children are so precious and some very delicate due to their needs not getting met. What better way then to donate to a ministry where the money is put into an account for a family who is willing & led to adopt one of these angels! . The best medicine and way to fix this problem is adoption into a family.
Since I have been visiting and adopting children, I have met at least 2 children in the past year that have passed on to Jesus' arms...These children laughed , smiled and hugged me....along with others that came and didn't know them. They were so willing to be loved and hugged. Unfortunately they got sick and didn't have the medicine or endurance to make it through. Please reach inside yourself & pray about adoption. It is one of the most fulfilling & enriching things you will ever do.
There is a team at Reeces Rainbow and The Worlds Waiting Children and Rainbowkids.com ready to answer your questions & guide you through a process you'll never forget. The end of this process is the reward of one of these beautiful angels waiting for you.
Take a leap of faith! You will be glad you did.
Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Torres Family
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
IMAGE THEFT & WHY I DON"T POST MANY PICS OF MY KIDS
Protecting Images - Put plain and simple: the only way to protect your images from being downloaded or stolen off a web page is to not put them online in the first place. While I put this fact out there as blunt as possible, there are several techniques we can use to make website downloads and image theft much harder. Of course, image theft can be defined in a number of ways, and its definition - and hence measures (if any) taken to prevent it - will depend upon the individual.
There are many ways to protect images from being downloaded, ranging from modifying the image itself (tips 1-3), to preventing webpages downloads (tips 4-8), to being pro-active in finding unauthorized usage of images online (tips 9-10). And while I discuss many common types of image protection, there are many others that I do not mention. A few of the techniques mentioned in this article are directed more towards web designers (these tips are marked with an *), but several can be used on photo sharing website's such as smugmug, flickr, pbase, and webshots.
What is image theft? Image theft is the unauthorized use of an image, photograph, drawing, or illustration. Well duh. Is it really that simple? Of course not. The hard part is that many people differ in the definition of 'unauthorized use'. Where one person may not care whether their photograph is downloaded from a web page and placed on another website without their knowledge, there are some that find this to be blatant copyright infringement.
Can I download an image? If you are interested in knowing whether unauthorized downloading and use is illegal: many websites will have an image use statement, and it is best and safest to ALWAYS ask the artist for permission. Ultimately, the default for image downloading and usage should ALWAYS be "All Rights Reserved" (eg don't use without permission).
Can I protect an image? If you are an artist interested in protecting your images: it is best to first define for yourself what your policy on image theft is, then define the measures you need to protect your images (even if this means not putting your images online in the first place). It is important to publicly display your policy on image use in an image use statement on your website.
There are many ways to protect images from being downloaded, ranging from modifying the image itself (tips 1-3), to preventing webpages downloads (tips 4-8), to being pro-active in finding unauthorized usage of images online (tips 9-10). And while I discuss many common types of image protection, there are many others that I do not mention. A few of the techniques mentioned in this article are directed more towards web designers (these tips are marked with an *), but several can be used on photo sharing website's such as smugmug, flickr, pbase, and webshots.
What is image theft? Image theft is the unauthorized use of an image, photograph, drawing, or illustration. Well duh. Is it really that simple? Of course not. The hard part is that many people differ in the definition of 'unauthorized use'. Where one person may not care whether their photograph is downloaded from a web page and placed on another website without their knowledge, there are some that find this to be blatant copyright infringement.
Can I download an image? If you are interested in knowing whether unauthorized downloading and use is illegal: many websites will have an image use statement, and it is best and safest to ALWAYS ask the artist for permission. Ultimately, the default for image downloading and usage should ALWAYS be "All Rights Reserved" (eg don't use without permission).
Can I protect an image? If you are an artist interested in protecting your images: it is best to first define for yourself what your policy on image theft is, then define the measures you need to protect your images (even if this means not putting your images online in the first place). It is important to publicly display your policy on image use in an image use statement on your website.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Moratorium Update
Just got a reply email back from the US Embassy on my question about the moratorium.....
The bill on moratorium is now scheduled for December 24th. So Please all be praying for this to not take affect any time soon..There are many orphans in process to come home.
The bill on moratorium is now scheduled for December 24th. So Please all be praying for this to not take affect any time soon..There are many orphans in process to come home.
and waiting..
it is 3:30 am and got up with the barking dogs...they sometimes bark at a man who leaves for work at this time in a tractor trailer...so thought I 'd check the email because it's 10:30 in Eastern Europe! Just as I was answering my Aunt's email...I got one from US Embassy that they got their request letter to interpol on Thursday...so hoping for a quick response!! Sitting on the edge on my seat because this is the week for the vote for the possible moratorium.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Still Waiting....
I have recently had contact with the US Embassy about our delay...We were emailed a few docs to sign and fax back to give them permission to investigate our Adoption process..So they have hopefully already sent a letter to Interpol on our behalf and can find out the exact delay. Looking forward to hearing something soon. We are ready to go...not looking forward to flying in the winter..have heard some turbulent stories lately on the yahoo group..Yesterday when I was driving I noticed how clear & sunny it was...praying for a travel day like this. I will be re-packing my suitcase since I will be bringing things over for our Pastor friend & his wife...Need to pick up an Electric razor and some other things for his Christmas gift...also have one item from last trip we forgot to pack...so I want to remember it all..
They are also in need of another vehicle for their family. They are in full time ministry and do not have the means to afford one on their own. They are looking to get a 7 passenger van which will cost about $9000. or have a commitment to a monthly payment. So if anyone has any grant info or fund raising ideas to help this family. Having more than 2 children in their country is not popular...but they are Christians and want to have a large family.
They are also in need of another vehicle for their family. They are in full time ministry and do not have the means to afford one on their own. They are looking to get a 7 passenger van which will cost about $9000. or have a commitment to a monthly payment. So if anyone has any grant info or fund raising ideas to help this family. Having more than 2 children in their country is not popular...but they are Christians and want to have a large family.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Someone please consider Anya to the right! She is a doll baby...$6000 grant
Anya is a little doll...she is smiling so nicely in this pic ...Please consider her for your family..She has a $6000 grant to defray the costs..That is a huge help...I will be seeing her soon when I get to Eastern Europe so I can get new pics for the New Mommy I am hoping comes forward soon!! She is very sweet and lovable!
I HAVE A FAMILY!!! YAY!
I HAVE A FAMILY!!! YAY!
Still Waiting....
Well...I spoke to the US Embassy this morning at 3:30 am to see about our document delay and the procedure is to email...So my email is off and waiting for the response with a letter that we need to sign and scan & email back. I hope they see it!!!
So ready to go over and get our boy... for now I need a nap..been up too long already!
So ready to go over and get our boy... for now I need a nap..been up too long already!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
NEW THEORY OF DOWN SYNDROME CAUSE MAY LEAD TO NEW THERAPIES
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Conventional wisdom among scientists for years has suggested that because individuals with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome, the disorder most likely results from the presence of too many genes or proteins contained in that additional structure.
But a recent study reveals that just the opposite could be true – that a deficiency of a protein in the brain of Down syndrome patients could contribute to the cognitive impairment and congenital heart defects that characterize the syndrome.
Terry Elton
Scientists have shown in a series of experiments that there are lower levels of this protein in the brains of humans and mice with Down syndrome than are present in humans and mice without the disorder.
The researchers also showed that manually manipulating pieces of RNA that regulate the protein could increase protein levels in both human cell lines and mouse brains. In fact, an experimental drug that acts on those RNA segments returned this protein to normal levels in mice that model the syndrome.
When this RNA segment is overexpressed – meaning that more of it is present than needed in a cell – the protein level goes down, or is underexpressed. A total of at least five of these RNA segments are naturally overexpressed in persons with Down syndrome because the segments are housed on chromosome 21 – the chromosome that causes the disorder.
“We’re talking about a paradigm-shifting idea that maybe we should look for underexpressed proteins and not overexpressed proteins in Down syndrome,” said Terry Elton, senior author of the study and a professor of pharmacology at Ohio State University.
“What this offers to the Down syndrome community is the potential for at least five new therapeutic targets to pursue.”
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Scientists have shown in a series of experiments that there are lower levels of a specific protein in the brains of humans and mice with Down syndrome than are present in humans and mice without the disorder.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 13 of every 10,000 babies born in the United States each year have Down syndrome, characterized primarily by a mild-to-moderate range of intellectual disabilities, possible delayed language development and difficulties with physical coordination.
The study is published in a recent issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Elton, also interim director of Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, stumbled upon this theory about Down syndrome while working on a different protein associated with cardiovascular disease. It turns out the protein he has studied for 25 years was regulated by one of these microRNAs that is known to be housed on chromosome 21.
A key role of RNA in a cell is to make protein, and proteins are the building blocks of all life. But the process has many steps. MicroRNAs are small pieces of RNA that bind to messenger RNA, which contains the actual set of instructions for building proteins. When that connection is made, however, the microRNA inhibits the building of the protein. Why that occurs is not completely understood, but increasingly microRNAs are considered tiny molecules that have a big impact in a number of physiological processes.
For his cardiovascular disease research, Elton found that a genetic trait in some people caused one specific microRNA to be bad at its job, leading to high protein levels that contribute to cardiovascular disease. This malfunctioning molecule is called microRNA-155, or miR-155.
“So we became interested in miR-155, and it is on chromosome 21. That’s how we jumped to Down syndrome,” Elton said.
There is also a strong link between the heart and Down syndrome. About half of those with the syndrome are born with congenital heart defects – problems with the heart’s anatomy, not coronary arteries. But they do not experience cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure.
The advent of biomedical informatics has allowed scientists to use supercomputers to explore the human genome in a search for genes and their various relationships in the context of human disease. Elton consulted a bioinformatic database and found that five microRNAs sit on chromosome 21, and he and colleagues demonstrated in previous research that all five of them are overexpressed in the tissues, brains and hearts of Down syndrome patients.
“That means that whatever proteins these microRNAs work with are underexpressed,” Elton said.
Further database exploration suggested that these five microRNAs target 1,695 proteins, all of which could cause problems in Down syndrome because they are underexpressed. To narrow that to a more manageable number, Elton’s group had to make an educated guess based on a variety of data, including which proteins that are connected to these microRNAs are made by cells in the brain and heart – two areas most commonly affected by Down syndrome.
A protein surfaced as an attractive target to study: methyl-CpG-binding protein 2, known as MeCP2. Among the reasons it seemed important: A mutation in this protein is already known to lead to Rett syndrome, a cognitive disorder.
“So we thought that it was more than a coincidence that this protein plays a role in normal brain development, and if the protein doesn’t function right, you’re going to have cognitive impairment. Maybe this is the connection,” Elton said. “We still don’t know if this is the most important protein related to Down syndrome. But we were able to go on and prove scientifically that MeCP2 is a target of these microRNAs on chromosome 21.”
The researchers used just two of the five microRNAs on chromosome 21 for the experiments in this study, miR-155 and miR-802, to match the only microRNAs available in the genetically engineered mouse model of Down syndrome.
First, the researchers made copies of the relevant microRNAs. In human brain cell lines, they manipulated levels of those two molecules to show the inverse relationship with the protein. If the microRNAs were more active, the level of the MeCP2 protein went down. When the microRNAs were underexpressed, the protein levels went up.
Next, the researchers examined adult and fetal human brain tissue from healthy and Down syndrome samples obtained from a national tissue bank.
“In both adult and fetal Down syndrome brain samples, it didn’t matter which area of the brain we were looking at, the MeCP2 proteins were down. These are just observations with no manipulation on our part, and the MeCP2 is almost non-existent in the Down syndrome brain,” Elton said. “We marked the protein with a fluorescent molecule, and by comparison, we could visualize and appreciate how much MeCP2 was being made by neurons in the control samples.”
MeCP2 is a transcription factor, meaning it turns genes on and off. If its levels are too low in the brain, this suggests that genes influenced by its presence should be malfunctioning, too. Based on previous research by another group, Elton and colleagues focused on two genes affected by the MeCP2 protein for their next set of experiments.
Looking again at the human brain tissue samples, they found that the genes were indeed affected by the lowered protein level in Down syndrome brains – one gene that MeCP2 normally silences was in abundance, and the gene that should have been activated was underexpressed. Because the two genes examined have known roles in neural development, Elton said the results suggested even more strongly that the lowered protein’s effects on the genes likely contribute to cognitive problems associated with Down syndrome.
Finally, the researchers tested an experimental drug called an antagomir on mice that serve as models for Down syndrome research. Antagomirs are relatively new agents that render microRNAs inactive. The scientists injected an antagomir into the brains of these mice to silence the miR-155 with the intent to increase levels of the MeCP2 protein. Seven days after the injection, the level of the protein in the treated mouse brains resembled levels in normal mouse brains.
“We showed that we can fix the protein abnormality in mice that model Down syndrome. But we can’t undo the pathology that has already occurred,” Elton said. “It’s a starting point, but it appears that we have new therapeutic targets to consider.”
This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Foundation Jerome Lejeune.
Co-authors of the study were Donald Kuhn, Gerard Nuovo, Mickey Martin, Geraldine Malana, Sarah Sansom, Adam Pleister and David Feldman of Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute; Alvin Terry Jr. and Wayne Beck of Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; and Elizabeth Head of the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine.
#
Contact: Terry Elton, (614) 292-1400; terry.elton@osumc.edu
Written by Emily Caldwell, (614) 292-8310; caldwell.151@osu.edu
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Conventional wisdom among scientists for years has suggested that because individuals with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome, the disorder most likely results from the presence of too many genes or proteins contained in that additional structure.
But a recent study reveals that just the opposite could be true – that a deficiency of a protein in the brain of Down syndrome patients could contribute to the cognitive impairment and congenital heart defects that characterize the syndrome.
Terry Elton
Scientists have shown in a series of experiments that there are lower levels of this protein in the brains of humans and mice with Down syndrome than are present in humans and mice without the disorder.
The researchers also showed that manually manipulating pieces of RNA that regulate the protein could increase protein levels in both human cell lines and mouse brains. In fact, an experimental drug that acts on those RNA segments returned this protein to normal levels in mice that model the syndrome.
When this RNA segment is overexpressed – meaning that more of it is present than needed in a cell – the protein level goes down, or is underexpressed. A total of at least five of these RNA segments are naturally overexpressed in persons with Down syndrome because the segments are housed on chromosome 21 – the chromosome that causes the disorder.
“We’re talking about a paradigm-shifting idea that maybe we should look for underexpressed proteins and not overexpressed proteins in Down syndrome,” said Terry Elton, senior author of the study and a professor of pharmacology at Ohio State University.
“What this offers to the Down syndrome community is the potential for at least five new therapeutic targets to pursue.”
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Scientists have shown in a series of experiments that there are lower levels of a specific protein in the brains of humans and mice with Down syndrome than are present in humans and mice without the disorder.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 13 of every 10,000 babies born in the United States each year have Down syndrome, characterized primarily by a mild-to-moderate range of intellectual disabilities, possible delayed language development and difficulties with physical coordination.
The study is published in a recent issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Elton, also interim director of Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, stumbled upon this theory about Down syndrome while working on a different protein associated with cardiovascular disease. It turns out the protein he has studied for 25 years was regulated by one of these microRNAs that is known to be housed on chromosome 21.
A key role of RNA in a cell is to make protein, and proteins are the building blocks of all life. But the process has many steps. MicroRNAs are small pieces of RNA that bind to messenger RNA, which contains the actual set of instructions for building proteins. When that connection is made, however, the microRNA inhibits the building of the protein. Why that occurs is not completely understood, but increasingly microRNAs are considered tiny molecules that have a big impact in a number of physiological processes.
For his cardiovascular disease research, Elton found that a genetic trait in some people caused one specific microRNA to be bad at its job, leading to high protein levels that contribute to cardiovascular disease. This malfunctioning molecule is called microRNA-155, or miR-155.
“So we became interested in miR-155, and it is on chromosome 21. That’s how we jumped to Down syndrome,” Elton said.
There is also a strong link between the heart and Down syndrome. About half of those with the syndrome are born with congenital heart defects – problems with the heart’s anatomy, not coronary arteries. But they do not experience cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure.
The advent of biomedical informatics has allowed scientists to use supercomputers to explore the human genome in a search for genes and their various relationships in the context of human disease. Elton consulted a bioinformatic database and found that five microRNAs sit on chromosome 21, and he and colleagues demonstrated in previous research that all five of them are overexpressed in the tissues, brains and hearts of Down syndrome patients.
“That means that whatever proteins these microRNAs work with are underexpressed,” Elton said.
Further database exploration suggested that these five microRNAs target 1,695 proteins, all of which could cause problems in Down syndrome because they are underexpressed. To narrow that to a more manageable number, Elton’s group had to make an educated guess based on a variety of data, including which proteins that are connected to these microRNAs are made by cells in the brain and heart – two areas most commonly affected by Down syndrome.
A protein surfaced as an attractive target to study: methyl-CpG-binding protein 2, known as MeCP2. Among the reasons it seemed important: A mutation in this protein is already known to lead to Rett syndrome, a cognitive disorder.
“So we thought that it was more than a coincidence that this protein plays a role in normal brain development, and if the protein doesn’t function right, you’re going to have cognitive impairment. Maybe this is the connection,” Elton said. “We still don’t know if this is the most important protein related to Down syndrome. But we were able to go on and prove scientifically that MeCP2 is a target of these microRNAs on chromosome 21.”
The researchers used just two of the five microRNAs on chromosome 21 for the experiments in this study, miR-155 and miR-802, to match the only microRNAs available in the genetically engineered mouse model of Down syndrome.
First, the researchers made copies of the relevant microRNAs. In human brain cell lines, they manipulated levels of those two molecules to show the inverse relationship with the protein. If the microRNAs were more active, the level of the MeCP2 protein went down. When the microRNAs were underexpressed, the protein levels went up.
Next, the researchers examined adult and fetal human brain tissue from healthy and Down syndrome samples obtained from a national tissue bank.
“In both adult and fetal Down syndrome brain samples, it didn’t matter which area of the brain we were looking at, the MeCP2 proteins were down. These are just observations with no manipulation on our part, and the MeCP2 is almost non-existent in the Down syndrome brain,” Elton said. “We marked the protein with a fluorescent molecule, and by comparison, we could visualize and appreciate how much MeCP2 was being made by neurons in the control samples.”
MeCP2 is a transcription factor, meaning it turns genes on and off. If its levels are too low in the brain, this suggests that genes influenced by its presence should be malfunctioning, too. Based on previous research by another group, Elton and colleagues focused on two genes affected by the MeCP2 protein for their next set of experiments.
Looking again at the human brain tissue samples, they found that the genes were indeed affected by the lowered protein level in Down syndrome brains – one gene that MeCP2 normally silences was in abundance, and the gene that should have been activated was underexpressed. Because the two genes examined have known roles in neural development, Elton said the results suggested even more strongly that the lowered protein’s effects on the genes likely contribute to cognitive problems associated with Down syndrome.
Finally, the researchers tested an experimental drug called an antagomir on mice that serve as models for Down syndrome research. Antagomirs are relatively new agents that render microRNAs inactive. The scientists injected an antagomir into the brains of these mice to silence the miR-155 with the intent to increase levels of the MeCP2 protein. Seven days after the injection, the level of the protein in the treated mouse brains resembled levels in normal mouse brains.
“We showed that we can fix the protein abnormality in mice that model Down syndrome. But we can’t undo the pathology that has already occurred,” Elton said. “It’s a starting point, but it appears that we have new therapeutic targets to consider.”
This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Foundation Jerome Lejeune.
Co-authors of the study were Donald Kuhn, Gerard Nuovo, Mickey Martin, Geraldine Malana, Sarah Sansom, Adam Pleister and David Feldman of Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute; Alvin Terry Jr. and Wayne Beck of Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; and Elizabeth Head of the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine.
#
Contact: Terry Elton, (614) 292-1400; terry.elton@osumc.edu
Written by Emily Caldwell, (614) 292-8310; caldwell.151@osu.edu
For all those in process now adoptions...please register your adoption so they are aware of how many of us are out there!!
Adoption Notice
kyivadoptions@state.gov
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues
December 9, 2010
On November 3, 2010, a proposed bill that would place a moratorium on intercountry adoptions from countries without bilateral agreements, including the United States passed a first reading in the Ukrainian parliament. On December 7, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv learned the proposed moratorium bill has been scheduled for a second reading during the upcoming plenary session on December 16. As the plenary session does have several important agenda items, this schedule may be subject to change depending on the progress of each issue.
Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv was informed that a slight, but possibly important, change was made to the text for the second reading. The bill originally stated, “intercountry adoptions will not be allowed for the citizens and permanent residents of the countries with which Ukraine does not have bilateral adoption agreements.” The change eliminates the word “bilateral,” which may allow the possibility of multilateral agreements, like the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, to take the place of bilateral agreements.
The Ukrainian State Department for Adoptions (SDA) has indicated that adoption processing will be conducted as usual until mandated by a change in legislation.
The Department of State cannot predict the outcome of the second reading. However, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is active in encouraging its counterparts to consider the Hague Adoption Convention as the best means to address concerns in the adoption process and to safeguard cases in progress. The Embassy is monitoring the situation closely. Any prospective adoptive parents with cases currently open in Ukraine are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy Kyiv Adoption Unit. The Embassy maintains a listserv to communicate with U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents and will use this to send updates as information is available.
kyivadoptions@state.gov
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues
December 9, 2010
On November 3, 2010, a proposed bill that would place a moratorium on intercountry adoptions from countries without bilateral agreements, including the United States passed a first reading in the Ukrainian parliament. On December 7, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv learned the proposed moratorium bill has been scheduled for a second reading during the upcoming plenary session on December 16. As the plenary session does have several important agenda items, this schedule may be subject to change depending on the progress of each issue.
Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv was informed that a slight, but possibly important, change was made to the text for the second reading. The bill originally stated, “intercountry adoptions will not be allowed for the citizens and permanent residents of the countries with which Ukraine does not have bilateral adoption agreements.” The change eliminates the word “bilateral,” which may allow the possibility of multilateral agreements, like the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, to take the place of bilateral agreements.
The Ukrainian State Department for Adoptions (SDA) has indicated that adoption processing will be conducted as usual until mandated by a change in legislation.
The Department of State cannot predict the outcome of the second reading. However, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is active in encouraging its counterparts to consider the Hague Adoption Convention as the best means to address concerns in the adoption process and to safeguard cases in progress. The Embassy is monitoring the situation closely. Any prospective adoptive parents with cases currently open in Ukraine are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy Kyiv Adoption Unit. The Embassy maintains a listserv to communicate with U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents and will use this to send updates as information is available.
Interpol Delay ...
Well it looks like one of us has been mixed up with a Torres in Mexico?? LOL The spelling is usually different so not sure how this happened..but at least we may have a lead why we have a delay...SO I will be contacting the US embassy in Kiev on Monday to see how they can help this move forward...Never a dull moment with adoption! You can expect anything & everything through out the process....
Thursday, December 9, 2010
This is great!! Hope they keep pushing it back!
Good news on the vote. :) It was scheduled for Dec 16 in the morning (before the morning break) and has now been pushed to the week of Dec 21-24 according to the Rada website. I'm hopeful this means they are still working out details and will not implement it in its current form.
As I mentioned before, the Legal Division of Ukraine has recommended the bill be rejected as it will cause conflicts with other areas of the Family Code that are not being changed. Two amendments were filed on Nov 30 but the text of those is not available online.
For those who are interested in following the Rada proceedings, the website is http://www.rada.gov.ua/zakon/new/WR/. Clicking on that will give you links to the weekly schedules for the Rada. You can then search on the page for the bill number 4313, which is the bill in question. If you click on the bill number, you will go to a page with links to the actual bill as well as to who has voted for/against, etc.
I'm checking the Rada website every couple of days so I will keep you guys updated as I see more. If you have time and enjoy deciphering cyrillic (or like playing with Google translate), the Rada website is a WEALTH of information on random legal stuff for Ukraine!
Courtney
As I mentioned before, the Legal Division of Ukraine has recommended the bill be rejected as it will cause conflicts with other areas of the Family Code that are not being changed. Two amendments were filed on Nov 30 but the text of those is not available online.
For those who are interested in following the Rada proceedings, the website is http://www.rada.gov.ua/zakon/new/WR/. Clicking on that will give you links to the weekly schedules for the Rada. You can then search on the page for the bill number 4313, which is the bill in question. If you click on the bill number, you will go to a page with links to the actual bill as well as to who has voted for/against, etc.
I'm checking the Rada website every couple of days so I will keep you guys updated as I see more. If you have time and enjoy deciphering cyrillic (or like playing with Google translate), the Rada website is a WEALTH of information on random legal stuff for Ukraine!
Courtney
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Still Waiting...
We are still waiting but it's all good....hoping we
will get court soon and praying the moratorium vote gets tabled for all the children's sake that are in process of adoption.. It was skipped over before and it could happen again. Also praying that behind the scenes progress will be made to continue to allow special needs adoptions to come to fruition during the possible moratorium.
Made contact with one of the Docs where we adopted our 3 little angels 2 summers ago. They are waiting for the hair doos when I can get out there...I am packed for the most part and looking forward to the trip. It should be very exciting seeing our boy and having him with me and doing hair for about 10 days for the care workers of the little ones in the orphanage. Praying for a safe and non-turbulent flight...that last one to Eastern Europe had a bout of turbulence I have never experienced...10 -15 minutes of bouncing like we had felt like an hour...need another flying course online!
will get court soon and praying the moratorium vote gets tabled for all the children's sake that are in process of adoption.. It was skipped over before and it could happen again. Also praying that behind the scenes progress will be made to continue to allow special needs adoptions to come to fruition during the possible moratorium.
Made contact with one of the Docs where we adopted our 3 little angels 2 summers ago. They are waiting for the hair doos when I can get out there...I am packed for the most part and looking forward to the trip. It should be very exciting seeing our boy and having him with me and doing hair for about 10 days for the care workers of the little ones in the orphanage. Praying for a safe and non-turbulent flight...that last one to Eastern Europe had a bout of turbulence I have never experienced...10 -15 minutes of bouncing like we had felt like an hour...need another flying course online!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Karin Dom 2008 Intense Video
Amazing to see this therapy and Intervention in Bulgaria & Ukraine..More centers need to be implemented, but it is out there for families who decide to keep their children...Please turn off music below on right to hear videos.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference
Crazy? This is a comment people have made about us adopting special needs kids from a far off place..After viewing this video maybe you can see what motivates us to do what we do...spend $70,000 to rescue orphans that are considered less than in their own culture. Because God rescued us...Because God adopted us...Because God tells us to take care of orphans...
Do you wonder why we're so "Crazy" that we would adopt again? I don't need to add a single thing to it. This is EXACTLY why we would spend thousands of dollars and travel the ocean many times for little lives. It's exactly why we trust that God is big enough, strong enough, loving enough-- to take care of us ALL once we are home together. Because we ARE God's body. God rescues the weak...God uses the meek..
Praise God for all those who helped us save these children through donations & fund raising & prayers through the years.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
UD PATE ON MORATORIUMS: From Rainbowkids.com
Ukraine: It has been widely rumored that Ukraine is moving towards implementing the Hague. Several sources indicate that a true "shut down" of Ukraine adoptions is not imminent. More information will be known by the end of 2010.
Russian Adoption Agreement: The 5th in a series of talks between Russian officials and US DOS took place last week. Although widely reported in the major media, these talks are viewed by adoption insiders as a formality. US-Russian adoption did not shut down during 2010, and there is no indication that any threat to the process exists today. Good news for families and waiting children!
Russian Adoption Agreement: The 5th in a series of talks between Russian officials and US DOS took place last week. Although widely reported in the major media, these talks are viewed by adoption insiders as a formality. US-Russian adoption did not shut down during 2010, and there is no indication that any threat to the process exists today. Good news for families and waiting children!
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