Contact: Andrea Roberts, Reece's Rainbow, 678-357-5391

GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 31, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Reece's Rainbow, a non-profit ministry dedicated to promoting the international adoption of orphan children with Down syndrome and special needs has witnessed a surge in donation support for one particular child with Down syndrome, strabismus, autism spectrum disorders, and a heart defect.

Andrey is four years old and lives in a Ukrainian orphanage. As special needs children in orphanages across Eastern Europe approach their fifth birthday, they are transferred from orphanages into institutions reserved for the mentally impaired. Many of these forgotten children regress, and many die.

While Andrey has waited four long years for a family to adopt him, many have come, and gone. Although there are plenty of families who long to adopt children from abroad, special needs children are infrequently atop adoption candidate lists. Of the families that are interested in adopting children like Andrey, the biggest barrier is finances.

Supporters of Reece's Rainbow, and specifically advocates of Andrey's adoption, have been fervently reaching out to other supporters to help Andrey's grant fund grow. In just two short weeks the fund has grown by 50% and donations are trickling in daily. As supporters strive to build continuing awareness, Andrey's time is getting shorter and his transition to an institution grows ever closer. More details and links for contributing to Andrey's adoption are located at reecesrainbow.org/andrey-s-14.

Reece's Rainbow advocates for children like Andrey through blogs, social networking, and word of mouth. In five short years, with the help of continued donations, the organization has found adoptive families for more than 500+ children with Down syndrome and other special needs around the world. More than $1 million in private donations has been disbursed in the form of adoption grants to make this possible.

Andrea Roberts, founder of Reece's Rainbow draws inspiration from her own experience raising her son Reece who has Down syndrome. Andrea feels that children with Down syndrome invoke reflection on the beauty and innocence that a child brings to the world and that they remind us that the image of God is not confined to our earthly definitions.

Reece's Rainbow is a registered 501(c)3 organization, is listed on the Great NonProfits website greatnonprofits.org/organizations/browse/search:reeces+rainbow, is a member of the Joint Council on International Children's Services, was the recipient of the 2010 Congressional Angel in Adoption Award, and was recognized People Magazine's Reader's Choice "Hero of the Year" for 2010.