Georgia couple works to bring Taiwanese orphan with Down syndrome into their family

From The Dahlonega Nugget in Georgia:

A three-year-old Taiwanese orphan by the name of Grace (pictured) currently has a happy home waiting for her in Lumpkin County.

She just doesn't know it yet.

This is something Chris and Angela Gamble would like to change.

“We hope to bring Grace home,” said Chris Gamble prior to the fittingly named Bring Grace Home Walk-a-thon last Thursday.

The effort is part of a grassroots fundraiser, spearheaded by Lumpkin's local home school families, with the sole mission of helping to fund the steep adoption fees that will be needed to save Grace.

The grand total stands at $17,000, of which the Gamble's have raised close to $12,000.

“It's s all just different fees,” said Angela Gamble. “Small fees and big fees. ... We've applied for grants too.”

Now a remaining dollar amount of about $5,500 is all that stands between bringing home the toddler who has spent her entire life in an orphanage.

Yet the clock is ticking. Since Grace has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome, she in danger of being institutionalized in July.

“In Taiwan if a child with Down Syndrome is not adopted by the age of four they'll transfer them to a mental institution for the rest of their life,” said Angela. “It's very sad.”

This is something the Gambles will not tolerate.

Chris and Angela have three healthy children of their own, However, in 2007 they lost their stillborn son Elijah. It was a tragedy that awakened them to a new cause.

“God gently led us into orphan ministry,” said Angela. “Our desire is to fulfill that specific purpose for our lives. Out of the pain of losing a child, our lives are being poured into ministering to children who have lost their parents.”

The Gamble's learned about Grace on www.reecesrainbow.com, a Web site that specializes in finding homes for orphans with Down Syndrome.

It was here that a pressing need was revealed to the Gambles. In fact, even as they fight to adopt one child, Angela pointed that other adoptive parents are needed for children like Ruslana, a fellow orphan who is also facing institutionalization.

Throughout this process, the Gambles had much help from their friends. On Thursday afternoon, dozens of local home school families showed up at Yahoola Creek Park to walk a mile for Grace.

After all was said and done they had raised a total of $1,700.

“Everyone just asked their relatives and friends and neighbors to donate. And they took Grace's picture with them,” said Angela with a laugh. “They couldn't say no to Grace's picture.”