Benny's Village

Our family (Josh/Dad, Al/Mom, and Elspeth/Daughter) has spent the last several years navigating the ups and downs of adoption and settling in together as a family. While in the process of adopting and raising Elspeth, we were also quietly following the story of a now 12-year-old boy, Benny. Now that Elspeth is home, safe, and thriving, we finally have the opportunity to bring Benny home too.

Benny has spent all 12 years of his life in an institution. Like his future sister, Benny is blind and nonverbal. He also has cerebral palsy and several medical needs that simply cannot be met where he is now. We are determined to give him a life surrounded by love, stability, safety, nourishment, and access to the medical care, therapies, and educational resources he deserves.

Benny has waited a very long time for a family. With your help, we can finally bring him home.

Your generosity directly covers the essential costs required to complete his adoption: from the agency program fees ($27,000+), home study and post-adoption visits ($1,500–$2,600), and U.S. immigration and citizenship steps ($920–$1,400), to the translation, notarization, and preparation of every required document ($1,800–$3,000). It also supports our two mandatory trips to Bulgaria—airfare, meals, lodging, and transportation ($7,350–$11,150)—plus Benny’s visa, passport, and medical exam (about $350). Altogether, this journey will cost $42,495–$52,890, and every single donation brings us one step closer to holding Benny in our arms.

This time around, the financial strain is especially real. Our recent move to a new state (so that Elspeth, and ultimately Benny, can attend a remarkable school for blind children) came with major and ongoing expenses. It was the right move for our family, but it also stretched us thin. Delaying Benny's homecoming wasn’t an option; he needs a family now. And that means we need our village more than ever.

Your gift doesn’t just help us adopt Benny. It gives him the chance to grow, to heal, to be cherished, and to finally belong.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for helping us bring Benny home.