Giving “cred” to older adoptive parents is Meg Ryan, who last month adopted a baby girl from China. I am thrilled about this in a number of ways:



• I personally really like Meg Ryan and am a fan of her acting.
• She is 44 and is adopting for the first time.
• She wanted a girl and chose China as the country to adopt from.
• She makes a great statement about women who can conceive, but instead make a conscientious decision to adopt.
• She gives hope to prospective single mothers who would rather adopt than visit a sperm bank.



China is one of few countries where a single woman or “older” couple can adopt a healthy baby.

In the old days, adoption was the domain of the sad and “barren” and carried a stigma that is no longer prevalent. I am personally grateful to women with notoriety who CHOOSE to adopt, especially when they have biological children as well.

Angelina Jolie is another person shedding light on the plight of children waiting for homes around the world. She isn’t an “older” parent per se, but she has done much to bring the subject of adoption to a wide audience.

This is a country where the masses follow and emulate the “stars” and if those with fame can indirectly shed light on adoption, as they go about their lives, then there is hope that more prospective parents may choose to adopt rather than, or in addition to, having biological children.

I have heard it estimated that over 1 million baby girls are abandoned in China *each year* and that *maybe* 15,000 get adopted worldwide, Approximately 7000 came to the US last year. What happens to the ones who aren’t fortunate enough to be adopted? The majority die and those that live grow up and work in that same orphanage they were taken to the day they were found abandoned, usually the day of their birth. swell.

America is a generous country where we throw our wallets at hurricane, tsunami and 9/11 victims, yet most cannot make room in their hearts and homes for the most desperate victims of all; children...waiting... without love.