Coeur d'Alene couple adopts Bulgarian girl with Down syndrome

POST FALLS — Amy Marlow knew a long time ago that she wanted to adopt a child.

But not just any child.

"I’ve always wanted to adopt a baby with Down syndrome,” Marlow said Saturday evening, seated at her parents' kitchen table in their Post Falls home. “My brother has special needs, that was the biggest motivator. My brother is the most amazing human being on this earth. Growing up, I wanted a child that’s as amazing as my brother.”

Amy would go online and spend hours exploring Reece's Rainbow, a website dedicated to finding homes for Down syndrome children from all over the world.

"I would go on that website and dream, basically,” she said.

That dream finally came true for Amy, 26, and her husband, Justin, 27. On Thursday, the Coeur d'Alene couple brought their new daughter, Melissa Vaya, to her forever home.

“It was extremely emotional, we were so excited,” said Amy's dad, "Papa" Kevin Daley.

More than 30 friends and family members were waiting at the airport with signs and wearing T-Shirts with Melissa's picture on them, with the words "We love you Mellie" above the image of her smiling face.

“It was amazing, it was truly amazing. Our son, Andrew, and my wife, the grandma, they were beside themselves just hysterically crying," Daley said, his voice breaking with emotion as he spoke of meeting his first granddaughter for the first time. “It’s amazing that these guys would take on this endeavor. In my opinion, they rescued her.”

The Marlows found Melissa on Reece's Rainbow.org a year ago and instantly fell in love.

“My husband saw her picture on Reece’s Rainbow and she had a mohawk that just stuck straight up, and we instantly felt a connection to her,” Amy said, smiling. “We were like, ‘That’s our baby.’”

Melissa, now 2 1/2, was in foster care in her homeland of Bulgaria, which added another level of challenge and urgency to Amy and Justin's adoption journey. Amy explained that children with Down syndrome and other special needs are often placed in orphanages in countries like Bulgaria because special needs people don't really have a place in society; their quality of life is generally dismal and their futures are grim.

“The orphanages (in Bulgaria) are pretty terrible and kids starve to death there,” Amy said. “Especially kids with Down syndrome. Once they age out, they get placed in institutions where they are basically left to die.”

Once they knew Melissa would be their daughter, they began the process of international adoption. They contacted Reece's Rainbow, filed endless paperwork, began a relationship with Melissa's foster family and raised as much money as they could. Justin said from start to finish, the adoption process has cost them more than $35,000.

“It’s like a brand new car,” he said.

But the cost didn't deter them. With help from Amy's parents and every possible resource they could find, the Marlows made it happen.

“A lot of people are scared to adopt because of the cost,” Amy said. “Don’t let the cost stop you. You will come up with the money somehow. If people put a ton of effort into fundraising, they can come up with the money."

The new parents are elated to have their baby girl, still in a bit of shock that their daughter is finally home. They are teaching her American Sign Language and English to help her adjust to her new culture. She already knows several ASL signs and is quickly picking up English. Her doting family is overjoyed to welcome the sweet, sassy little girl into their hearts — she is a natural addition to their happy home.

"She chose us," Amy said. "If she had been from America, we would have adopted her, we just chose her cute little picture.

"When it's meant to be, it's meant to be."

Justin and Amy's experience has educated them and helped them realize just how many kids, especially those with special needs, are in desperate need of loving homes.

"When you see it in real life, it breaks your heart," Justin said.

The Marlows plan to have more children in the future to give Melissa siblings to love and grow up with. For now, they are celebrating their first child, celebrating what makes her unique and celebrating this new chapter in their lives.

"We have a feeling that she's going to be super high-functioning to where eventually, we can picture her being a lot more independent than we're going to be ready for," Justin said, smiling at his daughter as she wandered around Grandma and Papa's kitchen. "We're going to want to baby her and she's going to want to do her own thing ... we definitely know that she's smart, sassy and determined."

Amy said she wants people to know that children with Down syndrome and special needs are blessings, not burdens.

"We chose to adopt a baby with Down syndrome on purpose because they're so amazing," she said. "It's not something to be feared. We sought it out ... I would love for this story to educate about how amazing they are and maybe if we saved one baby's life with Down syndrome, then I think it will be worth it. They really are a blessing.

"Our hopes are whatever she dreams and wants to do with her life, we want her to do," Amy continued. "There's nothing stopping her except herself. She can do anything she wants to do."