Lucia from European Union

Lucia was born in July 2007. She has been diagnosed with epilepsy, for which she takes medication, and an unspecified congenital malformation syndrome, predominantly affecting facial appearance. For the first 7 years of her life, Lucia lived with her biological parents where she endured abuse and neglect. She has spent time with a foster family but currently lives in an orphanage. Update March 2022: Lucia is an active teen who is doing well physically and has slight developmental delays. She continues to take medicine for epilepsy and has been seizure-free for two years. Lucia attends a mainstream school where she works with a resource teacher, but information about her academic achievement is inconsistent. She appears to struggle with the curriculum, but can read, write, and perform basic math operations. Her self-help skills are developed, but she needs reminders to follow through. Lucia is a highly emotional girl who can exhibit a lot of anxiety as well as exuberance. Due to her personal history, she shows indiscriminate affection, has low self-esteem, seeks attention – especially from the opposite gender - and from time to time exhibits self-injurious behavior. She has a strong need to be liked and receive approval from others but struggles to maintain wholesome, lasting relationships. Specialists are working with her intensively to improve emotional stability and socially appropriate behavior as well as guide her into making healthy choices for herself. Lucia likes to wear make-up and jewelry, watch soap operas, complete puzzles, and draw, but isn’t afraid to kick a ball with the boys and participate in basketball and volleyball where she showcases her coordination and precise, intentional movements. She’s a good swimmer and likes attending summer camps. Lucia has a sweet tooth, but her favorite meals are savory rice-based dishes. She is fond of animals and likes flower gardening and would like to work in early childhood education when she grows up. Lucia is open to being adopted and expects that she will adjust quickly in a new home. A family interested in adopting Lucia must be prepared for the lasting impact of developmental/complex trauma and be able to provide the professional resources needed to help Lucia thrive and heal. 2018: Lucia is a bright and friendly girl with well-developed short term and long-term memory, a vivid imagination, and good concentration and focus. She follows the rules and understands the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Lucia willingly initiates contact with others, communicates well with proper articulation, and loves affection. Lucia strives to always be the center of attention and will do whatever she can to keep the focus on her. She enjoys play, cooperates in group games, and likes to take care of children who are younger than she is. Lucia’s peers often ridicule her, unfortunately, and she struggles to make friends. She loves to draw and color, solve puzzles, sing, dance, and watch TV. Lucia reads and writes well, loves books, and retells stories accurately and with emotion. She has some difficulty acquiring new material and receives support from a resource teacher in 4th grade. She also works with a psychologist who is helping her process her personal history. Lucia maintains her hygiene with prompting from adults. Lucia expresses a clear desire to be adopted. She needs an experienced family who can offer her safety, acceptance, love, and the resources needed to overcome her traumatic history.