Ellie

“I love art. I like building and making things like bird houses. I like horses and I’m really good with them. I have volunteered with horses and enjoy caring for them. I’m especially good with skittish horses and getting them used to people and being ridden.  They are graceful creatures. I like to go swimming and have  water balloon fights, splash pads, and slip and slides. I like to be outside doing things or doing my hair and nails. I prefer to be busy most of the time always doing something. I like taking photos of myself and the things around me. I also enjoy baking and cooking. I’m a bubbly person and am joyful. I’m very creative in how I solve problems. I’m funny.  I hate snakes and cannot be around them.

I prefer a family who looks like me. I don’t want to stand out and just want to be seen as a normal teen. I’m getting older and want to make my own choices and want parents who will support me learning to be independent. I’m open to any type of family. I once had 2 foster dads and I loved them.”

Ellie is a funny, creative, spontaneous, and active 14-year-old. She is resilient and has big dreams for her future. Even with the grief and loss that Ellie has experienced, she still has hope that there is an adoptive family out there made just for her. She is very much a survivor; despite being significantly let down by the adults in her life on an ongoing basis.

It will be important for an adoptive family to invest in learning about Ellie’s needs and best ways to support her throughout her life. Ellie has so much potential, and if given the right amount of support and nurturing, she can turn her big dreams into reality. She longs to feel that she belongs, but also struggles with trusting and becoming attached to the adults due to the trauma she has experienced.

Her team  believes that there is a family for Ellie. A family that understands the eternal impact of stepping into Ellie’s life and providing lifelong support because she is worth it. A family that won’t give up when times get tough. A family that can picture the future and see Ellie’s bright smile right beside them.