When you look at this picture, you might see, at first glance, a happy family of six: a mom and a dad, a grandma, three handsome sons.

But there is a story behind this picture. The couple here -- George and Luminita -- have made some brave choices to bring this household together.

The toddler in the photo is a 2-year-old boy named Sandel, who was born in Nasaud Hospital in the northern part of Romania . His birth mother had eight other children at home when Sandel was born with Down Syndrome. Because she felt she could not raise him properly, she abandoned to the care of the nurses when she left the hospital.

A few weeks later, Sandel was sent to Bistrita, where Romanian Children's Relief (RCR) and Fundatia Inocenti (FI) run award-winning programs helping institutionalized children to develop normally, and supporting new foster families. In the RCR/FI Child Life program, Sandel was a favorite of Maria Ciorba, assistant manager in the hospital program. Maria says she loved little Sandel, because “His personality is full of easy smiles and joyful play.”

When George and Luminita started to look into becoming Foster Parents earlier this year, they came to the Placement Center where Alexandra introduced them to Sandel. The young couple loved the little boy immediately, but Luminita was a little worried. Could she and George really be good parents to Sandel? Could they cope with all the problems associated with Downs Syndrome? RCR Psychologist Dora Moldovan and Assistant Manager, Alexandra Samartean assured Luminita that she would be a great foster mother for Sandel. They told her about the weekly home visits, training, material supports and physical and psychological therapy services that RCR and FI provides to Foster Families through the “Me & My Family Together” program.

After several visits with Sandel at the hospital, George and Luminita gradually became more comfortable with his special needs. When they brought Sandel home in October, it was a great joy for all. Alexandra gave them a Life Book full of photos and “favorites” and milestones from Sandel's months in the Placement Center .

After going through Foster Parent Training, with Maria as Sandel's “Maternal Assistant,” or Foster Mother, George decided to apply to become a Foster Parent as well. Soon they met the oldest boy in this picture, nine-year-old Dumitru. Dumitru is a very bright boy, with a neuromuscular disorder that prevents him from walking. Like Sandel, Dumitru was abandoned at birth. He was sent to the local Camin Spital, a hospital in Beclean for severely disabled children. When the local authorities (DPC) and RCR/FI started an initiative to take the children out of the handicapped hospital, George and Luminita went there and quickly noticed Dumitru, with his gentle manner.

Now George and Luminita's farmhouse in the village of Nimigea , is a very busy place. “Dinner is much more fun than before,” says 5-year-old Andrei, who is George and Luminita's biological son. Together with Grandma, Elena, they are now the loving, caring family that every child needs and deserves.

When Romanian Children's Relief began working in Romania in 1991, we knew foster families would eventually be a great alternative for the abandoned children in the country's beleaguered institutions. But we hardly dared to dream of stories like this for children like Sandel and Dumitru, whose lives are deeply effected by handicaps and disease. Because of the decisions made by couples like George and Luminita, and because of your generous contributions which pay for the skilled support these families need, the abandoned children of Romania are going home. All of them are going home.

So, if you looked at this picture and saw, at first glance, a happy family of six, you were right.