Zaria from European Union

Zaria was born with third degree prematurity in March 2017. She is blind due to background retinopathy (ROP degree V of both eyes) and total retinal detachment in both eyes. Her congenital syphilis has been successful treated. Zaria’s development is increasingly delayed. Zaria can sit and stand unassisted and is able to walk some steps without support but does not feel secure enough in her environment to venture far. She holds objects placed in her hands and explores them primarily with her mouth. Zaria babbles a variety of sounds but has no meaningful speech at this time. She carries out simple instructions, such as give me or take it. Her senses of hearing and smell are well-developed. Zaria prefers sweet pureed foods which she eats with assistance from a spoon. She does not chew or finger feed. She is not potty-trained and requires help with all tasks of daily living. After spending her first years at one of her country’s largest orphanages, Zaria was transferred to a smaller group home at the end of 2020. Unfortunately, she does not have access to therapies and interventions in this setting and has been deeply affected by the transition she has experienced. She is leery of strangers, new places and any changes. While Zaria can show positive emotions in response to music or familiar adults, she spends most of her time feeling anxious and restless. She tends to throw tantrums when scared or displeased and is perpetually startled by loud noises from other residents at the center. For this reason, Zaria remains isolated in a crib during most hours of the day. Zaria can be soothed by physical touch or other interactions with preferred caretakers. A family for Zaria must be prepared to meet her complex, evolving, lifelong needs.