Jacob runs to the door with a big smile on his face.
While still shy around strangers, his mother's legs offer him the confidence to greet newcomers to his new home.
Jacob is a 2-year-old from Hong Kong who is blessed with a new family to help him navigate life with Down syndrome.
Don and Rosie Mann, of Manheim Township, adopted Jacob into their existing family of four after their older daughter, Emily, 13, suggested opening their home to a child with special needs.
"I've always been a strong proponent for service," said Rosie, a former nurse. And Emily, through her volunteer work with Schreiber Pediatric Rehab Center of Lancaster County, fell in love with working with children with special needs.
Initially, Don and Rosie dismissed the idea. But after Emily brought it up a few more times, the couple thought and prayed about the possibility. Rosie said that while they were thinking about it, she ventured online and found Bethany Christian Services of Central Pennsylvania.
"They have Children of Promise [children with special needs]. I found Jacob there and something about him stuck with me," she said. "Then I found out Bethany is right up the street. It was a sign for me and I have never regretted it for a second."
Bethany Christian Services, 1689 Crown Ave., defines children with special needs as those with medical, physical or cognitive issues, as well as older children, said Gail Rittenhouse, executive director.
Down syndrome, Rosie said, is a genetic disorder that predisposes children to mental retardation, low muscle tone and other medical problems. Most have distinctive facial features.
According to the March of Dimes Web site, Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that affects one in 800 babies.
Adoption, Rittenhouse said, "allows children to grow healthy.
"This is part of what the Mann family believes in. It's in their hearts," she said. "Adoption is an absolute gift. The birth mother chooses to give life and then chooses to give parents," she said.
The Manns, including Erika, 10, are so moved by Jacob's presence that they are opening their home to a second child, Ian. Rosie is hoping to go back to Hong Kong this month to bring him home.
The Hong Kong adoption program is separate from that in China, she said. The Mother's Choice orphanage houses mostly boys, and most have Down syndrome.
"I can't wait to have two of them," the energetic Rosie said. "I made the decision not to work anymore and it's the best decision I ever made."
Jacob was placed for adoption because his family felt they didn't have the resources to care for him, said Don, while playing with his new son. Don is director of secondary education for Conestoga Valley School District.
Ian's parents are separated because his mother lives in mainland China and his father is in Hong Kong. "She needs a visa to be with him and she can't get it," he said. "So she felt she couldn't care for Ian."
The family, including Rosie's sister, husband and two children, traveled to Hong Kong to pick Jacob up. "I don't think they ever had eight people come to pick up a child before," Rosie said with a chuckle. "Bethany was so good about arranging everything for all of us."
At first, the tot, who understood only Chinese, slept a lot, she said. "He was so quiet and he didn't cry. Then, all of a sudden, he blossomed." Jacob has good receptive language, but only says the word "home" right now. "It's a little hard to determine what his potential will be," she said, "but he has been getting therapy from the start."
Rosie said the people at Mother's Choice do a great job working with the children. "They also work on attachment so the children can attach when they find a family," she said.
Ian, she said, has more medical problems than Jacob, who had a hole in his heart that spontaneously closed. Ian's hole won't close on its own so he will need surgery. He also has some hip problems, she said.
The family met Ian when they picked up Jacob. "I have a picture of Jacob saying goodbye to Ian. That was before we knew we were going to adopt him," she said.
"People say you take away from your children when you adopt. It's the opposite. Jacob is such a gift we decided we needed another one," she said.
"I can't imagine us not having done this. He's filled our hearts so much."
Cris Foehlinger is a staff writer for the Sunday News. Her e-mail address is cfoehlinger@lnpnews.com.
