Photolisting Profile for Shirell

Shirell is a 11-year-old girl from Oregon who is hoping to be adopted.

Shirell says she’s half girlie/girl and half tom-boy. She can climb and tumble on the jungle gym with the best of them, but she loves delicate jewelry and barrettes for her hair, too. She is pretty and bright, and likes the attention of adults, which she gains as a “people pleaser.”

Shirell was born with a tethered spine which was surgically corrected right after birth. She requires yearly check-ups and can not play full-contact sports, but no other surgeries are expected in her future. She sometimes sounds a lot older than 10, when she says “all the adoptive parents should know that a medical condition might cause enuresis, and sometimes it can’t be helped,” or when she casually mentions a “cross dresser” she knew, who she thought was very funny.

Shirell has lived in seven foster homes and would like to be adopted by a two-parent family, preferably with a baby. Shirell loves babies and talks about being a mother and a nurse to the point of distraction. She has six siblings, who are all in different homes. Her youngest sibling was just born after she was first placed in care and she has never lived with him.

Shirell receives counseling and medication to help her deal with past traumas, the grief of losing her birth family, and other challenges she faces. She needs a family that is willing to continue to support her in dealing with those challenges. She has also been on an Individual Education Plan to help her focus on her schoolwork. She is currently above grade level in reading, but still struggles with math, telling time and writing.

Shirell is a sweet and engaging young lady who will blossom with the committed care of an emotionally mature and stable parent(s). A family who can accept her bond with her birth family and help her through the grief and loss, without shame. A family who is emotionally strong enough to wade through Shirell’s confused loyalties, and give her the time and attention she needs to bond with an adoptive family.

Photo(s) Courtesy of www.afamilyforeverychild.org