GINA

Two passions guide Gina’s young life. First of all, she’s a devoted Christian who loves going to church. On her “All About Me” form, Gina lists attending church as one of her favorite things to do on weekends and one of the things she wants to do with her future forever family. “Gina’s faith is a major source of her identity,” says her worker. “She is involved in church and loves to talk about it.” Then there’s the performing artist in her. Gina enjoys taking to the dance floor and showcasing her skill at the river dance. Her interest in traveling to the one destination she most wants to visit blends Gina’s passion for the river dance and for her faith. She really wants to travel to Ireland to see the Rend Collective, a spiritual musical group who delivers the energetic sound most people associate with Ireland. “Gina would want people to know that she loves God and loves everything having to do with Ireland,” says her worker. When she talks about her future, Gina is just as passionate about a possible career. Gina says she wants to become an abuse or crisis counselor. She also wants to become a doctor so she can help deliver babies. To accomplish her goals, Gina knows she’ll need to attend college, which is on her wish list. She also wishes to get baptized. In addition to faith, music and dance, Gina’s other interests include playing soccer and spending time with friends. When asked to describe herself, Gina uses words such as “goofy” and “weird.” However, her worker says Gina is a sweet, loving girl who’s very considerate of others.

“Gina is working on forming healthy attachments,” says her worker. Gina has experienced trauma and receives services to help her process her past. “Gina has little behavioral issues,” her worker says, who adds that Gina has a good sense of humor and “loves to laugh and be silly.”

Gina would do well with a single mother or two parents who have experience parenting teens. Her new parents will benefit from knowledge of the impact of trauma on a child’s behavior and development. They also will need to teach Gina appropriate boundaries. Since Gina gets along well with other children, it doesn’t matter if she’s the oldest or youngest in the home. “Gina has stated that she would like to have sisters around her age,” her worker says. Because she’s a devout Christian, a family who shares her faith is preferred. Finally, Gina has stated a preference for a family with pets, especially a pug.

For more information, contact the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange at 800-589-6273.