Tim Tebow Foundation helps woman adopt abandoned boy from China

Jardine Malado Monday, December 26, 2016

Christine Mullican and Alex appear in a screen capture of a video released by the Tim Tebow Foundation | YouTube/timtebowfoundation

A 4-year-old deaf boy who was abandoned at a train station in China has found a new home in America with the help of the Tim Tebow Foundation.

The boy, who was since been named Alex, was adopted by Christine Mullican with the financial assistance of the foundation, Life News reported.

"I've always wanted to adopt. I just knew that's how I wanted to build my family," said Mullican.

She said that she was captivated by the boy's story when she saw his photo and read about his circumstances in an email.

"So I knew right then who our son was and that's when we started all our paperwork," she said.

However, her dream of adopting Alex fell apart when her husband died suddenly of pulmonary embolism. Her husband's unexpected death and the resulting financial struggles required her to seek help in adopting the boy.

She soon learned about the Tim Tebow Foundation, which offers grants to families who are seeking to adopt children with special needs. With the foundation's help, she was able to meet with Alex in China.

"I had pictured the day of us meeting. He was there, most unhappy looking little boy you have ever seen ... scared," she recalled. She said that Alex began to open up and smile when she took him to a playground.

Alex was able to hear for the first time after the foundation provided additional funding for his medical tests and treatment.

The Tim Tebow Foundation was first launched in the Philippines where the former football star was born. It provides international outreach, food, shelter, and resources to orphans in need. The foundation has already offered 56 adoption grants that helped 44 orphans find a new home.

Mullican said there are very few opportunities for deaf people in China, and the situation is even more dismal for deaf orphans.

Chinese authorities have estimated that 98 percent of abandoned children have disabilities. There are about 576,000 orphans in China, but only around 100,000 are in full-time care of the state, according to The Globe and Mail.