A family from Edmonton, Canada is pushing to adopt ZiYa, a blind 13-year-old who has been an orphan since she was only three months old.

The teenager reportedly suffers from Corneal Macula Dystrophy and Nanophthalmos, a congenital eye disease that leads to blindness due to the smallness of the eye structure. Teachers of ZiYe in the orphanage has described her as smart and sensitive, saying she has the passion for drawing and technology.

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David Ream, the man who wants to adopt the teenager together with his wife Helen, said they are rushing to complete the adoption process since Chinese law states that it is legal to adopt a child only if he or she is under 14. ZiYe will be turning that age by February 14 this year.

This is not the first time that the couple would adopt a child from China as they already took a 23-month-old child named Chen Min under their care in 2011. They were no longer looking to adopt anyone until Helen saw the photo of ZiYe at an American adoption website.

"The one thing that really motivated us is, what kind of a life would she have in China if she were to stay?" said David. "That would be fraught with uncertainty."

The adoption process takes at least two years in China and David noted that they have to get all the paperwork done in just a couple of months. They also had to ask for help for the funding as taking ZiYe from China to Edmonton, Canada would cost around US$27,000.

The couple was able to complete the paperwork and was able to raise at least half of the needed money. As of now, they are still awaiting the final approval from the Chinese government.

TagsCanadian family, ZiYe, blind teen, Adoption, David Ream, Helen Ream