Posts Tagged ‘adoption’
Against All Odds: From NICU to Buying His First Car
I don’t even know where to start with all of my emotions. I’m beyond proud of the amazing young man my son, TJ has become. He has overcome so many struggles and obstacles to get where he is today. I brought TJ home from the hospital 27 years ago. He was 4 1/2 months old and finally big and strong enough to leave the NICU. He was born at 25 weeks and just under two pounds. He had a tracheostomy placed at 3 1/2 months to wean off the ventilator,…
Read MoreEight Years Ago an Angel Gave Birth to My Daughter
I have been her mom for around 2,920 days, add a couple extra for the leap years. I have provided comfort and care, lessons again and again, and I have offered absolutely nothing as much as I have given love, acceptance, and gratitude. The honor to be hers is mine, and it’s by no small miracle that she made it to me. Eight years ago today, I was in the delivery room as an angel gave birth to my girl. Within our first moment together, I knew I was everything…
Read MoreThe Journey We Didn’t Expect
We sat in this room the night before you arrived. We were scared, terrified, really. I got a call that morning saying the state of Louisiana had a little 3-year-old boy who was nonverbal in the foster care system. Do you want this placement, Mrs. Marler? She asked! I instantly said YES!! I called my husband immediately, telling him the good news. He was so excited until the moment I said this little three-year-old boy is nonverbal and might have autism. The phone went silent. My husband and I both…
Read MoreThe Question I Get Asked as a Special Needs Mom
The number one question I get asked is, do you want more kids? It’s a very tricky subject. It’s something that I struggle with daily if I’m being honest, something I’ve intensely prayed about. I’ve always loved the idea of a bunch of kids running around. Ever since I was a little girl I wanted six kids. I wanted to adopt two and birth four. I didn’t grow up wanting to be a foster parent. Actually, that desire didn’t come until much later in life. But God opened that door…
Read MoreAutism Saved My Son’s Life
I first met my son when he was 11. It was in a group session I had been invited to as a teacher because I would be getting the kids the following year. It was a chance to meet everyone and for the group to get to know me. I was immediately drawn to one student because he certainly had a lot to say! I quickly learned that he was in foster care and that he had a twin brother who was also in group with us. One talked, one…
Read MoreDad adopts girl with Down syndrome who was rejected by 20 families
Long before I became a mother I attended a lunch-and-learn about adoption. At the time I worked for an amazing social services organization as a Project Manager. They also offered adoption services. I loved kids. I wanted to learn more. I also wanted lunch. As I sat there I learned about the insane costs and time that goes into adopting a child. Story after story of parents fighting for babies. The exhausting and emotional process was laid out for us. I learned that everyone wanted a baby. I learned that…
Read MoreUnexpected Spectrum
When my wife Tammy and I met, we had four children between us; two from her first marriage, and two from mine. After a few years of being married we became like any other couple. We talked about having a child. We had yours and mine, and now we wanted the ours. Tammy, having her tubes tied after her second child, made it a little more difficult to get what we wanted. We could choose the surgery route to reverse her previous procedure, which costs a lot of money with…
Read MoreThis Life of Autism
Dear Chloe Elizabeth, From the time I was old enough to dream about what I wanted to be when I “grew up,” I dreamt about being a mommy. A year after your Daddy and I married, we knew that starting our family was going to harder than what people made it seem. After two years of fertility treatments, many doctors appointments, medications, needles, tears, and prayers we stopped trying. We were broken. Mentally, physically, financially, and spiritually. A few months later the desire we had for a family was still…
Read MoreMy Daughter; Living Her Own Life
Tess came into our life in March 1999. She is part of a big family that lived in Africa. In 1999, Tess’s mum and dad were killed. The circumstances are not important. What is important is that in the blink of an eye, Tess lost her mum and dad and, after coming to live with us in England a few months later, her home, school, friends and country. Her world. Tess was 12 at the time. The loss was doubly confusing because she wasn’t able to comprehend what had happened.…
Read MoreAdopting Autism: The Ups and Downs
I have two kids; a two-year-old little girl and a 14-year-old stepson. My Stepson has autism. His name is Corey. Corey is on the moderate side of the spectrum. Corey’s mother passed away two years ago; I’m the closest thing to a mother he’ll ever have. Adopting Autism I guess I’m kind of jealous of his mom. From everything I know, she was an amazing, one-of-a-kind woman. I could never fill her size-11 shoes. But I try every day. I try to memorize the acronyms for all his different doctors…
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