And the winner is….

Several months ago, Micah started writing an essay for a contest hosted by the American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program.  He doesn’t think that writing is his strong suit (he’d rather do math or science any day!), but he worked hard on the essay, spending 15-20 minutes or more on it each school day for a couple months.

His hard work paid off, and his essay was chosen as the First Place winner in his age category!  Here are some excerpts from the email correspondence we received from the director:

Congratulations! I am pleased and honored to inform you that, after reading over 600 essays in both categories, we have awarded your exceptional essay entitled “My Brother, Matthew” with first place in Category 1 of our 2017 pro-life essay contest!

…Micah, thank you for your enthusiasm and passion for protecting the least of these in our society! We are all very proud of your dedication to life and pray that God continues to bless you as you stand for His precious children, giving you courage, strength, and joy as you influence your generation to stand for life!

 And later, she wrote:

We were all so touched by Micah’s essay. Not only was it very well written, but he really has a great understanding of Christ’s teaching about the least of these. There were so many wonderful essays but his really stood out for many reasons. 

Thank you for all you and your family do to promote the Gospel of Life!

The very first thing Micah wanted to do with his prize money was to buy a gift for Matthew.  After that, he plans to give to the Church, buy a lego set for himself, then save the rest for college.  We are so very proud of him, his achievements, and the incredible young man he is becoming.

To read his prize-winning essay, visit:  www.prolifeessay.com

World Down Syndrome Day 3/21/13

March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day.  It’s a day to celebrate everyone who has been blessed by an extra chromosome, and we will hold our sweet Matthew extra close today (and probably give him ice cream!).

However, I’m afraid my heart is heavy tonight as I post this, after reading two more cases of abuse this week – one in a classroom, and one in a theater, with the latter resulting in the death of the victim, Robert Saylor.  These cases break my heart.  They are not the first, nor will they be the last.  There was Bede Vanderhorst, a 16yo who was not allowed to sit in First Class on an airline, even though he had a first class ticket. And little 7 year old Angie who was suffocated by her own teachers!  Then you have the state of Florida warehousing children with Down syndrome.  And, perhaps worst of all, their own mother’s womb is still the most dangerous place in the world for children with Down syndrome.

And yet, 3/21 is a day set aside to let the world know that people with Down syndrome are, indeed, special.  Not “special” in the way the word has come to be used as an insult, but rather truly precious, valued and loved individuals.  Robert Saylor’s mother said in one of her interviews that abuse is only a symptom of a greater disease – of people viewing our children as something of a lesser being.  it’s time to move beyond “awareness,” and onto acceptance.  We need the world to accept the full humanity of our children with Down syndrome.

And so, it is fitting that the IDSC has chosen “Who I Am” for the theme for this year’s video.  Let’s show the world who we are!

We Agree!

Little Lily Rice, you are just irresistible!

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

The International Down Syndrome Coalition For LIfe (www.idscforlife.org) has put together a photo campaign of irresistible little cuties.  Here are some of my favorites.

They are asking for pictures of kids with T21 to continue this project … any suggestions?  What picture of Matthew should I send, and what should the caption be?

Made with Love by the Hands of God

The following video was made by a nursing student as a presentation to his class.  It is beautiful, and perfect for October, as it is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

… and the student’s name was Micah.  I love it.

Mary Kay Proceeds to benefit Adoption!

Today is the last day for our giveaway to help the Henry family bring their daughters home!  Thank you to everyone who has helped!  I you haven’t had a chance to see all the great give-away items or make your donation yet, please visit their website by clicking here.

I also need to announce that my good friend, Theresa, has launched a Mary Kay sales event to help bring Gracie and her sister home!

Through midnight TODAY, She will donate 100% of the proceeds of any Mary Kay sales directly to World Links International Adoption Agency, in the name of the Henry Family.

After Friday, she will donate 50% of her profit through the end of July!

You can order through her website: MaryKay.com/LittleRedHen. Browse the website or download the latest catalog to your smartphone. MaryKay has award winning skincare products, amazing fragrances, a well-loved men’s line, and exciting color cosmetics including a wide range of foundation choices such as mineral powder and age-fighting liquid foundation made in two different formulas to suit unique skin types. Everything is backed with a full guarantee, even if it’s just a matter of the color not quite working for you. Theresa will even pay your shipping!

Go check it out: MaryKay.com/LittleRedHen

Featured Family Friday: Win a Kindle!

Want to WIN a Kindle from Amazon.com?

How about an emerald and diamond pendant?  A gift card to your favorite restaurant?  Lots of other great prizes, too!  Read to the end of this post, or visit http://familyblessingsthroughadoption.blogspot.com/ to find out how!

. . .

Because of this blog, several expectant parents have contacted me.  I consider it an honor to be able to talk with them, help however I can, and provide reassurance and hope – whether they are expecting a child with Down syndrome, heart defects, clubfeet, or other serious medical problems.

I don’t tell you about all of them … but I need to tell you what happened a couple months ago.

The mother who contacted me had just found out that the baby girl she was expecting had Down syndrome and a heart defect (complete AV canal).  She was not married to the baby’s father, and as soon as he heard the diagnosis, he left her.  She was afraid and alone.

After several heart-wrenching weeks and many conversations, the mother decided to do the most loving and self-less thing she ever could have done.  She put the needs of her sweet baby girl ahead of her own desires, and decided to find an adoptive family for her daughter.  But, through her tears, she asked me, “I love this baby so much, but is there anyone else who would want her?”

Yes, YES!!  There are LOTS of people who would love to have her!  Babies with Ds are usually not placed for adoption in the United States … they are aborted instead.  That’s why people have to go to Eastern Europe and pay huge fees to adopt these sweet angels!

Through the online Down syndrome community, I learned of Jacki Henry.  Jacki and her husband had been trying for over six years to adopt a baby girl with Down syndrome.  Their home-study was done, and they were paperwork ready and financially prepared for an adoption.  I put the two mothers in touch with each other, and only a few days later it was decided:  Jacki would finally adopt the daughter she’d prayed for and wanted for so many years.

It was, then, doubly heartbreaking when the precious baby girl was stillborn only a few weeks later.  Her little heart just wasn’t strong enough.  The Henry family and the birth mother both grieved the loss of their daughter.

. . .

Now, the Henrys have started the process of adopting TWO girls from Eastern Europe.

Meet “Graci.” She’s two years old, was born with cerebral palsy, and abandoned by her birth parents to an Eastern European orphanage.  As soon as the Henrys have enough funding, she will be home with her family, where she belongs.

The Henrys had also decided to adopt a girl they’d named “Rose,” who had Down syndrome, but have recently been informed that she is no longer available for adoption.  They are still searching for their daughter with Down syndrome.

I am helping Jacki with a fundraiser to help with the high cost of international adoption.  You can help right now by visiting her blog at Family Blessings Through Adoption.

If you make a donation to their adoption fund, you can enter to win some incredible raffle prizes, including an Amazon Kindle …

some beautiful jewelry:

a custom-made tutu dress made my Melanie’s mom … remember her?  They are actually in country right now to bring their little girl, who they will call Lucy, home.  This is Lucy’s big sister modeling one of the beautiful dresses.

There are lots of gift cards and other goodies, too!  Please go take a look!

The Henry family has waited so long for their girls … and the girls have been waiting for their family. The only obstacle now is money – and that’s where you can help.

If everyone who reads this gives just $5 or $10, they will be home in no time.

Thank you for your prayers and your generosity!

A Baby Named Beckett

About a month ago, I received this email:

I just felt compelled that I had to write to you…. I don’t know what I expect or maybe I don’t, but your story and that of your son Matthew has given me the only hope I can find.  We are currently expecting our 3rd son, and I am 20 weeks into the pregnancy.  We have had abnormal blood work, abnormal ultrasounds, cardiologist consults, you name it.  It seems we are probably looking at having a son with down syndrome, though we have had 2 unsuccessful amnio’s (my sac is not fusing with my uterus properly).  We have been informed he has a complete unbalanced AV canal defect, coarctation of the aorta with small stenotic aortic valves, and hypertrophic left heart (as Matthew had)… We found out 2 days ago that he also has bilateral club feet.  I am so overwhelmed and just feel that we are living his death sentence daily.  We will have continued fetal echocardiograms, but things look grim.  I am so blessed to have read your story to see that he might have a chance with prayer and miracles.  I pray that we are as fortunate as you, and wish you and yours the best life can offer…  Michelle

Since then, Michelle has kept me updated with emails, and we were even able to talk on the phone late one night.  She has given me permission to share her story with you, and is asking for your prayers for her family and baby Beckett.

I’ve talked with a lot of expectant parents since starting this blog, and am so grateful that Matthew’s story has offered hope to so many.  But, I’ve never heard a story that mirrors Matthew’s journey as closely as baby Beckett’s does.

Michelle is a pediatric nurse practitioner – well versed in the medical aspect of all of this.  (I now truly believe that God sent me to get my medical training for a very specific reason, who we named Matthew.)

They came to many of the same conclusions that we did at that point – comfort care, an unmonitored delivery without C-section, love him for as long as we have him … but let God decide when and how He takes this baby home.

But, just today, they received news that is so much like our 2nd visit to Seattle Children’s, it’s uncanny.  It’s the peculiar mix of good news and bad news that leaves parents reeling.  Beckett’s left ventricle has grown a little, making him a borderline, unknown case of whether it could be functional when he is born.  He also has a pesky valve flap that, if it doesn’t straighten out, will make a repair impossible.  They just have to let him grow, and wait and see.

For Michelle and her family, this means that instead of a comfort-care baby and delivery, they now face the scary possibility of C-section, surgical team, cardiac team, hospital ethics committee, etc etc.  It really turns everything upside-down.

For me, the remaining weeks of my pregnancy were the most difficult part of our journey with Matthew.  There’s a reason I never wrote “Chapter 5” of our whole story … it was just too hard.  It was a dark and difficult time, full of worries and unknowns.  Having a baby who is going to heaven sooner than you’d like is terrible – but so is having a baby who has to face multiple, risky painful hospitalizations and procedures.  And not knowing – or having to make that decision for your child – is something no parent should ever have to do.  During that dark time, I couldn’t even fathom a third option: a healthy, beautiful happy and delightful boy, who aced his way through only one heart surgery.

Please pray for Michelle, her husband, and baby Beckett.  Pray that they will have peace and clarity in all the decisions they will need to make, for strength in this difficult time.

If you want to leave them a note of encouragement, or let them know that your prayers are with their family, you can leave a comment here.  She’ll be reading this.

Wouldn’t it be Great if ….

How often do we say that?

And, wouldn’t it be great if those “ifs” came true?

Just over two weeks ago (… which, to be honest, seems like a lot longer to me), I wrote about a little girl named Lera.  She was facing a monumental obstacle – she needed $25,000 in her adoption account by the end of the month, and at that time, the account only had a little over $4,000 in it.

It seemed like such a huge obstacle.  Was there any way at all to raise that amount of money in such a short amount of time?  I have to admit, I had my doubts.

About a week later, with Lera’s situation weighing heavily on our hearts, my mom and I decided to put together a yard sale to help raise funds.  At that time, Lera’s account still had a looong way to go.  But my mom said, “Wouldn’t it be great if Lera’s account became fully funded, and we had some left-over that could help someone else, too?”

At the time I was thinking, “um … sure Mom.”  I was trying to have faith that the funds could be raised so quickly … but it was definitely a stretch for me.  Was there really any hope for Lera?

Over the next week, we watched her account grow and grow … leaps and bounds that we could hardly believe.  What an outpouring of love and generosity, from so many people!  I know that many of you helped, and “Thank you,” hardly seems like enough to say … but Thank You! This little girl … even though she is so far away … gripped all of our hearts and wouldn’t let go!

Well, if you visit Lera’s family blog, you will see an announcement from Cathy that Lera’s account is fully funded.  The announcement might be a little early, as the money isn’t actually in Lera’s account yet.  But, they have a promise of a large donation coming … and as long as it DOES come, Lera’s account will be full.

Or … at least close enough.  Lera’s mommy, Diane, just told me that even with the large donation coming, they will be about $300 short.

$300?

That’s all?  A measly $300?

We can do $300!  I’m sure of it!  People have already given us cash donations that put us well on our way.  I’m SURE that our yard sale on Saturday can raise at LEAST that much … with maybe some left over to help another family.

And, I don’t blame Cathy for being excited … after all,

Lera is coming home!

So, come by our house tomorrow, and buy some stuff to help us get that last, pesky $300.  What an honor it will be to send that last little bit to the Higbie family.

With God, ALL things are possible!

 

P.S.  Wouldn’t it be great if there was some left over to help another orphan? If there is, the funds will go to Alexander for the Taylor family … who was going to be our Featured Family for this Friday … but I got a little too excited about Lera coming home!  So, click on the link and read about little Alex.  I’ll let you know more about him later.

Today, we’re celebrating! Thank You, Lord, for bringing Lera the funds she needs to come home!  Thank You, Lord, for saving another beautiful child!

Why Lera? … and other questions

FAQs:

Why Lera?

“You can’t save them all, Amy.”  I know.  I wish I could.  But, we CAN save Lera.  She has a family.  Their adoption paperwork is all in order.  The ONLY thing standing between Lera dying in an institution, and her being raising in a loving family, is MONEY.  I can’t stand by and let her slip through the cracks … again.

Lera has lost too many families.  The Higbies have lost too many children. It’s time for everyone to have their “happily ever after,” with daily challenges that involve speech therapy and self-help skills instead of corrupt Russian agencies and threats of institutionalization.

Why a Yard Sale?

“I thought you hated yard sales.”  You’re right – I do.  But, both my mom and I felt like we are supposed to do this.  And, when I feel like God is knocking at the door of my heart, I’m afraid I can’t say ‘no.’  The day after we decided to do this, so many things fell into place … so many things lined up perfectly … that we knew we had to do it.  I can’t share everything publicly, but here are a couple examples:

-one of my mom’s co-workers shared that he is getting married this weekend (Congratulations!).  He and his bride are both well established, and he was really wondering what do do with all of their “stuff” when they combined households.  He said the timing of this was “providential,” and he would be bringing truck-loads of household items to our yard sale.  “And, it won’t be junk, either,” he said!

-I made little cards to hand out to friends and neighbors with information about the sale, asking for donations of items as well as cash for Lera’s fund.  The cards also have information about Lera, with her family’s website.  I can’t share a lot, but let’s just say I happened to have a card with me when I ran into someone who really needed to hear her story.

-People have offered to donate a lot of stuff – big stuff, like a dining room set, a refrigerator, a cook stove.  Heavens!  WE might have to buy the dining room set!

Also, I thought that I will have a bunch of the cards at the yard sale, and hand them out to anyone who is interested in Lera’s story.  It will reach a completely new demographic – people who have never heard of Lera, never thought of supporting an orphan with Down syndrome, and help a few more people know that children with an extra chromosome are wanted and valued.  Of course, the cards also have information about the fund-raising give-away, and how to make a cash donation!

And, I’ll be honest … when I ask my friends and neighbors to donate “stuff” to the yard sale, I’m also hoping they will make a cash donation to her fund. And, they do.  Because we live in a world with a lot of really wonderful people.  Already, as we tell people about what we’re doing, they say “I’ll bring some stuff by, and I’ll donate some money for her, too.”  Thank you, everyone.  Thank you.

And, this yard sale will be easy. Lots of people are bringing stuff, so I don’t have to gather tons of my own stuff.  We’re not pricing anything, because it’s all for charity – we’ll ask what people are willing to pay for the items they want, and go with it.

Now we need people to BUY STUFF!

Come by my place – Saturday, March 26th 8am-1pm.

After Lera, are you just going to ask us to donate to more orphans?

Maybe.  If I feel like God wants me to advocate for more orphans, I will.  You don’t have to support them all … but if God is knocking at the door of your heart to help Lera come home … or to help any of the other orphans come home … you’d better say yes!

The difference is that Lera’s family doesn’t have time to raise funds for her.  Most other adopting families spend a year or more doing their own fund-raising, applying for grants, and saving everything they can in order to afford the adoption. 

Most of the other orphans still have some time to raise funds and save.  Lera doesn’t.  If the Higbies don’t have $25,000 in their Reece’s Rainbow account by the end of the month, she’s lost to an institution.

How do you know this sob-story is legitimate?

There are scams out there, I know.  But, the Higbies are a dear friend-of-a-dear-friend of mine.  Additionally, all the funds that we donate will go into Lera’s Reece’s Rainbow account, which is a very reputable organization.  My mom and I both researched it well before we started making donations.  All of the money will go where it’s supposed to go – I promise!  If you don’t believe me, research Reece’s Rainbow for yourself!  I dare to you to find anything negative about it.

Additionally, a small percentage of each donation over $20 goes into Reece’s Rainbow’s General Fund – which helps provide education for birth families in Russia and Eastern Europe, working to help families get the knowledge and support they need to keep and raise their babies with Down syndrome, instead of placing them in the orphanage.  Ultimately, the goal is that kids like Lera will be raised and loved by their birth families instead of ending up in the orphanage to begin with.

So … When are you going to start fund-raising for your own adoption?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Visit our house for a day, and then ask me.  My 3 boys keep me pretty busy right now!  We are definitely open to more children in the future, though, and have even felt the tug of adoption … but just not yet. 🙂