Focus on the Family
Give 2X the Hope
Double your gift to rescue moms and babies from abortion!
DOUBLE YOUR GIFT!
Yes, double my gift to save twice the lives this Christmas!
$

After Roe, moms and babies are still at risk of abortion.
Give Hope!
DOUBLE YOUR GIFT

Yes, double my gift to save twice the lives this Christmas!
$
Search

Adoption Stories: Compelled to Help

Share:
The Stumbo family: Andy and Ellen
Courtesy of the Stumbo family

When our second daughter, Nichole, was born, she surprised us by showing up with an extra chromosome. The diagnosis of Down syndrome was the hardest thing that Andy and I had ever faced as parents. We loved her immediately, of course, but there were endless tears and questions about her future.

Nichole would not be defined by her Down syndrome. Her natural joy and gentleness opened our eyes to the beauty of children who are often seen as broken or incomplete. She was just the child we needed.

We soon learned of the many abandoned children with special needs. If not adopted by their fourth or fifth birthday, these children are sent to waste away at mental institutions. The thought of children being disposed of like old rags broke our hearts. Somehow, we had to help.

We intended to adopt another child with Down syndrome, but it was a little girl with cerebral palsy who stole our hearts.

We began the long, frustrating process of adopting from Ukraine. Waiting on government bureaucracy is not easy when you’re racing to adopt a child before her fourth birthday. But God directed our journey. Finally, we were told we could come pick up Nina.

We had created an imaginary portrait of Nina, based only on the photo we had. We were shocked at our first meeting. Nina seemed to have a mental disability along with her cerebral palsy. Could we handle her needs?

At first, Nina completely rejected me as a mother and would often ask for the orphanage workers. She would also seem to go into a trance when she felt insecure or overwhelmed. At night, she cried for two to three hours before falling asleep.

Other behaviors were difficult to understand. Nina would sometimes tie up her baby doll or scream when we buckled her into her car seat. As her English improved, Nina told us about how the orphanage workers would tie her to her crib when she misbehaved. While heartbreaking, this has helped us understand our daughter. We hold her close and reassure her of our love.

Before we met Nina, we felt like we loved her as much as our other children. But we needed to get to know the real Nina. Adoption is a process of falling in love, and falling in love is beautiful and difficult.

Sometimes, as Nina eats or plays with her sisters, Andy and I will look at each other with the realization that she really does belong. We face challenges every day, but through it all we witness a little girl finding great pleasure in having a family.

Focus on the Family’s Wait No More program prepares hearts and homes for kids in foster care – whether for a season or a lifetime. Everyone who feels called to foster, adopt or support a foster/adoptive family can get involved through our nationwide events and resources. Every day, we help kids in foster care experience the love of family, no matter how long they’ve waited. Learn more at WaitNoMore.org.

Dynamic CTA Template Below

Share:

About the Author

Read More About:

You May Also Like

Family photo of Kelly Rosati
Adoption

A Clear Calling

The Rosatis discovered there were plenty of kids in need of families right in their community.

Lincoln Knowles
Attachment & Bonding

A Foster Care Story: Love, Loss and Blessings

We now see that the pain of our infertility was an opportunity to hear and know and seek God more deeply, to experience His love for us, and to prepare us to pass that love on to our daughters.