Adopting Kai: Adjusting to ARM (anorectal malformation)
November 27, 2017
adopting a boy, adopting again, anorectal malformation, imperforate anus, neurogenic bowel and bladder, November 2017 Feature - Urogenital, Urogenital System
A while after our family adopted our daughter Hannah, we were touched by the face of a sweet boy who was living at China Little Flower in Beijing. After months of praying and searching, we were finally matched to this child that I had already fallen in love with. When we were able to read …Read More
November Special Needs Highlight (and Favorite Family Stories): Urogenital
November 2, 2017
ambiguous genitalia, anorectal malformation, bowel management, cloaca, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Disorder of Sexual Development, Favorite Family Stories, hypospadias, imperforate anus, incontinence, November 2017 Feature - Urogenital, undescended testicle, Urogenital System, VACTERL
The term special needs can sound scary. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Our goal at NHBO is to equip and inform parents – replacing fear with knowledge – as they navigate the beginning stages of special needs adoption. And then encourage and support those home with their special needs kiddos. We do …Read More
Living the Adventure I’d Never Imagined
November 1, 2017
adopting a boy, anorectal malformation, bowel management, imperforate anus, incontinence, November 2017 Feature - Urogenital, Urogenital System
After six years of back-and-forth between should we and shouldn’t we, we’re done and no, we’re definitely not done, we finally decided to adopt the boy we both always dreamed we’d have. I had it all figured out: now that China had lifted the no-cancer rule, we weren’t limited to aging out or more severe …Read More
The Scoop on Poop: All About Bowel Management
June 11, 2017
anorectal malformation, bowel management, cerebral palsy, cloaca, imperforate anus, incontinence, Jennifer B., lipomyelomeningocele, myelomeningocele, neurogenic bowel and bladder, recto vaginal fistula, spina bifida, Urogenital System, VACTERL
This post is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Poop is a daily topic of conversation in our home. After three years of being in the trenches, I can tell you more than you’d probably ever want to know about it, but it hasn’t …Read More
It’s Just Poop. Except It’s Not.
November 29, 2016
anorectal malformation, bowel management, imperforate anus, November 2016 Feature - Urogenital, Urogenital System, VACTERL
Has this ever happened to you? You’re scrolling through a list of sweet little Chinese faces and suddenly the photo of a completely adorable child jumps right off the screen at you! You read the profile, genuinely intrigued. Then you get to the medical need listed and you think, “I don’t know what that is, …Read More
In the Trenches
November 1, 2016
anorectal malformation, bowel management, bronchial deformity, Family Stories, imperforate anus, incontinence, November 2016 Feature - Urogenital, tracheo-malacia, tracheoesophagel fistula, Urogenital System, VACTERL
When my husband and I were researching the needs of our would be son, we turned to various physicians, websites, and blog posts in search of not only what the diagnosis was and what it would entail medically, but also what the day to day parenting for a child with his special needs would be …Read More
Older Children and Incontinence, a Family Story
November 29, 2015
bowel management, Family Stories, imperforate anus, incontinence, lipomyelomeningocele, November 2015 Feature - Urogenital, older child adoption, tethered cord, Urogenital System, VACTERL
Our adoption journey started with two infant adoptions from South Korea, in 2008 and 2010. Our first was a healthy baby boy; our second, a daughter with limb differences. When we considered adding to our family again, we decided to adopt an older child and looked into the China special needs program. We pondered the …Read More
Looking Beyond the Label
November 28, 2015
anorectal malformation, bowel management, Family Stories, imperforate anus, November 2015 Feature - Urogenital, Urogenital System
Gastrointestinal Issues. These two words changed our world and lives forever on December 2, 2012. My husband and I had poured over the list of special needs provided by the Waiting Child Program at our adoption agency and chosen those we felt we could handle emotionally, physically, and financially. Gastrointestinal issues was a special need …Read More
Nothing Else Mattered: FAQs About Anal Atresia
November 24, 2015
anorectal malformation, bowel management, cloaca, imperforate anus, incontinence, November 2015 Feature - Urogenital, recto vaginal fistula, Urogenital System, VACTERL
We saw her face. We fell in love. Nothing else mattered. My husband and I simply wanted to be parents and we knew in our hearts that our children were in China; we just had to go get them. Like most parents to be, we hoped and prayed that our children would be healthy. Our …Read More
Judah’s Perfect Puzzle
November 6, 2015
Family Stories, imperforate anus, November 2015 Feature - Urogenital, Urogenital System, VACTERL
The Lord’s idea of adventure and my idea of adventure are radically different. My adventure began with a dream of flying to China, bringing home a child, doting him with love, he’d love me in return and we’d skip down the Great Wall in fairytale fashion into our happy adoptive family life that would fit …Read More
And Our Family Tree Grew
November 1, 2015
bowel management, cloaca, Family Stories, imperforate anus, November 2015 Feature - Urogenital, Urogenital System
Once upon a time God planted a tiny seed in my heart. A seed for adoption. That fact that it grew at all is truly miraculous. You see, my son had just been born and was in the NICU where he was recovering from his first 2 of now 13 surgeries. He has Spina Bifida. …Read More
special need highlight: adopting a child with anal atresia
April 12, 2014
anorectal malformation, Family Stories, imperforate anus, Urogenital System
Until we decided to pursue a special needs adoption from China I had never heard of anal atresia (more commonly called imperforate anus or anorectal malformation in the US). My first introduction to the term was via the special needs medical checklist from our agency, and I can remember reading through the list with our …Read More
Annalise
February 5, 2009
anorectal malformation, Family Stories, imperforate anus, recto vaginal fistula, Urogenital System
By Paulette, mother to Annalise from China with anal rectal malformation From the day I decided to adopt from China I knew that my role in this adoption was bigger then just sitting on the NSN list and waiting for the perfect healthy baby to arrive. God had equipped me to have the knowledge and …Read More
Tessa
January 22, 2009
anorectal malformation, Family Stories, imperforate anus, Lifeline
By Diane, mom to Tessa from China with imperforate anus In October 2005, we were in the midst of our adoption paperwork for our daughter Tessa. We were with one agency, but I continued to check the special needs lists of other agencies. We knew that God had called us to a special needs adoption, …Read More
Kai
December 16, 2008
anorectal malformation, Family Stories, imperforate anus, VSD
By Heather, mom to Kai from China with anorectal malformation and VSD We began our adoption journey in May of 2005. We already had two beautiful, healthy children and decided the next child that joined our family would be a child without a mother and father. Like so many other families, we initially requested a …Read More