Put Me In, Coach! What One Girl In An Extra-Small Pink Jersey Taught Me About Being Fearless
June 1, 2018
a father's perspective, Dads, growth hormone deficiency, HIV, June 2018 Feature - Celebrating Dads, Mike, Perspectives
So excited to kick off our June Feature, Celebrating Dads, with a post by Mike, a previous (and greatly missed) regular contributor. Mike has written some of our most well-loved posts… if it’s a post that has you both laughing and crying, there’s a good chance Mike wrote it. You can read all Mike’s …Read More
HIV: The Undeserved Stigma
March 15, 2018
Family Stories, HIV, Infectious
Adopting a child with HIV was never on our family radar. In fact, it was so far “off” our radar when I first approached the subject with my very open-minded husband the reaction was an immediate absolutely not. Like so many other people that grew up in the 80s and 90s and learned about HIV …Read More
Living with HIV: From Medical Professionals
August 22, 2017
August 2017 Feature - Infectious, HIV, HIV Q and A, Infectious
As we see more and more HIV+ children become available for international adoption, we thought that it would be beneficial to hear first hand experience on parenting this need. So we asked prospective adoptive parents what they really wanted to know about having a child with HIV; then posed those questions to both adoptive parents …Read More
Living with HIV: From the Kids
August 17, 2017
August 2017 Feature - Infectious, HIV, HIV Q and A, Infectious
As we see more and more HIV+ children become available for international adoption, we thought that it would be beneficial to hear first hand experience on parenting this need. So we asked prospective adoptive parents what they really wanted to know about having a child with HIV; then posed those questions to both adoptive parents …Read More
Living with HIV: From the Parents
August 7, 2017
August 2017 Feature - Infectious, HIV, HIV Q and A, Infectious
As we see more and more HIV+ children become available for international adoption, we thought that it would be beneficial to hear first hand experience on parenting this need. So we asked prospective adoptive parents what they really wanted to know about having a child with HIV; then posed those questions to both adoptive parents …Read More
Lessons in Fatherhood
August 22, 2016
a father's perspective, August 2016 - Infectious, Dads, HIV, Infectious, TB testing, tuberculosis
While it seems like forever ago now, in reality it was only about three and a half years ago that my wife and I began praying about adoption…. Like all parents my wife and I had dreams of healthy babies, healthy incomes, and a healthy marriage. Well, after fifteen, almost sixteen, years of marriage we’ve …Read More
How HIV Changed My Life – For the Better
August 17, 2016
August 2016 - Infectious, Family Stories, HIV, Infectious
“Why would you want a child with HIV?” asked an employee from our daughter’s foster home. The question took me off guard. After all, she lived with and cared for people with HIV. Without skipping a beat, my husband spoke up, “Because she’s our daughter.” Three simple words. She’s our daughter. Words that echoed in …Read More
The Fear in Me: Adopting a Child with HIV
August 5, 2016
a father's perspective, August 2016 - Infectious, Dads, HIV, Infectious
I’m an accidental parent. To be more precise, I’m an accidental adoptive parent of two children with special needs. No, my two adoptive kiddos didn’t just show up one day in a basket with a note tied to it (although, I’m sure that would have cut down on paperwork and the timeline). But I never …Read More
She Had AIDS
December 1, 2015
adoption realities, HIV, Infectious
Today is widely known as World AIDS day and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. To join in this battle, we bring you a guest post from a mom who shares a glimpse …Read More
Our Family’s HIV story
August 13, 2015
August 2015 Feature - Infectious, Family Stories, HIV, Infectious
I had read a few blogs of people who had adopted HIV children from Africa and thought, “Wow. I could never do that. That sounds too hard.” Our hearts were lead to adopt for the third time from China. HIV was not even remotely on our radar because we had never heard of an HIV …Read More
“Easiest Special Need Ever”
August 1, 2015
August 2015 Feature - Infectious, Family Stories, HIV, Infectious
Continuing to spotlight different special needs each month, we just finished up a month of posts from moms parenting kids with craniofacial needs. This month we are focusing on infectious special needs: HIV, Hepatitis B, Syphilis and Tuberculosis. Grateful for each and every mom who shares so others might be encouraged to consider a special need that …Read More
Fighting for HIV+ Orphans
March 30, 2015
Family Stories, HIV, Infectious
I want to see HIV+ orphans adopted into forever families. I can’t say this was always a goal of mine, but God has a way of getting us to where He wants us to be. For my wife and I that journey started in January 2011, while we were living in Asia, and friends of …Read More
HIV: Stigma and Disclosure
January 23, 2015
guest post, HIV, Infectious, January 2015 Feature
Two of the biggest topics in the HIV adoption world are disclosure and stigma. They are very closely related. So let’s talk about them. Stigma can be defined as a stain on one’s reputation, or a mark of disgrace. HIV sure does have a blemish on its reputation. So much fear of how it is …Read More
Day 366: Trading “Likes” for Love
April 19, 2014
a father's perspective, HIV, Mike
It was just over one year ago that Anne and I returned home from China with Sam and Ellie. And as I reflect upon our time in China, I am struck by how much I treasure my memories from those first days together. I remember laughing at our first meal together when Sam and Ellie …Read More
Six Pills a Day: A Cure for My Ignorance Regarding HIV
March 19, 2014
a father's perspective, HIV, Mike
Mike is dad to six. Two of his children, adopted from China, have HIV. Today he shares from-the-heart about their journey. You can read a previous post he shared here. Growing up in the Midwest in the 80s, my picture of HIV was framed by after-school specials, the evening news, and MTV. I had never …Read More
jailed
June 15, 2013
HIV, Jean
I remember seeing him on my friend’s blog. I emailed her about him and asked a couple questions. She gave me the information she had on him… And then she gave me a link… Which changed everything… I felt like a boy was waiting somewhere in China for us and I wondered if this was …Read More
How Magic Johnson Became My New Favorite Basketball Player
March 12, 2013
a father's perspective, HIV, Mike
— A guest post by dad-to-six Mike Jutt who is currently in China bringing home his twins! “This is going to be the most shocking phone call of your life…” Those are the first 13 words Anne said to me when I answered the phone at work that afternoon. But it was the next three …Read More