Lessons from Rudolph
December 23, 2019
adopting a boy, China trip, Christmas, limb difference, Orthopedic
Being a family of faith, we try to find most of the stories we tell and lessons we teach to our children this time of year from the Bible where the Christmas story is found. But we do own and enjoy a copy of the Limited Keepsake Edition of the Original Christmas Classics, including Rudolph the …Read More
A Tale of Two Limb Differences
June 17, 2019
adopting a boy, Education, Family Stories, IEP, June 2019 Feature - Orthopedic, limb difference, occupational therapy, Orthopedic, radial aplasia, radial club hand
Limb difference was one of the boxes we checked for our first China adoption in 2013. So when we received our son’s file, it was relatively easy to say yes. Our soon-to-be son, at 10 months of age, was the youngest child on the shared list that day. We were open to a boy or …Read More
How Grateful Are We: The Gift of Adoption
December 2, 2018
arthrogryposis, clubfoot, December 2018 Feature - The Gift of Adoption, Family Stories, limb difference, Orthopedic
This morning at 8 AM…. My little girl and I… together rocking in a chair. Her tiny little body cozy against mine, her head confidently against my chest, her breath in the same rhythm as mine, both enjoying this very precious moment. Mother and daughter…. united in a harmony that I couldn’t imagine before. Life …Read More
Ten Fingers. Five Toes.
July 21, 2018
adopting a boy, adopting two at once, amniotic band syndrome, amputation, June 2018 Feature - Orthopedic, limb difference, missing arm/leg, Orthopedic, prosthetics
It’s summer, and time to celebrate one of my very favorite days… my “youngest little’s” birthday! I am the mama to four amazing, yet very different boys, and I relish celebrating everything about these sweet souls. Especially this little guy – Johnny. This is Johnny-Cake’s second birthday home, and I am forever humbled that God …Read More
Joke’s on Me: Fibular Hemimelia
June 21, 2018
AFO, Family Stories, fibular hemimelia, June 2018 Feature - Orthopedic, leg length discrepancy, limb difference, medical trauma, Orthopedic, referral, should we adopt?, surgery, trauma, waiting for referral
If you have adopted, you know the overwhelming process of filling out the medical needs checklist (MCC). For those that haven’t, this is a piece of paper with a wide range list of medical needs, each having little boxes beside them, and your job is to check the ones you are open to within adoption. …Read More
“It’s Just the Way God Made Me”
September 11, 2017
amputation, Education, limb difference, missing fingers/toes, Orthopedic, prosthetics, public school, September 2017 Feature - Visible Special Needs, visible special need
Anna Grace is five years old. She loves all things Disney and princesses. Her favorite outings are to the zoo, museum, or playground. She takes dance class and swimming lessons. When she grows up, she wants to be a doctor, dance teacher, singer, or dog trainer. She loves playing outside with her friends, especially if …Read More
Seeing Things Differently
September 9, 2017
BAHA, Craniofacial, Family Stories, hearing loss, limb difference, microtia, Orthopedic, Sensory System, September 2017 Feature - Visible Special Needs, visible special need
Recently someone reached out to ask what I would tell a group of Boy Scouts if I could speak to them as a special needs mom. This friend, who works everyday as a speech therapist, had been invited to speak to a local Boy Scout troop about interacting with children with special needs. Upon reading …Read More
I Can’t is Not in Our Vocabulary
July 4, 2017
Family Stories, June 2017 Feature - Orthopedic, limb difference, Orthopedic, reluctant husband, should we adopt?
I can’t. Such a short phrase can carry so much defeat behind it. It’s a phrase that I was sure we would hear often when my husband and I were called to adopt a child with a limb difference. So many questions and emotions ran through my mind the day that I stared at our …Read More
Your Hand Fits Perfectly in Mine
June 30, 2017
ectrodactyly, June 2017 Feature - Orthopedic, limb difference, medical needs checklist, missing fingers/toes, Orthopedic
I can remember wanting to adopt for a long time — specifically wanting to adopt a daughter from China. My amazing stepdad adopted me when I was 12 so, since I was young, adoption has been close to my heart. When my husband and I married in 2004, adoption was something we knew we wanted …Read More
June Special Needs Focus (and Favorite Family Stories): Orthopedic
June 1, 2017
amniotic band syndrome, arthrogryposis, clubfoot, Favorite Family Stories, June 2017 Feature - Orthopedic, limb difference, Orthopedic, radial club hand, skeletal dysplasia
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
What’s in a Word
April 11, 2017
amputation, congenital femoral deficiency, Family Stories, limb difference, missing arm/leg, Orthopedic, prosthetics, proximal femoral focal deficiency, rotationplasty
Driving in the car recently, I was listening to my girls’ conversation with each other and was struck by the words that came out of their mouths. Almost perfectly pronounced, and discussed quite nonchalantly, words like: prosthetic leg, surgery, backwards foot. It sort of hit me that these are words that not everyone (especially little …Read More
Life with an AFO
February 13, 2017
AFO, Courtney, limb difference, Orthopedic
I will never forget the day we received “the call.” I had just walked my son into preschool and came back to the car to see a missed call from our adoption agency. I quickly dialed my social worker’s number and she said she had the file of a beautiful little girl she wanted to …Read More
Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy
July 1, 2016
adopting a boy, amputation, Family Stories, June 2016 Feature - Orthopedic, Larsen Syndrome, limb difference, older child adoption, prosthetics
My son, J, has Larsen syndrome, a condition of multiple joint malformations. I write this in hopes that it shows how manageable this condition is. In the summer of 2012, I saw a video that an advocate had posted, of a little boy riding a scooter around a play area. His nanny was directing him …Read More
Part of Your World: A Mermaid Tale
June 28, 2016
amputation, Family Stories, fibular hemimelia, June 2016 Feature - Orthopedic, leg length discrepancy, limb difference, missing fingers/toes, Orthopedic, prosthetics
We first saw her profile on our adoption agency’s web page. Her special need was listed as lower leg deformity, a layman’s term for fibular hemimelia, a congenital condition of missing/shortening of fibular bone, curved tibia (shin bone) and underdeveloped foot. I turned to my husband and said: “Hey, she looks kinda cute, but we …Read More
My Warrior. My Princess.
June 4, 2016
amputation, Family Stories, June 2016 Feature - Orthopedic, limb difference, Orthopedic, prosthetics
“She is the perfect combination of warrior and princess.” This phrase echoed through my mind as I watched her jump and twirl down the street, still wearing her tutu, waving her pirate sword in the air. She had just completed her first dance recital. I told her earlier that day, “Sometimes little girls get flowers …Read More
God’s Plans are Always Best
June 26, 2015
amniotic band syndrome, Family Stories, June 2015 Feature - Orthopedic, limb difference, Orthopedic
God’s plans are always best… even when we fight them. After years of dealing with infertility and finally placing our desire for children into the hands of our Father, He revealed that His plan A for us was adoption. When my husband and I first started our adoption process, we told our agency that we …Read More
not disabled. differently abled.
January 26, 2015
Family Stories, limb difference, missing hand/foot, Orthopedic
When I was fourteen I taught Sunday School for a year. One of the kids in my class of four year olds had a short left arm. The first day of class I found myself thinking “that poor little guy was born with only one arm.” It took next to no time at all for …Read More
waiting child highlight: limb difference
January 14, 2014
amniotic band syndrome, Family Found, limb difference, Orthopedic, symbrachydactyly
Today we are advocating for the special need of Limb difference. Limb differences are a very common special need found in waiting children. A Limb difference is any change from what we would consider a typical limb. Anything from missing a finger, to missing the whole arm is considered a limb difference. Limb differences also …Read More
Thank God they ARE mine!
October 14, 2012
cerebral palsy, Family Stories, hearing loss, limb difference, moyamoya, neurofibromatosis, Sensory System
Our story starts in 2004, when I had a complicated pregnancy with my first child, Gianna, and was advised not to ever get pregnant again. This was actually fine with me because I’d always been drawn toward adoption. We adopted our second child in 2007, another daughter we named Camille, from Kazakhstan. After strong suspicions …Read More
Madelyn's adoption story
October 5, 2012
Family Stories, limb difference, missing fingers/toes, Orthopedic, radial club hand
About eight years ago we began to consider adoption. We started by investigating foster care adoption in 2004, it didn’t work out. Fast forward to 2010—– we met a family with a precious three year old little girl from China. That afternoon we both said, it is time. We didn’t think we qualified for China, …Read More
Rachel and Katherine
December 2, 2010
limb difference, missing fingers/toes, polydactyly, symbrachydactyly
by Joy, mother to Katherine and Rachel from China with SNs of limb differences I am the mother of two daughters from China, both of whom were born with limb differences – specifically hand differences. As far as special needs go, my daughters’ diagnoses are no big deal and really don’t affect our lives much. …Read More
Lilah’s Turn
September 24, 2010
limb difference, missing hand/foot, prosthetics
by Anne and Mike, mom and dad to Lilah from China with a SN of limb difference Lilah is our second adopted child from China. Her brother Luke was adopted in February 2007 and the word to best describe his adoption was probably shocking. We were under the impression that his disabilities were minimal, and …Read More
Braxton
March 15, 2010
limb difference, missing arm/leg, prosthetics
by Tamera, mom to Braxton from China with an SN of limb difference Yesterday we awoke before the crack of dawn. This was a big day indeed. Braxton and I were headed to Shriners Hospital to receive his first prosthetic leg. It was merely 5:00am when we headed out and yet Braxton was wide eyed …Read More
Chloe
February 25, 2010
leg length discrepancy, limb difference, missing arm/leg
by Karin, mom to Chloe from China with a SN of a limb difference Years ago, God very clearly led us to start down the adoption road for a little girl in China with a special need that was not considered ‘adoptable’. At the time, CCAA had never allowed a child with this SN to …Read More
Hope
October 11, 2009
amniotic band syndrome, Family Stories, limb difference, missing fingers/toes, Orthopedic
by Amy, mom to Hope from China with Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS) When we set out to adopt after having four biological children – we were looking to adopt a girl that was younger than our youngest son, who was 20 months at the time. Since we were already the parents of 4 young children …Read More
Bethany
March 8, 2009
Family Stories, limb difference, missing arm/leg, Orthopedic
by Tamera, mom to Bethany from China with a limb difference Preparing for Special Needs Adoption Adopting several children from China has been filled a joy-filled, faith-building, abundant adventure. We have four biological children and feel as though we are experienced parents. However, sometimes even experienced parents can find that they are not adequately prepared …Read More
Lizzie
February 19, 2009
amniotic band syndrome, clubfoot, Family Stories, Lifeline, limb difference, missing fingers/toes
By Anne, mom to Lizzie from China with clubfoot and a limb difference We had talked about adoption for many years and had actually started the process for a non special needs, infant girl from Korea when we found out we were pregnant with our fourth child (first girl). We were thrilled about our first …Read More
Mia
December 8, 2008
amniotic band syndrome, Family Stories, limb difference, missing arm/leg
By Sherri, mother of Mia from China with a limb difference The story of Mia When we decided to do a second adoption, we chose to do a special needs adoption. The only thing we knew for sure was that we were going to name her Mia. We didn’t have any certain special need in …Read More
Bethany
October 20, 2008
Family Stories, limb difference, missing arm/leg, Orthopedic
by Tamera, mom to Bethany from China with a limb difference God’s Grace As we have pursued adoption in China, God has taught us many lessons about His grace. One of those lessons happened in rural China in August of 2007. We were bringing home our second daughter from China. By God’s grace we had …Read More
Josiah
October 20, 2008
AGCI, Family Stories, hemi-hypertrophy, limb difference, Orthopedic
by Holly, mom to Josiah from China with a leg length discrepancy What made you decide to pursue a child through the SN program? We were called by God to adopt. It wasn’t anything we had really ever given any thought to before. It wasn’t that we were against it, it just wasn’t something that …Read More