February 23, 2019
ASD, February 2019 Feature - Heart, Heart System, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary stenosis, VSD
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Honestly, I don’t feel like I quite fit in the special needs community. Or even the adoption community. Our lives at one point were very much impacted by both of those things, but now it looks very normal. I drive my four kids – all in school – and I drive them all over creation. …Read More
December 22, 2018
adopting again, cleft palate, Craniofacial, December 2018 Feature - The Gift of Adoption, developmental delays, Family Stories, Heart System, VSD
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As I sit down and reflect on all the gifts that my Lord has bestowed upon my family and I, there are too many to count. Yet I know that, on so many days, I forget. My mind soars in other directions and I lose sight of these gifts. Or perhaps… as I have realized …Read More
May 12, 2017
complex heart defect, Family Stories, pulmonary stenosis, TGA, VSD
4 Comments
I remember looking at pictures of children and wondering if they were mine. I knew God wanted us to adopt a child. I knew He had a specific child for us. Every time I would look at a picture of a waiting child, I would ask myself, “Are you mine?” God, how will I know …Read More
May 9, 2017
adopting a boy, adopting again, Brandie, hearing aids, hearing loss, heart defect, oral aversion, Sensory Processing Issues, speech delay, undiagnosed SN, VSD
2 Comments
At the first sign of a chilly night in the fall, my husband and daughter take tarps to their little garden to cover her cherished tomato plants, hoping to buy them a little more time before the cold winter claims them. Around the same time, my husband and son begin the preparation for winter. They …Read More
February 26, 2017
atrioventricular canal defect, complex heart defect, Family Stories, February 2017 Feature - Heart, Heart System, heterotaxy, hospital stays, pulmonary atresia, single ventricle heart disease, VSD
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I was just able to sit down with a cup of hot tea on a cold and lazy Saturday afternoon, relishing in the quiet and calm. Also know as, daddy is home so he is dodging toddlers and taking care of farm animals while I hide in his office to write this article. With six …Read More
February 20, 2017
adopting again, adopting as first time parents, ASD, February 2017 Feature - Heart, Heart System, infertility, surgery, TGA, toddler adoption, VSD
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I want to start by saying that our miracle children astound me. We love them personally and uniquely. Their birthparents are revered in our home; we thank God they had the courage, strength, and compassion to have them and keep them safe. I married my college sweetheart. Kyle is way more incredible than me; I …Read More
February 6, 2017
advanced heart failure, ASD, complex heart defect, double outlet right ventricle, Favorite Family Stories, February 2017 Feature - Heart, heart defect, Heart System, HLHS, PDA, single atrium heart disease, Tetralogy of Fallot, TGA, TGV, VSD
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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
November 23, 2016
adopting again, adopting out of birth order, Family Stories, food issues, Heart System, homeschool, November 2016 Feature - Then and Now, older child adoption, orphanage behaviors, port wine stain, spina bifida, VSD
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November is Adoption Awareness Month. And our focus is Then and Now… glimpses into the lives of children – children who were once orphaned – who are now beloved family members. Daughters, sons, sisters and brothers who are now blossoming in the love of a forever family… ……….. We have been blessed with two beautiful …Read More
August 7, 2016
ASL, attachment activities, August 2016 Feature - SIgn Language and Adoption, Family Stories, Heart System, sign language, speech delay, tracheo-malacia, VSD
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You might think that sign language is only for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We’d like to encourage you to reconsider. Signing is an incredibly valuable tool in any adoptive parent’s tool belt. It makes communicating with your newly adopted child exponentially easier – no matter their age or special need. And …Read More
February 6, 2015
complex heart defect, Family Stories, February 2015 Feature, February 2015 Feature - Heart, heart defect, PDA, VSD
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Sometimes I put my head to her chest and listen. Lub, dub. Lub, dub. Oh the beauty of that sound. It sounds like life and hope, sadness and struggle. I think about her heart in the first months of her life. Her first breath in the world, a whoosh of air into her (most likely …Read More
December 5, 2014
ASD, complex heart defect, Family Stories, TGA, VSD
4 Comments
We are all transformed. Every day that goes by, I know that more clearly in my heart and mind than the day before. We have only been home with Willow for five months. My husband and I married right out of college, and we waited a while before deciding we wanted to have children. He’s …Read More
May 25, 2014
advanced heart failure, Andrea O., ASD, complex heart defect, double outlet right ventricle, end stage cardiac disease, Family Stories, heart defect, Heart System, single ventricle heart disease, Tetralogy of Fallot, TGA, VSD
1 Comments
Four years ago, I could not describe the structure or mechanism of the human heart. Now, that magical and miraculous pump that provides the essence of life is something I think about every day. What an amazing odyssey it has been! This post is not enough to do justice to the complexity of the topic …Read More
February 21, 2011
Family Stories, heart defect, VSD
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by Lyn, mom to Lucas from China with an SN of repaired VSD I was not one of those people who longed to adopt a child my whole life. My husband Bob and I had two biological girls and thought our family was complete. Adoption had never occurred to us until December 2005. That Christmas, …Read More
April 14, 2010
Family Stories, heart defect, VSD
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by Tricia, mom to Sara from China with an SN of congenital heart defect (VSD) My husband and I had a strong desire to grow our family via adoption and we were soon drawn to China’s program and the idea of adding a daughter to our family. We signed up with CCAI in 2007 and …Read More
March 1, 2010
heart defect, TGA, VSD
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by Sue, mom to Jadyn from China with a SN of TGA, PS and VSD (major heart condition) Our SN check list included mild and/or a correctable heart condition. 35 months after our log-in-date we received a phone call from our agency about a little girl who had recently turned 2 and had a VSD. …Read More
June 3, 2009
CWA, Family Stories, heart defect, VSD
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by Kelly, mom to Ella from China with a congenital heart defect The decision to pursue a “special needs” adoption when we were ready to bring home our second daughter, our fifth child, was an easy one for us to make. In fact, we never even considered ‘getting back in line’ for a NSN (non-special …Read More
March 25, 2009
Family Stories, heart defect, VSD
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by Ellie, mom to Tia from China with VSD If you would have told us 3 or 4 years ago that we would choose a special needs adoption I can guarantee you we would have said NO WAY! You see before we began our adoption journey we had two healthy biological children and had chosen …Read More
March 6, 2009
Family Stories, heart defect, PDA, VSD
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by Lucy, mom to Ally and Alaina from China with heart defects We began our adoption process like most families – waiting for a NSN “healthy” child. We never even considered ANY SN at the beginning. Early in our “wait” I began looking at children on the Waiting Child list, but was always scared away …Read More
March 4, 2009
ASD, CCAI, Family Stories, heart defect, VSD
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by Sara, mom to Mya Jian from China with ASD & VSD “Without it she wouldn’t be ours.” Her scar. Her badge of survival and hope. The 6″ line that runs the length of her chest. It’s unevenness & healed broken rib, a forever reminder. Without it, she wouldn’t be ours. I dreamed about a …Read More
January 22, 2009
ASD, Family Stories, VSD
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By Kathy, mom to Annah from China with VSD and ASD Annah was adopted when she was 20 months old and her special need was listed as VSD/ASD repaired. All I knew at the time was these were heart issues and anything involving the heart sounded scary to me, but when I looked in the …Read More
December 16, 2008
anorectal malformation, Family Stories, imperforate anus, VSD
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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
