March 25, 2018 adopting a boy, alpha thalassemia, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2018 Feature - Blood Conditions, older child adoption, thalassemia 0 Comments

I remember the long days of waiting to be matched with our son. I remember every time the shared list would come out in China, and every time our amazing social worker would tell us we did not have a match yet, and the battle between grief and trust. Trusting that God had this. He …Read More

March 21, 2018 adopting a boy, beta thalassemia, beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2018 Feature - Blood Conditions, pre-adoption, reluctant husband, should we adopt?, thalassemia 1 Comments

Our adoption story began three years ago when God first planted the seed of adoption in my heart. I remember it so clearly, it was during the 2015 IF:Gathering live simulcast. I had watched the entire conference alone in my living room, soaking in all of the content from the amazing speakers. At the very …Read More

March 15, 2017 beta thalassemia, beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2017 Feature - Blood Conditions, thalassemia 3 Comments

Kate, Chelsea, and Alissa are three friends who have brought home five girls with beta thalassemia within the last two years. They live in rural Montana – four hours from the nearest children’s hospital. All five of their girls are thriving with thalassemia and are truly living up to their name as the “Thal Thugs …Read More

March 8, 2017 Blood Conditions, Favorite Family Stories, hemophilia, ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura), March 2017 Feature - Blood Conditions, PKU, thalassemia 0 Comments

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

March 7, 2017 adopting a boy, adopting out of birth order, beta thalassemia, beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2017 Feature - Blood Conditions, medical expedite, older child adoption, thalassemia 4 Comments

Fluffing up his pillows around him on his hospital bed, I did my best to make him smile. We had learned together that love, smiles, silliness and laughter cross any language barrier. Though he was tired, he did manage a slight smirk that didn’t quite reach his usual smiley, almond eyes. This dance was still …Read More

November 9, 2016 beta thalassemia, beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, developmental delays, November 2016 Feature - Then and Now, thalassemia 0 Comments

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… ……….. “I do not think she will live …Read More

October 23, 2016 beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Katie 0 Comments

Maybe it was when the hospital chaplain asked too many intrusive questions in front of him and I saw his lashes flutter to cover the fear he wanted to hide. But his eyes shuttered for just the briefest of moments and my heart started to ache. “What is his condition?” “How often does he need …Read More

March 26, 2016 beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2016 Feature - Blood Conditions, older child adoption, thalassemia 2 Comments

My daughter’s medical information is scary. It has words like chronic and terminal. Add that to the fact that her orphanage has never had a child with her diagnosis live past the age of 14, and you start to really get a grim picture of her life. Now, wipe all of that away, because it’s …Read More

March 22, 2016 beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2016 Feature - Blood Conditions, older child adoption, thalassemia 2 Comments

“It’s so easy to live with! It barely impacts our day to day life.” “It’s a very complicated disease. It looks like it’s going to be another couple of weeks in the hospital this time…” You might think I’m referring to different disorders in the descriptions above. The truth is these were all things I …Read More

March 14, 2016 beta thalassemia, beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2016 Feature - Blood Conditions, should we adopt?, thalassemia 0 Comments

Our adoption story began years before we actually had the courage to take the leap and start the process to adopt internationally. On and off, literally for years, my sweet husband and I would each feel lead to adopt. Those feelings and promptings were most often followed by a conversation about the lack of finances …Read More

March 11, 2016 adopting again, beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2016 Feature - Blood Conditions, older child adoption, thalassemia 1 Comments

How do most kids get in a pool? They jump… full force, no holding back. They don’t know what the water temperature is, and they don’t care. They are so excited to be at the pool, they anticipate all the fun they are about to have, and it doesn’t bother them if the water is …Read More

March 9, 2016 Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2016 Feature - Blood Conditions, thalassemia 1 Comments

MengYan’s story began in China, in Hunan Province. We do not know much about her birth or her birth family. She was found abandoned in a box at the front door of the local police station. She was a newborn at that time and was taken to an orphanage because her family could not be …Read More

March 8, 2016 beta thalassemia, beta thalassemia major, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2016 Feature - Blood Conditions, should we adopt?, thalassemia 1 Comments

Our Journey with Thalassemia First let me say this is not our story this is His story. If it was ours we would never know what thalassemia was nor would we ever have our precious kids. My husband and I have always wanted a large family and to grow our family through adoption, but never …Read More

March 5, 2016 beta thalassemia, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2016 Feature - Blood Conditions, thalassemia 1 Comments

Eight years ago I saw my daughter for the first time… a sad face standing behind metal bars. She looked scared and confused, with an expression that seemed more like an old woman than a young child. I searched her eyes and saw… nothing. No life, no twinkle, no joy. Expecting a referral for months, …Read More

December 9, 2015 Advocacy, Blood Conditions, December 2015 Feature - Beyond Adoption, disruption, other ways to care for the orphan, thalassemia 3 Comments

Our precious son, Mac, came to us through the advocating of many and the mission field of No Hands But Ours. But it begins in an unlikely way….it begins with a disruption. A painful, gut-wrenching, heartbreaking disruption. It is actually impossible to tell Mac’s story without first telling about the disruption. I had never considered …Read More

March 17, 2015 Blood Conditions, Family Stories, March 2015 Feature - Blood Conditions, thalassemia 1 Comments

When I was very young, I knew that I wanted to adopt a little girl from China. Stories of baby girls being abandoned because of the one-child policy made a strong impact on me. I grew up, got married to a wonderful man, and we spent 9 years having “the longest honeymoon ever,” rarely even …Read More

November 17, 2014 Advocacy, Sheryl, thalassemia 1 Comments

Ah, social media. Sometimes I don’t know whether to love it or loath it. But it’s here, and most of use it.  Think about it: how many times have you “liked” a post? How many times have you made a comment? Or even “shared” something you saw that struck you as funny, important or thought-provoking? …Read More

July 15, 2014 Jean, thalassemia 2 Comments

In 2010 we saw an adorable picture of a little girl with a sucker in her mouth! She immediately caught my attention. Her eyes looked straight into mine and they were calling out for a Mommy and a Daddy. I read her short bio and the word cancer was in there. I immediately said to …Read More

May 20, 2014 Children Who Wait, girls, special focus, thalassemia 0 Comments

Grace was born September of 2008 and is currently on the shared list. She was found at a few months of age and admitted to the orphanage. Upon admission she was diagnosed with β Mediterranean anemia (beta thalassemia major), macrocephaly, and normal physical and intelligence development. She was placed with a foster family in 2010. …Read More

March 8, 2014 Advocacy, thalassemia 0 Comments

In August 2011, my daughters and I returned to China as part of a mission team working to help orphanages assist their children with special needs. It is no coincidence that my background as a pediatric Occupational Therapist would be needed in the place so close to my heart. I partnered with the incredible organization …Read More

September 15, 2012 Diana, tethered cord, thalassemia 3 Comments

Over the last seven years I have been in some stage of the adoption process. Dossier paperwork, waiting for approvals, stalking RQ, following blogs, doing home study visits, etc. You get the picture. Bringing my girls home became a full time job (obsession) for me! Some of us may call it the nesting period while you wait. Regardless of …Read More

July 15, 2012 Diana, tethered cord, thalassemia 8 Comments

I laughed out loud recently when one of my favorite people on the planet commented that someone she met who had been to my blog thought my life looked perfect!!! Trust me when I say this did not offend me. I was too busy wondering if my girlfriend got hurt when she fell off her …Read More

March 15, 2012 Diana, thalassemia 6 Comments

Almost three years ago I had never heard of Thalassemia. The first time I ever saw the word was on the file of a “Special Focus” child living in China. All I knew was that she received quarterly blood transfusions. After a quick call to a friend of mine who is also a nurse I …Read More

February 21, 2009 alpha thalassemia, Blood Conditions, Family Stories, thalassemia 0 Comments