National Adoption Month
I receive a phone call from my niece, March 1998. She had a serious accident while pregnant which resulted in her having fractures in her pelvis and her unborn son would be born with microcephaly and other complications. She asked if my late husband and I would take Eysiah
because she was unable to care for his needs. Eysiah was a birthday present. Patrick and I began by being his legal guardian. We fell in love with him right away. Our 2 adult children were away on their own.
Patrick had retired from the service two years earlier. We had 3-bedroom house and we were empty
nesters. We waited 2 years to adopt him. The process of adoption was not difficult for us since this was
an open adoption. However, we did take Foster Parenting classes, had home inspections, had to write
about our personal lives, and of course find a lawyer. My late husband would tell people that God took two selfish people and changed us for the better through Eysiah. We (sort of) knew what we were in for, but Eysiah’s healthcare needs were taxing the first two years. But meeting other parents who had adopted special needs children helped us with our decision. The process can be very expensive,
challenging, but rewarding. It is such a privilege to be part of the Adoptive Parent community.
-Loreena Hegenbart, North Central Region
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