Parents are the lucky ones

When a young couple is starting a family through adoption, it's harder to consider a child with special needs. You have this fantasy picture and ideal of what your family is going to be. You feel as though you have already missed out on pregnancy and other experiences many couples take for granted. You don't want to give up on enjoying the newborn stage and becoming the parents of a "perfect" beautiful little baby.

But as we had more children and looked at the options of continuing to build our family, those things became less important. Every child - biological or adopted, healthy or special needs - is going to have issues and struggles in life. It's part of the package when you get your child.

A "Waiting Child" (children ages 8 months to 13 years waiting to be adopted) is so much more than just a medical/special need. They are a whole person. They have strengths and struggles, talents, dreams and a craving for love and acceptance just as all of us do.