Adoption has been a big part of my family’s story since we adopted our two youngest kids from Ethiopia in 2008. Not only have our adoptions changed the makeup of our family and opened up a new facet of the story of need to us, they’ve also led us to meet some really amazing people, like Brianna and Kevin Heldt, who are the proud parents of seven kids, including four from Ethiopia. They most recently adopted two girls with Down syndrome. To read more about their story, check out Brianna’s faith-filled, down-to-earth blog.
Here are some excerpts from her entry for Oct. 12, 2010:
“I suppose that it was around this time that…I fell head-over-heels-crazy-in-love with “chromosomally enhanced” kiddos. Children born with Down syndrome. I began learning about the plight these children face...In the United States, all but 8 percent will be aborted…In Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, they are moved from the orphanage to an asylum at age four…and generally end up dying there. In Africa, there are simply very few, if any, services available for these children, and resources and medical care are limited…I want to speak up for these children…For now I’ll simply say that I feel blessed beyond words that my part involves receiving two sweet new daughters. How lucky am I?”
