Happy Gotcha Day

Written on March 17, 2010 by Deborah

My life is about to change drastically yet again. Next Tuesday, a young man named Ronnie, will become my fifth child.

ronnie

Ronnie is fifteen years old. He has spina bifida, is paralyzed from the waist down, and is profoundly deaf. He also has the most beautiful smile in the world!

I decided about six months ago that I wanted to adopt another child. My other children are growing up, and some may be moving away soon. If you remember, I have a 19 year old birth son, a 19 year old adopted daughter, a 17 year old adopted son, and a 15 year old adopted daughter. My life just doesn’t seem complete without a bunch of kids around!

I had originally thought I would be adopting a younger child, and I specifically wanted a child that had been institutionalized. But that was not the path I was destined to follow. Ronnie fits beautifully into our family, and I feel this placement was meant to be before I even knew of his existence.

So, wish me luck – keep us in your prayers – and I’m sure I will be sharing some stories about Ronnie in the very near future!

Deborah can be found writing here at 5MFSN every Wednesday, and can also be found at Pipecleaner Dreams.

In addition to her job as a computer engineer and her single parent responsibilities, Deborah is president of a state-wide family support group for families whose lives are touched by deafblindness, and is a tireless advocate for all people with disabilities. She writes at Pipe Cleaner Dreams and her writing has also been featured in local magazines and newspapers. Ashley’s story has also been chronicled in a book by Jonathan Mooney titled Short Bus Stories.