We
were both over thirty when we were married, getting pregnant wasn’t
easy, so our family was initially formed through adoption. Sam came to
us when he was 1 day old and Skylar arrived when she was 2 ½ yrs old.
Our adoption journey through foster care was a three-year emotional
roller coaster. Finally, we got the phone call that we had been matched
to be their forever family! Despite suffering through five years of
infertility, we found out we were pregnant with Rileigh just one month
after that call. We knew, right then and there, that God had a special
plan for our family, and adoption was going to be a big part of our
lives. Two years after Rileigh was born, we were pregnant with Quinn and
our lives were full. Or so we thought…
.
Recently, our church has
become more mission focused and helping the widows and the orphans is
high on the agenda. We have followed two families’ adoption journeys
and supported them as they recently brought three beautiful children
home from China combined. We prayed, we read, we were inspired. That
inner feeling lingered for days, for weeks, for months. Finally, one day
my husband said to me, “Let’s adopt again!” My heart jumped for joy!
.
We
searched through the various advocacy sites and the children with Down
syndrome pulled at my soul. I thought, “They are so lovable, but I
couldn’t do that… I don’t even know anyone with Down syndrome.” But
these precious children lingered in my mind, so I prayed and just a
month later (again, just took one month) God answered that prayer and
placed a little girl with Down syndrome in my preschooler’s class. My
daughter became friends with this little girl, and I’ve had the pleasure
of becoming friends with her mom too. Turns out, Down syndrome is not
so scary after all. As I was checking one of the Down syndrome waiting
child advocacy sites, we saw a delightful little girl with a mischievous
smile and we knew… she would fit perfectly into our family and we would
be blessed to have her. We will name her Joy.
.
We have had Joy
home now for almost two years. She has just been amazing to parent. She
is so incredibly sweet and loves to play with her older brother and
sisters. She wants to be included in EVERYTHING we do. If another child
gets to ride on the tube on the back of the boat at the lake, then Joy
wants to do it too. If another child gets to go snow skiing, then Joy
wants to do it too. She is a bright light in this world and her smile
delights everyone she meets. She loves others with every ounce of her
being.
.
We were prepared for all kinds of behaviors, since
children who are adopted come from hard places and some behaviors are
more common with children who have Down syndrome, however we haven’t
experienced any behavioral concerns with Joy. She gets along well with
other children. She is a good listener and does very well at her medical
appointments. She has no medical conditions or other diagnoses. She
sees our pediatrician once a year, sees an ENT once a year to have her
ears checked, and gets her eyes checked for glasses each year. She is
simply a regular kid! We have to work with her a little differently as
we go through Kindergarten but we have seen her make tremendous progress
with her verbal communication, her colors and letters, and even sight
reading with the So Happy to Learn program.
.
Adopting a child
with Down syndrome may sound crazy to some, but I can assure you that
she is worth every extra effort we make. She literally fills us with
JOY...every single day.
- Dianna Conboy
“In
the New Testament, we don't find our gift through self-examination and
introspection and then find ways to express it. Instead, we love one
another, serve one another, help one another, and in so doing we see how
God has equipped us to do so.”
― Russell D. Moore, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches
