Twenty-nine years ago my husband and I wanted to adopt a child.
I already had one biological save year old son, experienced several miscarriages and a near death experience with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. I was 45-years-old, and time was running out.
My husband and I applied to a foster/adopt agency in Seattle. We waited a long time.
There were no infants or toddlers available until one day we received a phone call telling us about this seven month old baby girl that was available for adoption, and currently living with foster parents that were not interested in adopting. The Agency made arrangements for us to meet Brittani at the foster family's home.
Brittani was a beautiful happy baby born to fetal alcohol, with microcephaly, mental and physical disabilities, was hospitalized with broken ribs and failure to thrive at three months old while living with her young mother.
She had already endured much trauma in her young life.
We were hesitant in the beginning. We would make visits weekly, and we fell in love with this sweet baby. We eventually brought her home to live with us. She started physical therapy, along with speech therapy. We had an MRI done on her. She was diagnosed with polymicrogyria, abnormal development of the brain. Over time she developed seizures, and we had her hearing tested. She was deaf in the right ear, and partially deaf in her left ear. 
Once she received her hearing aid, her world opened up. She started responding to people and sound around her. She was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy on her left side. Eventually she started crawling and walking with a walker at three years old. Brittani is now 30 years old, works part time at MOD Pizza, is very social and active in Special recreation activities such as bowling, basketball, dancing and swimming. She is a happy young lady.
Adopting a special needs child is challenging, but well worth the results and love you receive. My father grew up in an orphanage in Pa. His mother died when he was two years old. There were 7 children in his family, and his father could not take care of all of them. He saw his family all the time but I know his childhood was tough, especially growing up without a mother.
