A new family to get to know. Meet the Clarke Family from Burleson, Texas.
This is, of course, fiction, as are the main majority of my stories. The locations used are real, but my characters are entirely of my imagination. :)
My name is Breeanna Joyce Clarke. My husband of 18 years, Greg Thomas, and myself live in Burleson, Texas, with our family. Burleson is just below Fort Worth, in the northern part of Johnson County.
Burleson, Texas, in case you are interested to know, is the home of the first American Idol champion, Kelly Clarkson.
We have 16 children ranging in age from 8 months (Samuel Christian) to 16 (Walker Seth). The children sandwiched in between the youngest and oldest are (from the next oldest to the next youngest): Rekha Denise (15), Ruby Danielle (14), Andreza Marisol (13), Jiliana Elena (13), Brylee Grace (11), Madeleine Riley (11), Maria Elena Theresa (10), Keira Lee Young (9), Levi Kim Grant (8), Olivia Maylee Elizabeth (7), Lucy Ellen (7), Chantelle' Q'uirionka (6), Jaycey Allen (5), Cajun Michelle (4), and finally (but certainly not least), Eli Manning Michael (3).
All of the children are adopted.
Most of the children have special needs. Walker, Rekha, Ruby, Jiliana, Maria, Levi, and Eli are healthy; the remaining ones are not.
Andreza, Brylee, and Maddy all have Down's syndrome; they are the most loving kids you'd ever want to meet. Keira is deaf and mute (she communicates with sign language), and Olivia (nicknamed "Livvi") has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. (She usually walks with crutches that attach at the elbows, but on her bad days, she opts for her wheelchair; it's easier for her.) Lucy has autism (she goes to a special school; she's the only one of our kids who isn't mainstreamed; she has serious problems and behavioral issues), and Chantelle' has severe asthma and allergies. Her allergies are so bad she has quit breathing on us on several occasions, and the paramedics have rushed her to the hospital in order to save her life.
As for Jaycey, he has borderline diabetes and weight issues due to Prader-Willi syndrome. He just loves to eat, and it is everything we can do to keep him from eating himself to death (or from raiding our refrigerator)! He is still a happy child, though, and life is never dull with him around! Cajun has severe cerebral palsy (she is in a wheelchair) and is nonverbal; she is fed by a tube, and she requires much in the way of daily care.
Our kids are our world; we'd do anything for them. I stay at home with them (I am a homeschool teacher, so I am always home unless we are taking the kids to their medical appointments or to other activities), but Greg works outside the home; he is a divorce attourney, so he makes very good money. On Sundays we take them to church; we go to Living Word Church. Church is very important to me, and I want my kids to be raised in a Godly fashion.
I am a member of an adoption community run by a lady in Tennessee; the lady is named Louisiana Sandusky, and she is the one to go to for any questions pertaining to special-needs adoption. After all, she does have plenty of experience (not to mention, kids: she and her husband, Bill, have adopted a staggering 59 children, all with special needs!). We are a tight bunch, and we can talk to each other about issues in the adoption field or about issues facing our special children. It is a neat way to make new friends, and on our bad days, we don't feel so alone when things go awry.
Our kids were adopted from Korea (Levi, Keira, and Jaycey), Mexico (Jiliana, Walker, Andreza, and Maria), Iraq (Rekha), China (Livvi), Russia (Eli, Brylee, Maddy, and Samuel), and the United States (Chantelle', Lucy, and Cajun). Yet through the miracle of international adoption, we became a family, and the kids are now our own, legally--and permanently.
We have enjoyed our kids from other lands; they love their traditional home dishes, but they also have learned to love American fare. We always try to have a variety of dishes, to alleviate boredom: one night it's Mexican; the following night it may be Louisiana/Cajun/Creole, and the following night it may be Korean--anything to whet the kids' appetites. We have a respect for their music, their language, and we encourage them to learn other languages or of other heritages, so they can become well-rounded citizens and learn to accept all people, no matter where they may come from. It's a good philosophy, and it is good for not only us, but the children, especially the children.
We also teach them to be friendly to both disabled and nondisabled people, and the nondisabled ones become the disabled kids' mini advocates. If the world can't accept my kids because they are disabled or are from another country, then something is most definitely wrong; it goes against what I am trying to instill in my kids.
Well, I hope you enjoyed meeting my family. I enjoyed writing about them because as I said earlier on, my family is my world, and I would do anything for my kids. My kids are my babies, even when they are grown up, like the teenagers! :) I guess I am a bit overprotective, but in this uncertain world, I have to be. Lots of crazy, scary stuff going on out there!
I will write in here again; take care, and God bless you mightily!
~Breeanna Joyce Clarke from Burleson, Texas (mamma to 16 beautiful children). :)
Another family is added to your list .The title makes one wonder what the story is about..(CLEVER).......M
Reviewed by d. k
3/14/2007
Hello to the Clarkes and all their children. I look forward to reading all about such an ethnic family!! Great write! Always something to learn from your work!!
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