Yet another family I have created. Like the others, they have taken in children with special needs to raise as their own.
If there was a family who deserved to be recognized, it was definitely the Oederkirk family from Racine, Wisconsin.
Fronted by a pastor and his wife, a homeschooling teacher, the family consisted of Reverend Kenneth P. Oederkirk, his wife, Maggie, and their nine children, eight, of whom, were adopted.
The children ranged in age from one to fifteen, and most were adopted from countries such as India, Africa, Mexico, Korea, Russia, and Colombia.
All were considered "special needs".
The oldest child, 15-year-old Rachelle Morgana, was the only natural child to Ken and Maggie, but sadly enough, she was born severely physically disabled. She had been one of a set of twins, both girls, but her twin sister, Raquelle Marie, died shortly after birth; and Rachelle, the smaller of the two girls, was born brain damaged and disabled with cerebral palsy, which was diagnosed before she was two years old. Rachelle was in a wheelchair, and she was also nonverbal. For communication purposes, she used a Bliss board, which had symbols that represented words, and it was by this method that she was able to make her needs (and wants) known in a clear, concise manner.
The first of the Oederkirk children to be adopted was a tall, shy boy from Kenya, Africa, who was adopted seven years ago, when he was six. The boy's name was Michael Tadesse, and he was post-polio. He had polio as an infant, and it left him partially paralyzed and depending on leg braces and a pair of harvest-orange-colored Lofstrand crutches to get around. Michael was quite handsome with his tall and slender frame and strong features that told of his Maasai heritage.
Mark Igor, aged twelve, was a pudgy, red-headed fellow with green eyes; he was adopted five years ago from Siberia, in Russia, and he had behavioral problems tht required intense therapy and medication; without either he was wild and uncontrollable. It was suspected that he had been sexually abused, but this hadn't been proven. When on his medication, Mark was an eager, easygoing child, but when he wasn't, he proved to be a terror, and in the past, the police would have to be called because he had tried to set the house on fire or hurt one of the smaller kids on one than more occasion.
Twin sisters Gabrielle (Gabi) and Danielle (Dani) were from Kenya, Africa, as well, and like Michael, they were also of the Maasai tribe. They were orphaned when their parents were killed by a rampaging elephant, and both girls had significant learning disabilities. They could barely read or write, and teaching them proved to be a challenge to Maggie, their mother. But they were friendly children with quick smiles and contagious giggles. Gabi and Dani were both nine, and Gabi was only one minute younger than her twin sister! (They were adopted four years ago when they were five.)
Korean-born Roger Lee Kim, aged seven, was born hearing-impaired, but he was otherwise perfectly healthy. He came to the Oederkirks three years ago when his parents had been killed in a car accident back in his native Korea. He was then four.
Jennifer Amina, five, came to the family two years ago from a remote village in the slums of Calcutta, India; she was born with brain damage and now was walking with the help of a wheeled walker and leg braces. She was currently enrolled in an early intervention program, and she was "progressing nicely", according to her teachers and therapists. She was also learning how to talk and could now say several words including "Mama" and "Dada".
The second youngest Oederkirk child, a boy named Geraldo Manuel, who is four, came to the family from Colombia in South America, and was born with half of a brain tht left him severely impaired both physically and mentally. At four, he was more like an infant than a four-year-old just discovering the world about him. He was tube-fed, and he was profoundly mentally disabled. He would probably never lead a normal or independant life, according to doctors, and he would always need someone to tend to him and his needs for the rest of his life. He had to be cared for every minute, or he could get into trouble with his breathing or proneness to choking. (He couldn't chew or swallow independently, so he was susceptible to respiratory infections that often put him into the hospital.) He was adopted nearly two years ago, and in this short period of time, he had already been hospitalized six times with respiratory troubles.
The baby, Rivera ("River") Jose', aged one, was adopted only six months back when he was a little over a few months old from Mexico, and he was born hearing-impaired (like Roger Lee Kim), but like his older brother from Korea, he, too, was surprisingly healthy, and he proved to be an active toddler. He was learning basic sign language in both Spanish and English, so he would be able to communicate with his family easier.
This family certainly has their hands full, and their love for their children is never-ending. They love each and every one of their children unconditionally and equally, and when they look at their children, they don't see their disabilities: all they see are beautiful children who have so much to offer to the world, and they are giving their children the opportunity to succeed, which is their primary goal in life. Even if the world isn't ready to accept these children because of their disabilities, Maggie and Ken Oederkirk are determined to prove the world wrong, and they won't rest until each one of their children is a productive member of society and are given a chance to succeed.
It's almost Christmas. Lynn Basil is writing her last book about a secret entrance into the magical doll land of Sha Bebe that she loves so much. Bagannos have taken over the world! Lynn finally meets her dolls in real life. Can she write in a Secret
Let this coming of age story of a boy named Bean take you back to a simple time. Set in a small southern town in the 1960's, encircled by a river and gleaming white cotton fields.
