Friday, May 26, 2006, 3:33 p.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Jennifer Pierceson~

Thank you for taking the time to read my words, and thank you for your eye-opening letter. It was good (?) to hear from you.

Jennifer, I am sorry you have had difficulty in accepting children who are handicapped. Did something happen to you or someone close to you to cause you to fear people with disabilities? Why do you fear them? They are like you and myself, and I think that people should do all they (humanly) can to help them. People with disabilities have been kept in the dark for far too long; and they need to be given a chance!

This is why my husband, Bill, and myself adopted children like the ones we are raising. We wanted to give these precious children a place where they could be loved and feel safe. Too many of these beautiful children are languishing in hospitals, nursing homes, institutions, or orphanages with nobody to care for (or love) them.

You obviously haven't read the entire story. Not all of my children are handicapped. Some of the children are perfectly healthy (Barbara and Stephanie being two examples), but they were older when they were adopted into our family, plus Steffi had a younger brother (Michael, whom we adopted as well). For one reason or another, they could not be separated, so we adopted both of them.

Yes, most of our children are handicapped; but they have blossomed like flowers under our guidance, and some are getting ready to spread their wings and fly out into the world. Some have already left and are succeeding at life, which makes me very proud of them. One is married (and just had her sixth chld the other day; I am a grandma yet again! :) ), several are attending college out of state, and two live in an apartment complex for people with disabilities not far from us.

In addition, God has blessed my children with the gift of music, and in the summer we perform at various functions, singing both Christian and secular (country) music. My husband sings and plays the guitar and I play the electric pedal steel guitar. We sing at church or at festivals; we always have the best time, and we are left with a good feeling after we entertain the people who come to hear us sing.

I am sorry if you have a problem with "do-gooders", but I am only a concerned parent who is only trying to help people who are truly in need. All too often  you hear of the bad news; this is one reason why we chose the path of special-needs adoption, in the hopes of bringing happiness (or at least a sense of hope) to a suffering child's life.

This isn't the first time I have been attacked for being a caring parent. We have been the object of controversy and endless scrutiny. We have been featured in the local news and in newspapers, but once people see that we are not doing anything wrong, then the media circus leaves, and once again, we are left shattered, but determined to live out our lives for the needs of our children.

If anything, all this extrta (unwanted) attention from the media has left us licking our wounds, embarrassed, and somewhat ashamed.

Jennifer, I have heard it all. "I am exploiting the children". "I am putting them on display, treating them like freaks in a side show". "I am trying to overstep my boundaries of good taste". "I am trying to save the world". "I am trying to act like God". "I am striving to have the world's largest family". Maybe so, but I am only doing what I know, and that is providing for my children. If I don't step in to help these children, who will??

My children are a mini-United Nations, and they come with problems (illness or disability) that they did not ask to be born with--or develop later in their lives! My kids are everything to me, and I will do everything I can to provide for them and let them know that there are good people in this world and that they CAN make it in life!

Well, I will close for now. Again, thank you for your revealing letter. I  had to write to let you know that even though we may not agree on certain things, I still care, and I appreciate your frankness regarding  my books (or my writing), my kids, and disability in general. That took great courage on your part, and I applaud you.

Sincerely yours,

Louisiana Mayrah Sandusky, Nashville, Tennessee (mother to *53* Miracles). :)

P.S.: What if one of your sons had been born with a disability? Would you keep him or get rid of him?

Think about it. Then get back to me.

~Louie.