A woman living in Skiatook, Oklahoma, writes to Louisiana after reading one of her books.
Saturday, August 19, 2006, 10:10 a.m., D.S.T., Skiatook, Oklahoma~
Dear Louisiana in Tennessee~
Howdy from Sooner Country! :)
My name is Jill Colleen McCullough. I am the proud mama of four children, Willow Evangeline (13), Clancy Liam (11), Quinn Ryan (8), and Spirit Grace (4). All of them are adopted.
I am married to Donovan (Don) (15 years), whoh is a computer technician. (I am a stay-at-home mom and wife.)
We tried to have children of our own, but we were unable to conceive; therefore, we turned to adoption, hoping that one day we'd get a child we could raise as our very own.
We ended up with four, two sets of siblings, two boys and two girls. The boys are from the U.S.A. (North Carolina), and the girls are from Africa (Rwanda). They are the pride and joy of our lives; we couldn't be any happier than we are right now!
I read your story in a book you'd written that I had gotten at our local library ("...And The Miracles Continue", which is, as I understand it, the sequel). What I read truly moved me, at times, to the point of tears. You are absolutely amazing! To raise a child who is healthy is challenging enough, but you took it upon yourselves to raise children with special needs! That is quite remarkable; you are to be commended for your efforts! The world needs more people like yourselves, especially when it comes to fighting for the rights of disabled (or neglected) children!
Now, our four children aren't disabled, but we would adopt a child with special needs if the opportunity ever presented itself. I have always been around people who have (or had) disabilities, so it would not be a problem for me (or for Don). I have always wanted to work with disabled children, but alas, my parents couldn't afford to send me to college. My dream seemed out of reach until I met (and later married) Don.
We were determined to build a family, but then we found out the terrible news that we wouldn't be able to have any children of our own; we were, understandably, crushed beyond belief.
We met a couple here in Skiatook (where we live) who had adopted three little Chinese girls. The girls were the cutest little kids we'd ever seen, and once we did our homework (and started the required paperwork), we'd heard about two little boys from North Carolina who were in need of a home, and the rest, as they say, is history.
We figured we would be happy with just two boys (we instantly fell in love with them upon meeting them), but we were wrong. A year ago, we heard about a pair of sisters from Rwanda, in Africa, and once we saw their beautiful, sad, dark, obsidiian faces, we could not say no! Efforts were then made to try to adopt the girls; it's been a joyful, uphill ride ever since! :)
The boys have since fallen in love with their new African sisters, and they are delighting in teaching them English, and although the little one (Spirit) is rather shy, they are both beautiful kids, and they have managed to wrap themselves around our hearts! :)
Even though we don't have kids who are disabled, we would like to adopt one, give them a sense of hope, and of course, lots of love!
Well, Louisiana, thanks for letting me ramble on here. I tend to do that whenever excited. I do hope to hear from you; I'd love to learn more about your "Miracle Family" and what makes y'all tick! :)
God bless you, Louisiana, and thanks for caring for some of society's neediest children! You are truly angels at work for the Lord! :)
Most sincerely,
Jill Colleen McCullough, Skiatook, Oklahoma (mother of Willow, Clancy, Quinn, and Spirit). :)
Cute pic, and entertaining introduction from yet another incredible character. How do you DO it? I'm still trying to figure out the entire Sandusky clan!!!!!!!! LOL Well done.
