Monday, March 19, 2007, 5:18 p.m., D.S.T., Nashville, Tennessee~

Dear Shilah Winslow~

You are an amazing woman, to have overcome what you have. I have to admire a person like that. Thanks for writing; it was good to hear from you!

To tell you about myself, Shilah, my name is Louisiana Sandusky. I have been married to my husband, William (Bill) Sandusky for nearly 15 years (it will be 15 years in late June of this year). We did have three children of our own; all died, unfortunately, but God saw to letting us have a family by bringing us children nobody else wanted, children with serious medical, physical, or mental needs.

We haven't looked back since adopting our first two children, Johnathon and Ronee', who are now fourteen years old. We have now adopted a total of fifty-nine children, and we have recently applied to adopt yet another child: soon we will be the parents to sixty children! Are we crazy, or what? LOL

Our children rnge in age from a year to 25. They have disabilities ranging from Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and allergies, Down's syndrome, spina bifida, dwarfism, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, deafness, vision impairments, epilepsy, and missing limbs (either by birth or by accident). Our children come from places like Africa, Europe, Asia, South and Central America, Canada, and the United States; yet through the miracle of international adoption, they are now our children, forever and ever. :)

I am a nurse (charge nurse) at a large hospital here in the Nashville metro area; have been a nurse for over eight years now. I love it. My job is never boring; I love the satisfaction of helping people who are truly in need! That is what gives me the most joy! :)

My husband is disabled; he does work, though: he works as a "people-greeter" at Wal*Mart. He's been there over three years, and he loves his job. He has back problems, has bi-polar depression (he's on medication for that), and arthritis. He also has asthma and allergies. He walks with the help of Lofstrand crutches. (Or he did until he ran over one of them while cutting the lawn a while ago! LOL Now he will have to use his scooter until his crutch--and the mower--are fixed! LOL)

In addition to being a full-time nurse, mamma, and wife, I am also a published author. I have five books out (three about the family, two about nursing). I will be writing more books, the way it looks now. I have so many story ideas in my head it's unreal! I have always loved to write; writing has always been a good outlet for me.

I am busy with an adoption community on the Web that I run. I write to many people around the world; my husband kiddingly says that I should be married to the computer, since I am always on it! LOL I help other families with questions pertaining to adoption, particularly the adoption of children with special needs. I enjoy helping others, and it makes me feel good when a particular family is successful in getting the child they were trying to adopt.

Well, I will write again another day; the kids are hungry for supper. You know how that goes! LOL I'd best go before they end up eating me. LOL Take care, Shilah, and God bless! I hope to hear from you again!

(((HUGS)))  and much love, your new friend in Tennessee, Louisiana Mayrah Sandusky (soon to be the mamma of sixty children!). :D