The first thing you notice about Haad are his eyes.  Big, dark brown, long-lashed, they don't miss a trick.  You also notice his missing lower limbs and the fact that he uses his hands (or two crutches) to propel himself from place to place.

We have had Haad Asul since March of last year; it's been an emotional journey.  He came to us from war-torn Iraq, needing medical care, not to mention, a home or a family that he could call his own. 

We were more than eager to jump to the task; we couldn't have been more blessed.

Haad had his lower limbs blown off by a suicide bomber.  His family, the bomber, and approximately ten more people were killed; Haad survived, but barely.  It was a horrible way to get injured.

Haad was immediately flown to a hospital in Baghdad, where doctors worked valiantly to save his life.  Unfortunately, due to the gravity of his injuries, his legs could not be saved:  they were amputated just below his thighs.  He  needed to have his legs amputated in order to save his life.

For months, little Haad remained in a hospital, recovering from his injuries.  He spent many more months in rehab, relearning how to do things from a wheelchair or how to walk on crutches. 

After that, Haad was flown to Germany, for more surgery, rehab.  He was a very scared little boy who was prone to nightmares as he relived the bomb blast in his mind.  He became a favorite of the nurses and doctors who took care of him.

It was while he was in Germany when the call went out for anybody to adopt him.  It was discovered that he was an orphan; he had nobody to take care of him.  He also needed to have more extensive surgery and rehabilitation, preferably in America.

That was when the German embassy contacted us, told us about Haad's situation.  When we saw his picture that they'd sent us, we could not say no.  That was how Haad came to stay with us.

We are now in the process of adopting Haad.  He's grown to love us, but he's still learning how to trust people.  He is still prone to nightmares just about every night; it isn't unusual for us to be ripped from a deep sleep by his screams of terror.  He is seeing a child psychiatrist to help him deal with the post traumatic disorder he's suffered as a result of the war back in his native country of Iraq.

He is slowly coming around, but he has a very long way to go before the awful memories, nightmares are gone for good.

Our family  has grown by one.  A beautiful little eight year old boy named Haad Asul is our newest member, and we love him deeply.  He calls us mom and dad, and he calls Heather, Ryan, and Dakodah his sister and brothers.  Life is indeed much improved for our little guest, and we are already counting the days to where he will officially be our son.

We can't wait!

~To be continued.~