This is a third family I have created. Like the Sandusky and Pearsons, the family has taken in children nobody else wanted, children with serious physical or mental needs. This family lives in Columbus, Ohio. (As with the previous two families, this family is entirely of my imagination.)
My name is Franklin Paul Evans, and I am a contracter here in the city of Columbus, Ohio. I am married to Loretta, who is my wife (she is a homemaker; she stays home with the kids), and we have 15 kids in our family.
Our children range in age from 2 months on up to 17 years; and all are adopted.
We have 8 boys and 7 girls in our family; and they come from places like China, Korea, India, Bosnia-Hergozovina, America, and Guatemala. Our children, from the youngest to the oldest, are named: Matthew Tobias (2 months; he is from New York), Lukas Daniel (2; he is from Bosnia), Camillia Jyoti (3; she was born in India), Gregory Kim (4; he was born in Korea),Maylee Yun (5; she came to us from China), Tiffany Lynn (7; she is from Georgia), Manuelo Garza (7; he is from Guatemala), America Renee' (8; she is from India), Gabriella Rosita (9; she is from Guatemala), Paris Francine (9; she is from Texas), Timberly Nicole (10; she is from Ohio, our only one who is from Ohio; she was born in Mansfield), Heath Suck Joo Kim Franklyn (11; he is from Korea), Neddie
Paulito (12; he is from Guatemala), Cayden Radimir (14; he is from Bosnia), and Dalton Sarik Paine (17; he was our first adopted child, and he came to us from India).
All of these beautiful children are disabled in one way or another. Heath, Cayden, and Camillia are all hearing-impaired; America has spina bifida; Neddie has Down's syndrome; Dalton and Matthew both have facial abnormalities; Timberly has Treacher-Collins (she is hearing-impaired, too, but she had a cochlear implant, and she can talk normally; she no longer uses sign language unless it is to communicate with Heath, Cayden, and Camillia); Manuelo, Lukas, Maylee, and Tiffany all have epilepsy and have seizures to varying degrees (Lukas seems to have the worst problem with seizures); Gabriella has cerebral palsy and is mentally impaired (she is in a wheelchair, and she is tube-fed); Paris has Tourette's and is autistic; and Gregory had a stroke when he was a baby, and he walks on crutches and can't talk well (although he is still having therapy to improve his speech).
All of these children present many challenges, as you can vey well imagine, but each and every day with these beautiful children makes it worthwhile. We love children, and we have been blessed by a Loving Saviour, who brought these Precious Miracles to our household; and our lives have definitely been enriched and full of countless blessings and joy. This is our calling: adopting special-needs children nobody else would otherwise want; and we have been fortunate to have met other families with special-needs children when we have gone on annual picnics put on by Holt International or to adoption seminars. We have made friends with the Sanduskys of Tennessee (they have an unbelievable 50 children--most special-needs!--), the Pearsons of Texas (they have 9 children--and are about to add two more to their family--), the Yanceys of Pennsylvania (they have 5 kids, all special-needs), and the Porters of Oregon (they have 12 kids, 8 adopted and also special-needs).
It is nice to know that there are others out there who are willing to adopt kids with heartbreaking physical or mental handicaps and give them a chance at life; and it is nice to know that that they are all Christian and believe in a Loving Lord and Saviour. If only more people could open their hearts or homes and take in such children, then their lives would be so enriched and meaningful; and there wouldn't be so many beautiful children out there who are in desperate need of a family or a home!
WOW, karen, more characters! i don't know how you keep up with all of them...you're an amazing writer, and your characters are amazing works of love! :) (((HUGS))) and love, karla. can't wait to read more about them!
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My name is Franklin Paul Evans, and I am a contracter here in the city of Columbus, Ohio. I am married to Loretta, who is my wife (she is a homemaker; she stays home with the kids), and we have 15 kids in our family.
