The story of a special family in Tennessee who have taken in children with impossible special needs that often impede with normal life. The story is shared by one of their neighbors who sees them on a daily basis.
I don't know how they do it.
I have some neighbors who are pretty amazing. They have a whole houseful of kids, but there is so much love and hope it doesn't seem real; but somehow it is. This is their incredible story.
Take the couple, for example. They both work (they both work part time; the father, Bill Sandusky, works as a greeter at Wal*Mart, and his wife, Louisiana, works the early morning shift at a local hospital here in town, where she is a nurse), but they still find time to be with their children and give them the love and attention they need. They are very loving and caring towards their children, and they also instill disciplinary action whenever the time calls for it; and because of this, the children are all very well-behaved. The children know right from wrong, and they know that if they misbehave they are going to get punished; so they try to be on their best behavior (they DO have their moments, though; all kids do!). This is especially true whenever they go out in public; you never saw such a well behaved group of children in your life!
The children are also quite amazing in themselves. They have all overcome incredible odds, and a lot of them have special needs that are quite apparent; yet the parents don't focus on their disabilities. Instead, they focus on their ABILITIES, and they treat them just like any other child: NORMALLY. The children are also allowed to sing and play music or play sports if they are interested, and they are never pushed or pressured into doing so. A lot of the kids are quite talented. One little girl is striving to become a young country singer, and she has a beautiful voice; and she has been on national tv more than once. Another little girl is a medal-winning little dancer and gymnast. One little boy is also quite talented at singing and music, but seems more interested in playing video games or collecting Pokeman cards!
The children are also unique because they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and it is like looking at a patchwork quilt when you see this family. There are kids of Oriental, Hispanic, Native American, African or African American, or Caucasian backgrounds, and some of the kids are also racially-mixed, giving them a unique heritage. There are skinny kids and fat kids, kids who are tall and kids who are small, and kids who are handicapped and kids who are healthy. Yet, despite all this diversity in their backgrounds, all of these kids are united as one, and they are now part of one unique family, thanks to adoption. Because of adoption, these children are very much loved by their parents, and they are going to have a chance to succeed in life because someone cared enough to give these special children a home and a life, something a good portion of them have never had before.
Like, for example, Enriquesa. She was abandoned shortly after her birth in Guatemala because she was born without arms or hands or even legs, and she was also born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and was born a little person (a dwarf). Now she is five years old, and is getting around better than most people on her shiny purple walker and prosthetic limbs, and she is going to start kindergarten in the fall.
Or, as another example, Johnny. He was born in Germany, born premature, weighing only 2 pounds; but the little fellow proved to be scrappy, and he survived. He was also diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at one year of age and survived not one, but two, devastating bouts of meningitis (the first, of which, left him both brain damaged and auditorily and visually impaired). Now Johnny is ten years old, and he is still amazing doctors each and every day with his courage and his willingness to survive even the most trying of odds. He wasn't expected to live to the age of five; now he is going to be 11 in December, and he is a very happy little guy.
Unfortunately, doctors give him little hope of him making it to his 13th birthday, but Johnny is more than determined to beat his disease, and nothing pleases him more than to be able to continue to do the things he loves most, and he has such a mature attitude about death and dying, and he also talks about going to Heaven, "where he won't need his chair no more and he can then walk and then run like a cheetah".
A third example is Ronee', who is also going to be 11 in December. She, too, was born premature, but she has battled back from numerous respiratory crises, allergies, and asthma, and she is becoming a fine little country singer whose goal is to become a member of the prestegious Grand Ole Opry. She also lives with the daily struggles of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and walks with crutches and leg braces, but from her sunny smile and outgoing personality, one would never know that she is in a lot of pain. It is a very rare day when you see that she IS in pain; but you do know that she IS hurting. (She is going to have knee replacement surgery in a few weeks and will be laid up for part of the summer, but already she is looking forward to getting back to her crutches as soon as her knee has recovered enough from the surgery!)
Johnny, Enriquesa, and Ronee' are but three of the many Miracle Children that Bill and Louisiana Sandusky have taken into their hearts and home, and miracles are commonplace and are an every day occurance in THIS family. Every day you hear (or see) of miracles taking place, such as the three above stories, or even when Jodie, another one of their children who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and brain damage, uttered her first words just this past year and is now learning to express herself and make her wants and needs known, just like any other child. (Jodie is going to be 12 years old next month.)
Now their household has gone from just a dozen children to a mind-boggling 50 children, and the love and hope continues to flow from their house. The children are all growing so fast, and each are learning new and exciting things every day; and life for them all is nothing but one big adventure. The Sandusky Family's motto is, not surprisingly, "Never Give Up". It seems that God has blessed this couple with children nobody else wanted, and each child has flourished under both Bill and Louisiana's unending love and devotion.
Now their story will be told in a forthcoming book, being written by Louisiana Sandusky, herself, and even more people will know about what I already know now about this special family. God has indeed blessed this family, and every day more blessings continue to fall.
I am indeed grateful to know this family on a personal basis, and I am grateful to include them as my friends. They are certainly wonderful people, with much in the way of hope, love, and faith to spare, and many people can learn a lot from them. I know I have!
I don't know how they do it.
