Since Everyone's Talking About Health Care
>> Tuesday, March 16, 2010
There are two things that God is using in our lives right now to cause us to have to deepen our dependence on Him. One is our Ethiopian adoption. The other is keeping our son covered with medical insurance. In case you didn’t already know Harry has a condition called Sturge Weber Syndrome. The vascular birthmark (called a Port Wine Birthmark) that is on his face is also on his brain and causes him to have seizures. He takes a very expensive drug called Keppra twice a day to manage the seizures.
Because of the Sturge Weber and a couple of other medical problems, Harry is uninsurable. Our only hope of keeping him insured is a program called Katie Beckett Medicaid. The good news is that he was accepted to the Katie Beckett program as of February 17th. The bad news is that we can’t get anyone at Chatham Country DCFS to enter his information into the system so that the doctors and pharmacists can know he is covered.
As of today we’re about to run out of Keppra. The Keppra actually keeps him from having seizures and the seizures can cause brain damage and developmental delays. Today, as a last resort I called the Epilepsy Foundation. Not only did I immediately hear a voice on the other end of the line but I found him both cheerful and helpful. After only a few questions he made arrangements to make sure that Harry has his medication for the next month. We are very thankful to the good folks at www.epilepsyga.org for helping us when we needed it most. If anyone at the Epilepsy Foundation ever calls and asks for money know that it will be going to a good cause.
Update: Finally heard from the social worker this afternoon. She needs a couple of documents faxed over but she won’t be in again until Thursday at which time if she gets the information entered it will be 10 days before Harry is fully covered. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to government run health care!
Conference Call
>> Thursday, March 11, 2010
We spent some time on a conference call with America World this afternoon. I think this was my first conference call. I was thrown off by the voice telling me to introduce myself as I came on. I debated in my mind for a few moments before deciding to hold off on that. The delay was definitely the right call. Apparently regular conference callers know to disregard those opening instructions.
I can’t say we learned anything particularly new but it was definitely good to hear some specifics about the situation with the additional trip. There are positives to this, not the least of which is that because we will both meet our boy before the court appearance he will be able to obtain US citizenship the moment he sets foot on US soil. Also, it was pointed out that we will have more opportunities to enjoy getting to see Ethiopian culture.
I would classify yesterday as moderate to severe on the “momentary crisis” meter for this adoption. I think one’s natural first reaction is, “Are we doing the right thing?” But prayer, conversation and some sage advice from Erika’s sister helped us see that there’s really no reason to deviate from the path that we believe God has placed us upon.
Unexpected
>> Wednesday, March 10, 2010
In the adoption process we have learned to expect the unexpected. Today we received some news from our agency that definitely qualifies as unexpected. One of the reasons we felt that the Lord was leading us to Ethiopia was because it only required one trip. We felt that due to Harry’s health issues it would be wise for us to pursue an adoption in a country that only requires one short visit. Because of the cost of international travel this also cuts down on the overall expense.
The news today is that Ethiopia will now be requiring parents to make two trips. The first trip will be for the purpose of appearing in court. The second trip, three months later, will be to pick up our son. Obviously this is a big surprise on both fronts. We'll have to make two lengthy overseas trips and it will cost an additional $6,000. There will be lots to pray about in the coming days. We’d certainly appreciate it if you would join us as we seek the Lord’s direction for moving forward.
What's Next?
>> Monday, March 8, 2010
The most overwhelming challenge of adoption is the cost. By the time all is said and done it will cost between $25,000 and $30,000 to bring our little boy home from Ethiopia. We started the process because of a generous gift from a dear friend that covered the initial fees. We are now trusting the Lord to provide the rest. We’re working hard to get the money together, applying for grants and doing some fundraisers, but we have a long way to go. We know that providing a loving Christian family for a child who would otherwise grow up in an orphanage or on the streets is worth the cost. Here’s what we still need:
We need $5,600 more to take the next step. It’s been five months and our paperwork is finally finished. That’s a huge step, but we can’t send our dossier to our agency so it can be sent to Ethiopia until we’re able to send a large check with it. Once the money and our dossier are submitted the wait to be matched with our son can begin.
Once we are matched with our child we will need about $12,000 so that we can go meet him and bring him home. This amount will cover what remains of our adoption fees (about $5,000) and the cost of travel to Ethiopia and back (about $7,000).
We will continue to work hard to raise the necessary funds but we still need help. We would be grateful if you would consider contributing to our adoption. America World has a program called “Eternal Family” that allows our friends and family to give tax-deductible gifts towards our adoption. If you’re interested in this we can e-mail you a form to send to America World and they’ll send you a receipt. You can also donate directly through Pay Pal using the “donate” button at the top of this page.
Thank you for your interest in our family’s adoption. We’ll keep you posted.
Black Children an Endangered Species?
>> Wednesday, March 3, 2010
This image is appearing on billboards around the metro-Atlanta area. Dr. Mohler has an excellent article about the effects legalized abortion has had on the black community and one woman who is trying to do something about it. Here is a shocking statistic: 18,870,000 black babies have been aborted since Roe v. Wade. That is a staggering loss of humanity.
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