Here is the long-awaited Poppy Podcast! Listen in as we talk about her birth, the trials, our responses, and our Hope.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Here is the story about Leo. Here is his gofundme page to bring Leo home.
Welcome to Holland essay
Mark’s blog post: No Accident–God’s Gift to Mark and Claudia Hall
health care for Christians: Samaritan Ministries International
another podcast we did, on Samaritan Ministries: An Alternative to Obamacare
our podcast on Ruby is here
study on Self Perceptions From People with Down Syndrome
Pregnant couples who plan to abort Down syndrome babies defend their choice
our blog post Ruby has a PAL for life
This podcast made me cry (a few times) and laugh. Thank you again for sharing your life with all of us. I was blessed listening to it. Thank you. Precious picture of Poppy too!
Just last week I came across your podcasts and website. As a homeschool mom of 10 going on 11 in 3 weeks I love them!
I was so blessed to hear your story of Poppy. 20 years ago next month we were told that our 1st child was missing 3 bands of a chromosome, had a hole in the heart, abnormal growth tissue on one lung that was growing faster than him and pushing his heart over, a blocked kidney and was borderline hydrocephalic. We were told that he seeemd to be fine while I was carrying him, but he probably wouldn’t stand the stress of birth. 3 weeks over due I was induced. He made it through birth, and we took him home set up with hospice. We had one visit with them and decided he seemed to be doing o.k. and we could call them if/when we needed. We never needed to and Boaz will be 20 in Sept. He is profoundly retarded, deaf/blind, crippled. I loved the story on Welcome to Holland. What a beautiful way to describe life with a handicapped child and the change of dreams.
It has been amazing to watch people’s reactions to Boaz. I remember his being around a year old and someone in a store asking about him. When I said how old he was, and he still was floppy like a newborn they enquired whether we knew before he was born that he would have such problems. To which I replied “yes, we found out when I was a little over 4 months along”. “And you still kept him!?” Open door for God. “Yes, we are Christians and believe it is God who gives and takes life. I could never live with myself wondering whether the doctors were really right, and did we really do the right thing. After all, it does seem like they have to give you the worst case scenario so when it’s not quite that bad you’re thrilled.” The individual just made some blundering not sure what to say remark and walked off a little dumbfounded. We were given several opportunities to witness to each doctor and genetics counselor we were sent to as they would ask, “How are you doing with all this, or how do you feel about this”, or even told we are young, no one would blame us if we chose to abort and try again.
A hard thing, but a good thing 20 years ago was the aloneness as we didn’t yet have internet and know of resources and places to go for encouragement from others who have been down the same road. We did find J.Vernon McGees book “Death of a Little Child” comforting and “Angel Unaware” about Roy Rogers down syndrome girl. But other than that it is clinging to the Lord and each other through it all.
May God bless you, your family and your ministry.
Oh my! She is so very cute!!!! Congratulations again!