British Couple Adopts Limbless Filipino Baby
When Adrianne and Jason Stewart decided to adopt another child two years ago, they did not think they would be bringing home a child with special needs.
But when they saw the happy, glowing face of six-month-old Maria, who lived in an orphanage in the Philippines, they knew she was their child, reported Daily Mail.
There was just one thing they would have to figure out how to overcome: Maria was born without arms or legs, the report said.
“When we found our daughter, we did not think that we were qualified or prepared enough to parent a child like her, a child born without arms and legs, but we knew that we could love her and that loving her was what mattered most,” Adrianne Stewart reportedly wrote on Facebook, alongside a video of the story of her daughter’s adoption.
The post was viewed more than 700,000 times after being shared on the popular blog Love What Matters. The family also documents their touching journey on YouTube, said the news portal.
The couple, who live in West Jordan, Utah, already had three children, including a child adopted from Philippines, but they knew they wanted another.
When they reportedly called an adoption agency, Hand in Hand, they were given a list of available youngsters, and instantly fell in love with the picture of smiling, chipmunk-cheeked Maria, who was six months old. They flew to the Chosen Children Village in the Philippines to get to know their new daughter and bring her home.
Despite Maria’s physical issues, they felt they had to adopt her, and would overcome the difficulties – which they insist turned out not to be so difficult anyway.
“We were scared to begin with, not knowing what to expect, but everything has fallen into place,” Stewart reportedly told CBS News. “It seems like a big thing when you start out, but everything just works out.”
The mom reportedly said Maria is ‘very loving’ and even insists that her teddy bear gets fed before her. She has physical, speech, and occupational sessions and has started preschool.
As for the practicalities of having a child without limbs, the Stewarts are tackling those one at a time, and finding help in unexpected places.
When Maria made it clear she wanted to feed herself, the couple went to Home Depot looking for tools to make her some kind of self-feeder, but they were at a loss what to buy and how to make it.
Soon, an employee stepped up and not only told them how to make a self-feeder, but offered, with other employees, to make it for Maria, reported Daily Mail.
“Just out of the kindness of [the employee’s] heart, not seeking anything in return, she wanted to do this for our sweet girl. How amazing is that?” Stewart reportedly wrote.
A dentist also created a custom-designed mouthpiece for Maria. Various implements for writing or using a computer or other tasks can then be inserted at the end of the mouthpiece.
(Source: FilipinoTimes.ae)