This is a story of two brothers. The brother on the left is named Anthony. He is the youngest of a family of 10. His Mom is a totally normal Catholic, who had a big time job, quit it to start home-schooling her family, had a son who got cancer at age 3 and then died of cancer at age 10, and then soon after his death said Yes to Life Again (because a Holy Catholic Death teaches us that Life is Precious and Wonderful). Anthony was born with Down Syndrome. It was a big shock at his birth. I'm sure a few tears were shed. Then this totally, average, Catholic Mom (with A LOT on her plate remember the 8 older surviving siblings) put together this totally awesome support nework her beloved son in a rural area where previously those services were almost non-existant.
Now Anthony is a gem of a guy. Funny! The light of our parish. (He's making funny faces at me while I tease him behind my camera because why should the guy look dignifed inside a courtroom.)
Then there was a little boy (on the right) who was born to a woman "in trouble." The world saw him as a problem because his Mom wasn't rich, or married, or totally 100% expecting him. His Mom chose life. She picked out a bunch of perspective adoptive families and set up a birth plan. Then her son Dylan was born, and no one expected him to have Down Syndrome. So the prospective adoptive families went away.
This boy showed up on some blogs begging for prayers, begging for a Mama. There are faithful readers of this blog who actually said prayers for this little boy to find a home. AND MY FRIEND ANSWERED. Remember, she's totally normal and has a lot on her plate. One Sunday in February, she raised her hand during 'prayers and concerns" and said "(something soft and uninteligable..) there is this baby with Down Syndrome....(something soft ).... next week."
It's hard for me to hear over Tess sometimes in Mass, so I just assomed there was a baby with Down Syndrome who needed heart surgery next week. Being the incredibly nosy girl I am, I wondered over to my friend after Mass and said "what is the name of this baby who is now on my prayer list.." and she said "it's OUR Baby, We're adopting him! We leave tomorrow!" Oh my goodness!
The first time they brought the new baby to church, there was a rush of Mama trying to get a look at him. Everyone prayed. Everyone loved.
On Friday, he got officially adopted. It was an unbelievable day-- and we haven't even hit his baptism day yet. I looked at this baby (who slept) and remembered all of your Adoption Day posts, and it was that incredible. Love is amazing. Love is so ordinary.
It's so hard to write this but 90 % of all Down Kids are aborted. Here are two brothers--safegaurded by two women's Christian Faith. A gift to a tiny country parish. These brothers have parents that have already started remolding their basement into the coolest "bachleor pad" for these brothers when they turn 18. Right now they are only 2 and 1! On that day that was so full of hope, I joked "I've already seen your pad man and its' pretty hip!" In my heart, I just thought, "Maybe they won't even need it!' Who says these beloved prayed for brothers won't go out and stun us all with their growth and independence. They already made it to birth. They already made it home!
God bless all the adoptive parents out there. St. Thomas Moore, pray for us!
