Ledger's family

January 2024
Our family has had a connection with adoption since we were a young couple. Witnessing the blessings of adoption in our lives early on inspired us to pursue adoption for our family once further pregnancies became dangerous after our first child. We adopted our second child from birth and then, once we were ready for another, opened our hearts to older children who have difficulty finding a forever home. We found Ledger through unlikely means and methods, but once we got the call, we said yes and haven't looked back.

Ledger has had a long road to find himself with us. A survivor of neglect for much of his life, Ledger has a resilient nature and a very kind and helping heart. Empathy is his super power and he connects with anyone who will allow it. His rapid transition into our lives, while turbulent at times, has been a very welcome addition to our family.

To any family considering the adoption of a Down Syndrome child: they are filled with love, compassion, empathy, kindness, and loads of fun. They are some of the sweetest and most genuine people you will ever meet. They are resilient and can find a place in any family who is willing to accept them.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their

trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

James 1:27

January 2, 2025

Greetings and God Bless, to all of those who have supported us over the past year. The depth of our gratitude cannot be expressed for the out-pouring of prayer and support we have

received this last year. Our family has been truly blessed through what has honestly been some of the toughest, and most rewarding, times in our lives. With abundant gratitude, Sarah, Hadassah,

Cosette, Ledger, and myself thank you for the sacrifices and consideration you have given us.

In December 2022, God put on our hearts to pursue adoption once again. Our family was willing and God had blessed us with the capacity to care for more children. Over the course of 6 months of

certification and much searching, we received little to no inquiries from any state or agency. Many thought my career as a discouraging attribute and so we resigned ourselves to waiting for God’s

timing. At the end of July 2023, we received a call from Choosing Hope Adoptions in Ohio, asking if we would be interested in adopting a 6 year old boy. We said yes. They then informed us he has

Downs Syndrome, and asked if we were still interested. Again, we said yes. They then proceeded to tell us he needed to be placed in the next 1-3 weeks. So, in span of a few heartbeats we quickly

committed to rapid plans to get to Ohio and meet Ledger. Over the course of the next several weeks we made rapid travel plans, jumped around AirBnB’s, met Ledger, waited for clearance to travel,

took Ledger home, and then hastily rearranged our lives to accommodate our new son. The course of this first month was full of anxiety, fear, and many tears. We were buckling under the stress of this

new addition and felt lost and unsure more than once. If it were not for the prayers and actions of those around us, we would not have made it through as well as we did. Thank you to everyone at

Choosing Hope who got us through the initial phase of this transition.

Over the last year Ledger has made strides in many areas of development and health. We were able to get him enrolled in school where he receives many therapies and has formed strong bonds with his teacher and classmates. The big school district of Albuquerque was slow to adapt, but we are very happy how it all worked out. We also had a very attentive and committed pediatrician who gave a

whole slew of referrals to sift through. Overall, Ledger is in great health, considering his condition and history. In February he had tonsils and adenoids removed with some ear tubes placed, this has

done wonders to improve sleep and limit infections. His hearing and behavior have also noticeably improved. We are also happy to report progress in the potty training front.

After slight delays in the finalization of this adoption, we are happy to report that on July 8th, 2024, Ledger Bowen Dimmett officially joined our family and legally assumed our name.

Not long after finalization, I received word that my application to a position in Montgomery, Alabama was accepted. It’s a bit complicated, and a true mess of bureaucracy, but God has allowed the vast

amount of paperwork to proceed relatively smoothly with minimal complications, a true miracle if I’ve ever seen one! We moved just before Thanksgiving and have been spent the last month settling

into our new home, hopefully for a while.Some background: We had originally expected our adoption to come through a state agency, and this was our goal in order to 1) potentially provide a home

for older children and 2) avoid too much financial investment upfront. Well, due to staffing shortages in the state of New Mexico, they refused to certify us unless we became foster parents. So we

worked with the private agency All Faiths Adoption Services to receive certification. Then, due to the unique circumstance Ledger was in, his adoption was processed by Choosing Hope, another

private adoption agency. Working with two separate private agencies, combined with last minute travel plans, led to a much heavier financial investment than expected.

There are several people and organizations I would like to thank. First, the Barnett’s from Ohio graciously offered their AirBnB for free several days while we waited for clearance to travel. The staff

at Choosing Hope, specifically Angela, Jenna, and Ashley, provided expert guidance on the benefits Ledger was entitled and how to navigate the mess of government bureaucracy. Rebecca, and the

staff at All Faiths, were also always ready to assist throughout the process. The adoption support agencies of GLADS and Show Hope provided much welcomed financial support beyond anything we

expected. And our friends Joel and Courtney showed what amazing faithfulness they have with a generous financial gift as well. Like much of this experience, expressing our feelings in words is a

difficult task. All I can say is thank you, from the bottoms of our heart.

Forgive me while I close with one theological point: The actions of all those mentioned in this letter (and many not mentioned) are true and pure fruits of faithfulness to God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The action of faith produces fruit, and our conscience and deliberate involvement in God’s will is a vitalaspect of salvation.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more

in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12-13

Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the

will of My Father in heaven.

Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in

Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'

And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Matthew 7:20-23

Just as Matthew 7 alludes, talk is cheap, action must follow. I am so proud to have been able to know or come into contact with such faithful, fruit-bearing, people. Your actions are true examples to

emulated and replicated. Thank you for your stewardship of the talents God has given you. I am sure my family is one recipient of many you or your organizations have impacted.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,

knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Thanks be to God! We give all praise to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen. May His blessings be always upon us and you. With eternal gratitude,

August 2024

Once we were settled in last fall, the rush of medical and therapy appointments began. He had never had proper evaluation before, so we let the pediatrician conduct a myriad of tests which have thankfully revealed no major issues. We have been able to enroll Ledger into a loving school setting where he makes friends and receives much of his therapy. He just started up again for the fall semester, and was very excited to begin again.

We finalized his adoption in July, just one day after his birthday. So now he is officially a Dimmett! The finalization took longer than normal, but because of the unique way he was adopted, we fought to ensure state and federal assistance was available, not only for Ledger, but for future children as well. The state was withholding support and ignoring federal law, saying he didn't qualify, so we delayed finalization to secure a change in state policy for future children. Thank God, it worked and the state now recognizes their error.

At the end of July we finally took a trip home to Idaho to introduce Ledger to the rest of our family. He was received with love and was sad to leave. He enjoyed swimming in the Lake (which we don't have much access to in NM) and seeing grandparents.

We begin another adventure this fall when we move to Alabama for my next military assignment. Hopefully, this will be the last of our moves for a long time. Ledger is continuing to grow like a weed and remains as resilient as ever. His speech is becoming more and more understandable, making communication less challenging for some who aren't familiar with his "language".