Farrah’s Family

 For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to adopt. I was adopted and just knew I would love to adopt one day, but not just adopt. I wanted to adopt a child who was blessed with an extra chromosome. So I prayed, and I prayed. Things would be on my heart and I felt so strong about it, so I would tell my husband, James. This was not my husband’s dream, it was not his prayer. So I continued to pray that God either take this urge away completely or show me what He wants. Fast forward to February of 2024. I was talking with my friend Amber about this feeling that this was truly a calling for our family but James was not on board. She said just keep praying, that I would get an answer. James shut it down and I completely stopped thinking about it, I thought this was God’s way of telling me it’s not His will. Little did I know The Lord had something big up His sleeve. Two weeks later: Amber is cutting a ladies hair, Jen, and she mentions her husband has been really upset about a little girl with Down syndrome. See this little girl is 9 and was adopted as an infant by her grandmother because her mother was an addict. Now her grandmother was sick and dying in hospice and this little girl would have no family to take her in. She would be taken to a group home in a nearby city. This didn’t sit well with Jen’s husband who met this beautiful little girl when he went to visit her grandmother, so he told his wife. His wife then told Amber. Amazed by the “coincidence”, Amber told me. My text from Amber said “Brittany, maybe this is why this has been on your mind so much, maybe this is The Lord’s plan” (or something along those lines). But remember, James just told me he didn’t think it was for our family. So I asked him to pray about it. James asked God to give him a clear sign, but he didn’t tell me this until later. Over the next few days I was truly amazed at all the prep work the Lord did in our lives to prepare to hear about Farrah. I spoke with Farrah’s family and learned that she has a family who love her but could not give her the attention she needs. I learned that this sweet girl was diagnosed with not only Down syndrome but autism, is non verbal, incontinent, and on a feeding tube. I fell in love, without even meeting her. A week after her grandmother passed, I got to meet sweet Farrah, and when she left I cried. I cried hard, I ugly cried. I didn’t know how we would do this. I didn’t want to take away the attention from our three children who were at the time 13, 11, and 3. I also didn’t want to see Farrah be placed in foster care. By this time we learned that the group home denied her. James and I talked about it and decided if it’s the Lords will it will happen, we will just wait and see. At the beginning of April we had a home study to make sure we will be able to take Farrah into our home and next week the family will go to court to hopefully sign guardianship over to our family. The past few months have been an absolute whirlwind, completely lead by the Lord. Looking back I see how much He has put into our lives to prepare us for Farrah. Starting years back, to when I first started praying about adopting. I married a man who has a cousin with autism, and whose aunt works in the special needs field. We have become friends with families over the last 5 years who foster, and friends who have adopted children with special needs. The same special needs Farrah has. I was asked to teach kindergarten, with no teaching degree, only to take in one of my students and her sister for a few months later, and prepare our daughter to share her room. We were brought to a church where we have an amazing community. I would later find out Farrah’s great aunt attends the same church. Three years ago we moved into a home to be next to my parents. Little did we know the Lord would place a hair stylist neighbor in our back yard who would have a child with Down syndrome, a feeding tube, and the same heart condition as sweet Farrah. Who would one day cut Jen’s hair. On April 26, Farrah was brought to live with our family and on September 25 we were given guardianship. There has been no question in my mind that the Lord has answered my prayer and handed me the answer on a silver platter. The answer is not exactly what I thought it would look like, but is it ever? I know that we are exactly what Farrah needs and she is exactly what the Lord has prepared us for. We have a village to help us raise and love this sweet girl we have the privilege of calling ours. I am beyond thankful.