Donate for Buddy Walk!

DONATE FOR BUDDY WALK TEAM - GREW BY 2 www.firstgiving.com/meghandickinson
or donate directly from the sidebar to first giving.

We are excited once again to have this wonderful opportunity to participate in Buddy Walk 2010. We have a team, Grew By 2. Last year was our first year to participate as a family with children of our own who have Ds. What a celebration that was. To think just last year Marcus & Macey were in an orphanage with no hope of a family. God called us & we went. Now, a year & a half later we are at a walk to celebrate them. The DSACO has been so good to our family. They are such a great support as a new family learning about Ds & meeting other families too. We were given a wonderful opportunity because DSACO had grants in place to support families wanting to attend the National Down syndrome conference in Orlando, FL. That's right, one year Macey is in a bed in an orphanage & the next she is at the Magic Kingdom meeting a princess, Cinderella. I do feel like we have been given a fairytale but I know better. GOD has given us the gift of Ds with the lives of Marcus & Macey. Our hearts have been opened to another community we were missing out on. I thank God he chose us to rescue M&M. It's our turn to "give back" & help raise funds & awareness for the DSACO. With YOUR help we can meet our goal. Last year we raised $600 in 6 days. Because we have 2 children with Ds to support we raised our goal to $1,000. If everyone gave something we could reach our goal. We have just 10 days to do it. We could reach our goal if everyday we received $100, 10 people gave $100 each, 20 of you gave $50, 40 of you gave $25 you get the idea. We need your support. No gift is too small. Every dollar counts. This cause is near & dear to our hearts. Please won't YOU support Marcus & Macey as we celebrate them & the many others with Ds at Buddy Walk 2010.
Blessings!

On our way to Philly, PA

It was confirmed today that Marcus WILL be seen next month in Philly, PA. We have waited for months to get this far. Let me start a few months back. Marcus turned 4 on March 1st. Time for his well child visit & routine yearly blood work. No problem. Our wonderful pediatrician reminded me that Marcus needed to be tested for AAI/AOI (unstable neck - like a bobble head). This condition is not uncommon for children with Ds & something that we needed to test for at the age of 4. We had Macey tested last year at Saints & it was just awful. First of all she was already 4 when we came home so she was tested pretty quickly, along with her routine work up as well. The pitiful people did not know what they where testing for. It took FOREVER. It did not help that a man was the one holding her still, as was I. That's another story. Anyway, we where going to another facility. One that works with children would be nice. We made the apt. & where literally in & out in an hour. From the time we dropped the car off with valet to the time we picked it up. Score! The x-ray results concluded that we needed to follow up with a neurosurgeon. An appointment was made quickly and an MRI done as well, sedated I might add. With those results we met the ONLY neurosurgeon here in OKC that Marcus would qualify seeing (because of his condition). I took my dear friend Alyson with me to hear all the information I was about to receive. I was told that Marcus needed to be restricted from hippo therapy (horse back riding), moon bounces & trampolines. Also, to let his restrictions be known to teachers. therapists, care givers, etc. Sounded serious to me (us). I wondered if he would need surgery. If he needed surgery, when would it be done? What was the surgery like, the recovery? I was led to believe that if he needed surgery it could be done in a short amount of time, like w/in a couple of weeks. She wanted to consult with another doctor before making the final decision. We waited ALL summer long. No decision one way or the other was made. She told our pediatrician we could contact the doctor she was trained under for his opinion. He is in Iowa. That was it. So as a mom I knew that this could not be left undone. Our pediatrician agreed. She said, "They want you to look for this, then when you find it they don't do anything." I remember visiting with one of my "online" friends. A friend I "met" through the wonderful world of adoption through Reece's Rainbow. Her daughter had this surgery & they too had to go out of their state to receive treatment. She was extremely pleased with the doctor, surgery, staff, recovery, etc. I called Renee' with what seemed like a lot of questions. She was kind & patient with me as I drilled her. She gave me all the information I thought I needed so I made the call. I thought I was calling the office number that evening to leave a message for them to call me the next business day. No, I actually called the doctor himself. He answered his phone, answered my questions & is willing to see Marcus. I was stunned. What an answer to prayer. Why? Because we have met our family deductible sometime this year, have nationwide coverage & can go anywhere in network with BC/BS. How do you find THE right doctor (neurosurgeon) for your child when you can pick from the best of the best? The Lord knew I needed His help. Renee' having a great experience & the doctor answering the phone & answering my many questions personally was enough for me to know God was in control. The doctor agreed to see Marcus. I needed to follow up with the care coordinator who would be in after the Labor Day holiday. I worked on our application this weekend. When seeing a doctor at any Shiner's hospital you have to apply to be seen. There are many Shiner hospital's across our country but only 3 that specialize in the spine. One in Sacramento, Chicago & Philly. This doctor is in Philly. The care coordinator called 8:30 Tuesday morning, after the holiday. She took the application over the phone in just a few minutes. I spent WAY to much time on it over the weekend. :) It helped that I had already talked to the surgeon, had a personal reference & she put in our application electronically as we spoke. The doctor would be in Thursday (today) to determine when he could see Marcus. She called again early, this time with an appointment. The first one he had available. He only sees new patients 1x a week, on Thursdays. So in 4 weeks we will be in Philly being seen for Marcus' condition. Please pray for the details of travel, lodging & family life to be easiest on everyone. We have NEVER done anything like this before. Our kids are healthy & go for their well child visits each year. This is ALL new to us. God is in control & I am not. I will update you with details as our trip gets closer. Please begin praying for the doctor, for wisdom in his decision making. I can't even express to you what it will be like if Marcus does indeed need surgery. God knows the answer to that already. I have to trust & obey. I am doing what needs to be done & that's an apt. with a neurosurgeon for my baby in Philly, PA. Who knows maybe they'll serve a cheese steak in the hospital cafeteria. One could hope!
Thank You for thinking of our family & when you do Thank You for praying for us too.
Blessings,
Meghan

I felt small until I read this...

If blogging makes you feel small
Where have I been? Busy reading other blogs. Therefore, I have not written my own. When I have a free moment, which isn't often, I find myself being inspired by what I read. How to be a better wife, better mom, better friend & better Christian. I'm not sure if better is the "right" word but it means I've been trying harder to do all I can to be MY best. I love reading about the lives of those I know, even those I don't. It's amazing how blessed I feel about reading the lives of others. So much so that I've decided to try this again. No, I'm not the best writer nor the best photographer but I have the heart to tell our story. So please won't you continue to follow along. I promise to be my best. I owe it to my children to document their story. This is a good outlet for me. So here we go again...
Blessings,
Meghan

All HE wanted was our YES!

We have dear friends in Ukraine currently adopting their 10 year old little boy, Erik. They have been corresponding with him for months prior to their arrival. Erik would send letters, pictures he'd drawn & a special request that they would please bring his best friend Sergiy home with them. Michael & Denise did not choose to adopt Sergiy along with Erik. That means Sergiy is still adoptable. After many phone conversations with Denise sharing about Eric & his dear friend Sergiy our hearts were stirred. Denise told us what a sweet but shy boy Sergiy is. It was no coincidence that we were given the opportunity to host him, here in OK for the month of August. We were all excited! Tanner said, "I've always wanted a brother." We explained that he was here for a visit, no promises. All along Wayne & I knew it was possible to adopt Sergiy. Eli Project's website read that he was available for hosting & for adoption. It was always in the back of our mind. We knew that we were doing what God had asked us to do, commit to the hosting opportunity. We proceeded with the process. We knew our family budget was not capable of providing $2,000 in just 3 short weeks. We put a plea out to many of you. Within the first day we received word that our first donation was on it's way. God was at work. It didn't take long before I felt the rug being pulled out from under me. Here we were committed to bringing him here, committed to working hard to collect the necessary funds but most importantly committed to opening our hearts & home to a child in need. We said YES to whatever/whoever God had for our family. It is with a humble heart that I share with you that Sergiy will not be coming to our home in August. He is actually being hosted by a family in Florida & a different family has committed to adopting him. Good News for Sergiy! All we ever wanted was what is best for Sergiy. This is the life of a child.
You ask, what happened? We said YES to what was right in front of us, the opportunity to give Sergiy what they call a holiday, a vacation. With a host program you commit to opening your hearts & your home to a child for a determined amount of time & allow the Lord to work. The rest is up to HIM. We were ready for that. We were not however ready to commit to adopting him today. That's not what God called us to do. Wayne & I decided the hosting program was a great opportunity for Sergiy to meet our family, be loved on & maybe just maybe love us back. We were prepared for whatever God had for each of us. The dynamics of our family is not the same. We have changed in the last year. We now have 2 special needs children who are non-verbal. We have two other children who their lives matter a great deal to us too. We brought Marcus & Macey home as family & we were willing to host Sergiy as a family too. It is in the best interest of our family, as of today, to host a 13 year old boy before choosing to go ahead & adopt him. That in itself is a whole other post. That is why the host program is a wonderful opportunity for our family. It's the best of both world's. Unfortunately for us we are not able to host Sergiy in August. I feel like we are missing out on a wonderful blessing. The opportunity is no longer available for us. Sure we can host Sergiy as of today but we are choosing not to. Why? Because a different family has committed to adopting him. What if we allow Sergiy into our hearts & our home & we fall in love with him? What if he loves us back? What if he wants us to adopt him? It's not a risk we're willing to take. We would have been devastated if someone would have adopted Marcus or Macey after we had already committed to them. Is that possible? Absolutely! It's not over until the judge declares them yours. We watched that very thing happen to some dear friends of ours & it was heart breaking. We can not invite him into our lives knowing a family is ready to welcome him home today. Right is right & God will honor that. This is a time when all feelings have to be put aside & know that God is in control & I am not. I have been told God has something better. God's provision is best. I can not wait to see what God has in store next for the Dickinson family.
Please join me as I pray Sergiy home into his Forever Family!
All HE wanted was our YES!
Blessings!

Heavy hearted for the fatherless...Sergiy!

My heart is heavy today. It is heavy for the fatherless. One young man in particular, Sergiy. Please pray for clarity, wisdom & direction. God is not the author of confusion. We want to be obedient in the what the Lord wants from us. We want what is best for Sergiy. His life depends on it.

We have 3 weeks to raise $2,000!

We have been given a deadline. We have 3 weeks to raise the funds necessary to bring Sergiy to America. We need to raise $2,000 + living expenses in order for Sergiy to visit our home for the month of August. The money pays for his travel, visa & all necessary paperwork for him to be a part of the host program. I can not tell you how excited Erik was that we were working so hard for his best friend to join him here in Moore, OK for a month. This gives Erik another something to look forward to as he makes the transition into his Forever Family. I can just see the boys now as Tanner joins them on the trampoline to play. The freedom, laughter & joy will be a moment I'm looking forward to. YOU can help make this a reality. No donation is too small. It takes everyone reading this doing their part then sharing it with others. Sergiy deserves a Forever Family. What Wayne & I have not offer today is our home, our family, our love & our commitment to work hard to give him a wonderful trip to America in August. Please prayerfully consider your part in helping Sergiy's dream come true. Blessings!

Coming to America?

You have the opportunity to help bring a young boy from Ukraine into our home this summer. His name is Sergiy. He is a young boy living in the same orphanage as Erik, the son Michael & Denise Redman are currently adopting. He is said to be quiet & shy but sweet. I would love to open our hearts and home during the month of August to Sergiy. As many of you know after our own personal adoption of Marcus & Macey we do not have it in our monthly budget to pay the expenses necessary to bring him here. The cost is $2000 + the cost of living for the month he is with us. This is an amazing opportunity for him & for our family. We can not do this on our own. We need your support. If 20 people gave $100 each the initial cost would be covered. If 40 people gave $50 the cost would then be covered, you get my point. If everyone gave something this young boy could have a month of freedom & love. You would be blessed knowing you had a part in the changing of this little ones life. Can you imagine how Erik Redman would feel knowing his best friend would be coming to visit shortly after he made his home in America. What a sweet reunion that would be. Why do we want to do such a thing? Because of Sergiy. Just like with the adoption of Marcus & Macey it was always about them. What was best for them. Will it be easy? Not likely. There will be the language barrier. He will speak very little English, if any. But, we can show him he is wonderfully & beautifully made, valued & adored. This month in our home could change his life. We would love to introduce him to our church family & the love & warmth each of you have to offer. We can share the love of Jesus with him. That to me is the why? How? By each of you reading this giving something. We all have something to give our money to. Know that you will be planting a seed in the life of this child. One that I pray will have eternal rewards. Wayne & I know we can not do this on our own. We need your help. Sergiy needs your help. Please pray & ask God how you can support Sergiy in coming to America. This would be his dream come true. Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions. I do not know a lot of details. What I do know is there is an opportunity & a child in need & we want to be used by God to fill it.
Blessings,
Meghan