At five-months-old, Nicholas was placed into the foster home of Teresa Dood and her two daughters. It was love at first sight when these three saw his sweet face and irresistible smile. As each month passed, Nicholas knit closer into the fibers of their family. He wasn’t a placement; he was a member. As Nicholas […]

We all have something to say. We all have our own way of saying it. And that is beautiful. That makes the world a better, more diverse place. In December 2016, another voice entered the world. It belonged to Theo. As a baby, he enjoyed sharing his opinion with bright and affectionate sounds. After his […]

At age five, Eliana flew from Ghana to live in Michigan with her new family. Her nickname, which she prefers, is Kosie. It is similar to her Ghanaian name, Akos. The meaning of the name Eliana is “God has answered.” To her parents, Eliana Akos Wetters is indeed an answered prayer. She has filled their […]

“At four months of age, Ruby was diagnosed as hypotonic, and an MRI two months later showed microcephaly (an abnormally small head) and Leukoencephalopathy (decreased white matter in the brain). In the ensuing months and years, we have pursued numerous neurological, ophthalmological, physical, and genetic evaluations and tests. The doctors have not yet provided a […]

“Parker Ann was a happy baby, though she wasn’t meeting the typical milestones of sitting up, rolling over, and crawling. At ten months old, she was officially diagnosed with Agenesis of Corpus Callosum (ACC). In Parker Ann’s brain, the corpus callosum, which connects the two cerebral hemispheres, is absent. Because of this, her motor, sensory, […]

Marissa is a girl on the move. She loves going places…museums, camping, parks, and any place with a Merry-Go-Round. If it were up to Marissa, she would have plans booked for every weekend. It is her confident and adventurous spirit that drives her to learn and study subjects ranging from the human body to the […]

“Being a teenager is hard. Being a teenager with spina bifida has its share of unique challenges. When Gramm was little, it was exciting to see his independence and skills grow . . . to take those first few steps, to use a walker, to walk with single pole canes. Now, as a growing teenager, […]

“Thank you will never do justice to express our sincere gratitude for blessing James with this scholarship. We wanted to use the scholarship to enable James to learn sign language so he has a way to communicate once he loses his hearing. It is important to equip my son for his future. I never want […]