The two children they fostered — one adopted, the other in the process — had serious medical issues that the couple is helping to overcome.
After finding that they couldn’t have children, “we went through fertility for three years, got pregnant in 2003, and lost the baby,” said Rob.
They were approached and planned to adopt a baby through a teen mom, but she changed her mind after the birth. Then, they started considering fostering and adoption.
Rob and Carolyn live in Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood.
Through Montgomery County Children Services, the couple went through eight months of pre-service classes and received their license to foster/adopt. Less than a year later, they received a call that there was a month-old baby boy with special needs. “He was premature, diagnosed with hydrocephalus and other issues,” said Rob.
The couple didn’t hesitate to say yes, and they brought him home the following day; for six months, the child, named Jude, would only sleep 20-30 minutes at a time.
“That was our most trying time with Jude,” said Carolyn. “His sleeping habits took a toll on us; the other stuff, like special bathing, came easy.”
The couple took him to specialists and therapy for developmental delays, and “by the time he was 12 months old he was released from the developmental clinic at Children’s,” said Rob. “The doctors said that, due to the love and care he was receiving, he began coming out of his developmental issues.”
“Seeing that little guy overcome and outgrow issues, developing daily — it’s a miracle,” Carolyn said.
Fourteen months after taking in Jude, they received a call about another boy with significant medical and health issues, and took the 10-month old into their home.
“He’s now 2-and-a-half and has also been released from several doctors,” said Rob, who believes that the boys have helped one another to thrive.
Carolyn observed that “Jude would be lost without him, and the little guy follows whatever Jude does.”
They’ve adopted Jude, and are now in the process of adopting the younger boy.
“Not being able to have children of our own, God has blessed us with two handsome boys,” says Rob. “We enjoy watching them grow and learn new things every day, and hearing them call us ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad.’ ”
About the Author