Jay and Kait Lakhani are currently in the process of adopting a little girl from China. They have named her Joanna. Joanna was born with Down syndrome. Ironically, after a 16 month journey, Jay and Kait will be traveling to bring her home at the end of October. October happens to be National Down Syndrome Awareness month! Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition, occurring in 1 of every 700 births here in the United States. Although we do not know the statistics for births in other countries, this special need is particularly close to my heart due to the sheer number of children we advocate for with this diagnosis. Each of these children need a loving home where they can have access to the love of a family and medical care they deserve.
Jay and Kait felt a calling to adopt, even before they married. They have a history of working with the fatherless as they lived in Uganda for a time and worked in orphan care while living there. Having both worked in the medical field, Jay and Kait are aware of many complicated medical needs and were called to care for a child who cannot care for themselves. When they first began exploring adoption, they knew that they wanted to adopt a child that was harder to place. They were seeking to give a home to a child that would not have a home otherwise.
They began considering adoption from the country of China and specifically a child born with Down syndrome. China’s shared list currently has 3,570 files on it and a huge number on that list contains files of children with Down syndrome. This condition is not unique to China. There are children throughout the United States and all over the world in need of a loving family willing to care for them. Many websites advocate specifically for children with this condition because the need for families to parent these children is so great. The National Down Syndrome Adoption Network works to connect families with children available for adoption domestically and through the foster care system. Reece’s Rainbow advocates for children with Down syndrome and other special needs as well. You can search for waiting children available through Nightlight’s programs by visiting Adoption Bridge.
Adopting a child with an identified medical condition can be scary. There are many unknowns in the process regardless of your child’s medical needs. Kait shared some of her fears about their upcoming adoption. She is worried about how this will impact the life of her biological children. Jay and Kait have a son and a daughter that are very young. When they bring Joanna home, they will have 3 children all within 9 months age of one other - toddlers at that! Another fear are the unknowns associated with international adoption. It is not always easy to have the most up to date information when you are adopting internationally. There is a lot they will not know about Joanna until they bring her home and have her fully evaluated by medical professionals. Of course, like all international adoptive parents, Kait worries that their happiest day - the day they finally meet Joanna - will be her hardest because Joanna will be leaving everything she has ever known. Finally, Kait stated they are going into this adoption knowing they will likely provide care for Joanna for the rest of their lives.
While there are many fears that go along with adopting a child with a special need, there are even more things to look forward to. Jay and Kait are excited to parent Joanna and seeing her life follow God’s special plan he has laid out for her. They want to show her, each day, how wonderful and wanted she is. Of all things, Kait wants to make sure that Joanna knows how much she is loved. She hopes she will understand that God did not make a mistake when he made her and that she is perfect the way she is. They also look forward to raising their three children together and have already started teaching their other children that everyone is created with different needs and that Joanna’s needs are going to be different from theirs. They also look forward to their children growing up together, learning from one another and hopefully becoming the best of friends.
We are thrilled that God has called this special family to adopt Joanna and we know that he has a special plan for her life. She will grow up in a home where she is loved unconditionally. I encourage you to read a short story, Welcome to Holland, by Emily Perl Kingsley. She gives a great metaphor for parenting a child with special needs. If you are interested in adopting a waiting child, visit Adoption Bridge, or call one of our Inquiry Specialists at (502)423-5780 to learn more.