Page 18 - Publishing Inspiration Christmas Card 2013

parents to raise a child, and they were always turned
down.

Finally, they applied to be foster parents. At first,
the state would not place any children in their home. But,
one day, Norma received a call. There was a young child
that had a handicap, and the state couldn’t get anyone else

to take her. Norma jumped at the chance. Though the
state only meant it to be temporary, Norma and Tom
showed they were very capable and, in fact, their own
handicaps gave them more understanding and patience. It
wasn’t too long before the state allowed them to adopt
Tina.

One after another, each time the state had a child
that no one else wanted, Norma and Tom would take the
child into their home, love them, and eventually receive
permission to adopt them. And, thus, their family grew.

Then, due to complications from the disease, Tom’s
health started to fail. His passing was a great loss to the
family, and the state was concerned whether Norma
would be able to handle all of the children on her own.
She informed them that her children were more important

to her than anything else in her life, and she would be
fine. As the state monitored the situation, they agreed,
and, in fact, even allowed her to adopt one more child to
round out her family.
Little Emily was the last, and was only six years old

when she came into this unique family. She was a Down
Syndrome girl. In her young life, she had been in home
after home, some for less than a month, and none for
more than a couple. By Thanksgiving she had been in
Norma’s home for almost a year, and, for the first time in

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