When a blonde-haired blue-eyed baby boy came into our lives 15 years ago we were unprepared for how our life would tilt upside down.
He came to us with about 3 words and an admonition that he would probably go blind because of his pre-adoption abuse. His first PCP told us he was going to be a shrimp with intellectual disabilities.
That was the first time we fired a Debbie Downer. Not the last, but I decided that we needed a proper team Marvin and I would go to the ends of the earth if I had to to find the right fits.
We did find a good team. Two in fact, one in Virginia and one in Minnesota. Through the years, and diagnoses that he collected like the rocks he would drag and place all over the house, his teams always believed in him and would push him to be the best he could be. They have never let Marvin’s disabilities slow him down from the life he loves.
Now he’s almost 16. He reminds me every day. He’s exploring his future. Learning to drive, managing 9th grade, thinking about a job, and building scooters. Not bad for a kid who was supposed to be blind and a non-intelligent shrimp. He’s also 5’8″ and still growing. I mean it’s not Goliath sized, but he’s still taller than me. Almost as tall as Shannon.
I’m so proud of him. He’s overcome more than most people will in a lifetime. I can’t wait to see where the future takes him.
