50 Most Inspiring Adoption Stories with Beauty Revived: Part 10
Beauty Revived has joined with Adoption.com to bring you the 50 Most Inspiring Adoption Stories. We have found 50 amazing photographers with big hearts to donate a session to tell the story of an inspiring adoption story in their community. This is Beauty Revived: Part 10.
Want to learn more about Beauty Revived and see the rest of the pictures? Check it out here and on Instagram.
Photography by Alison Winterroth Photography (Facebook / Instagram: @alisonwinterroth)
Adoption is an amazing thing. It can be exciting, stressful, overwhelming, and humbling, and this family has seen and felt it all. I believe the Code family has this amazing story about building this gorgeous and loving family because of their faith and strength. These are the words that Paige used to describe their journey through adoption:
“We have two biological children and two adopted children from China. Both of our adopted children are out of the special needs program that China offers. Rex came home in March 2013 and was labeled “repaired VSD” which means that he has a heart defect and had open-heart surgery to repair the defect while in the care of his orphanage. We were very aware of his heart condition and did the necessary research to find the best doctors in Tampa (we found them at All Children’s Hospital) to help us monitor his repaired condition. We thought that was what we were signing up for.
“However, upon meeting our son, we noticed his belly was huge and it just didn’t seem ‘right.’ When we returned home, we didn’t fool around with getting him into our pediatrician, and that started our medical rabbit hole journey. The look on our pediatricians was alarming; we were immediately sent out for an ultrasound to investigate further why his belly was so extended and his spleen the size of an adult’s.
“At just two weeks home from China, still jet-lagged, still learning about our new son, and his sisters still adjusting to their new brother, we were told that Rex had a rare liver disease called Portal Vein Thrombosis. Our life changed. We became experts on this disease and found a doctor up in Pittsburgh who could do a particular type of transplant called the Rex Shunt. When we heard the name of the surgery that would potentially save his life, it was EVIDENT that God was still in control.
“Rex endured 13 banding surgeries over the course of seven months here in Tampa to get his body healthy enough to transport him up to Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital. There he would undergo a transplant of his jugular vein into his portal vein to bypass the blockage. He also had his spleen removed. Now Rex controls his disease with two simple medications: baby aspirin to keep the blood nice and thin to properly run through the shunt, and a daily dose of penicillin since he has no way to fight infection. Other than that, he is ALL boy…no one would ever know that he was once knocking on death’s door until he takes his shirt off and you can see my sweet boy’s body is laced with visible signs of BRAVERY.
“Because of Rex’s extensive medical needs, we decided that our family can do HARD.
“Since our paperwork was already there in China, and in following with their procedure that a family can reuse their adoptive paperwork within one year of their previous adoption to adopt a more medically challenged child, we decided that we would just call our agency and fill out a whole new medical checklist with more extensive needs because Rex indeed taught us that we could handle ‘hard and difficult.’ It was a long shot since we made this decision with just seven weeks left on our current paperwork. Surely we wouldn’t be matched so quickly, right?. . well, God had bigger plans and we got the phone call of a sweet baby girl living in Zhengzhou with the label of ‘brain-damaged.’
“Our doctors here in Tampa prepared us for a lot of things, but all in all, really felt like she was fairly healthy and that there could be a possible cerebral palsy diagnosis once we brought her home and had her seen by local professionals.
“We have been home with our newest China blessing, Remy, for just 4 1/2 months and I am happy to report that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her. She is healthy and has no medical conditions. We certainly weren’t expecting that news! I have a huge longing to advocate for these children in China who merely just need a loving family and medical attention.”
As you can see, an incredible story and family! I am so happy I was able to meet and photograph these miracles!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this story of Beauty Revived: Part 10.
