Raising the Goddess of Spring

Excerpt from "Raising the Goddess of Spring: A guide for parents raising children with rare chromosome disorders." We had thought about adoption early on in our relationship, even discussing it before we got married. A few years after we had Maia, we tried foster parenting through our local children’s services agency. We learned that this route might be the quickest way for us to adopt, as we might foster a child who could potentially become a crown ward and then be eligible for adoption. After a year, we quickly realized this was not going to happen anytime soon. We had our names on the list for adoption with our local child and family services during our 20s but knew that young children who became available for adoption were rare. Having a child with special needs ourselves would likely mean we would be less likely to be chosen by a potential birth parent, someone who might be more likely to select a childless family who could dedicate all their time to that child. I was

On March 21, 2022, Maia, the Goddess of Spring, turns 27 years old.  She's been in our lives 22 years longer than predicted. These are the bonus years. And this girl - she continues to be amazing.  The other day, we picked her up from her group home where she has lived since becoming an adult. Without words, she shared how happy she was. She giggled all the way to our house, she giggled at us, our dogs, and giggled all the way back to her home. When she is happy like that, my husband and I talk about it after she leaves, remarking on what a good day she had, and how amazing it is that she is still relatively healthy and happy. I always get reflective around her birthday. As she gets older, this hasn't changed, but the way I viewed her birth and her life, has. If you have read my book, you know how much I initially struggled with her diagnosis. But, I also reflect so often, especially when talking to all of my C22C friends (and they really are such good friends), just what all t