Paula Freeman, MSW
We don't expect a person who falls from a fifth-story window
to walk away unscathed; they'd be lucky to survive!
As bystanders, we might help mitigate the damage.
Medical training and a willingness to get involved would help.
I believe it's fair to assume a five-story fall survivor will never be the same.
They may not walk again. If they do, there would certainly be a noticeable limp.
They would also sustain other wounds, some visible and some invisible.
We don't expect them or their caregivers,
to look and act like someone who had not endured such a tragedy.
Many of our children survive such falls
emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or physically.
As parents, our responsibility is to mitigate the damage, and help them achieve their greatest post-fall potential.
Some have suffered irreparable harm from biological parents; others experienced damage due to drug and alcohol abuse before they were born, or bear institutional scars.
Some have suffered irreparable harm from biological parents; others experienced damage due to drug and alcohol abuse before they were born, or bear institutional scars.
All have severed relationships with at least one mother.
The farther we move away from God’s plan,
the more drastic the consequences can become.
I frequently wonder
what God’s original design was
for our adopted or foster care children.
Did it grieve His heart when their mom drank alcohol
or did drugs in the midst of their creation?
Through no fault of their own,
some children must endure lifelong consequences
similar to surviving a five-story fall.
Expectations need adjustment
(ours and those of the support community upon which we rely).
We must prepare for battle, spiritual battle.
We need to applaud those families who undertake raising these children.
We can’t do that well without understanding there are significant differences.
Broken hearts, broken bodies, and broken spirits
don’t fit into the same molds our healthy children do.
Many rage. Some withdraw. All feel abandoned.
