Ann’s Stories
It is an honor to come alongside parents who are working hard to provide the best level of care for their children - whether that involves traveling to or living in a different state for a number of months so their child can see the best medical specialist, or securing a state-of-the-art medical device. When you partner with The Ann Children’s Fund, you are Family. Here are some of our stories.
Meet Hannah
Hannah was adopted from China at the age of 7. At the time she came to America, her fondest wish was to be able to walk. She asked her parents about it every day. Through God's grace and the will of determined parents, Hannah received complicated yet successful operations. Today, she is able to ride a bike and run. The Ann Children's Fund has been a small part of this victory. We are thrilled to have been able to improve Hannah's quality of life, and to make her dream of walking a reality.
The Shreeve Family
The Shreeve Family "Thank you for being a huge blessing to us!"
Ayina has Spina Bifida and needs AFO's (Ankle Foot Orthotics) to straighten her feet. ACF was able to provide these necessary medical devices.
Easten has Brittle Bone Disease. Orthotics protect his legs from fractures and breaks.
The Ann Children's Fund is happy to provide hope and help to Ayina and Easten. Ayina has Spina Bifida and Easten has Osteogenesis Imperfecta. ACF stays with the families we help, often becoming an extension of the family. When Ann Children's Fund first met the Shreeves, the children were both in need of an adaptive bike to help in their therapy to improve knee flexion and hip placement. Ann Children's Fund donors ensured Avina and Easten were able to receive this bike.
GRACIE
Beautiful Gracie was adopted from Jiangsu, China when she was at almost 3.5 years old. She came to her family with a very rare and complicated gene disorder called Kleefstra Syndrome. Sadly, about 70% of children with this condition have seizures. Many pass away.
Gracie's family feels very blessed that God chose them to nurture and care for Gracie. With 3 other children to raise, the support Ann Children's Fund provides helps with the most critical medical needs. It's a blessing that helps alleviate stress and allow this family to focus on loving their precious daughter.
THE "J" FAMILY
A family with seven children, the oldest of whom has Tourette Syndrome, Asperger’s and some other mental health challenges, so she still lives at home. This family also cares for a 15-year old with Autism, adopted from the foster care system. Their one-year old was also adopted from foster care. Born drug exposed and has several delays, so he receives occupational and physical therapy. Recently this wonderful family learned the one-year old has a baby sister born addicted to drugs, which required an extensive NICU stay. In order to keep the siblings together, she was placed with the J Family.
Thanks to generous donors, the Ann Children's Fund assisted with the down payment on a large van, which accommodates 3 car seats and all of the family members.
THE "W" FAMILY
Early in James and Jenny W.’s marriage they felt led to adopt, and between 2007 and 2016 the couple adopted four children with various special needs. A loving father, James was a disabled veteran who had served in the Navy for over 14 years. Completely devoted to his family, James suffered substantial medical problems that began in December 2020. The W. family struggled watching their father under the weight of these medical challenges, which also made it difficult for him to work.
In October 2021, James passed away unexpectedly from COVID-19 complications. Jenny, a stay-at-home mom, was left to find a way to make the mortgage payments and pay for the food and medical needs of their family. A good friend of Jenny’s connected her with The Ann Children’s Fund so we could assist her struggling family. Within three days of James’ passing, we were able to provide the family with their next four mortgage payments and remain in contact with this family to help if needed.
YULIA
Yulia was adopted from Ukraine in January of 2021. Her family knew she had a genetic kidney condition that would eventually require surgery. She fit in right away with her new parents and their 10 other children, 2 of whom are also adopted. 14 year old Yulia is outgoing and remained positive during many hardships and daily dialysis. Funding from the Ann Children's Fund helped Yulia and her family with the enormous expenses related to her illness and surgery.
MATEO
Little Mateo had multicystic kidney disease when he was adopted. He experienced kidney failure when he was just ten months old. In 2021, Mateo received a kidney transplant and his family experienced numerous expenses beyond the cost of the surgery. The Ann Children's Fund stepped in and helped Mateo and his family to ensure they could succeed.
THE "K" FAMILY
Who knew you could find happiness on Facebook? But joy is precisely what Facebook provided the "K" family in 2020. That October, they found the picture of two beautiful girls on Facebook, ages one and two, who were ready for adoption. They knew the girls were meant to be a part of their family. When their mom met them for the first time, she was faced with mixed emotions. Both girls had special medical needs and she had no experience in this area. "Since the finalizing of our adoption, we have adapted and grown to meet their needs and help them develop and grow into everything they can be. We've been able to do this because of help from family and groups such as the Ann Children's Fund. We are so grateful that you exist! By providing my daughter with a medical stroller, you have helped make all of our lives easier -- and made her day-to-day much more comfortable. Thank you for helping my daughter know she is loved and for helping us provide the best care possible!"
MJ'S STORY
MJ's mom has been a foster parent for over 10 years. She raised 5 biological children to adulthood as a single mother, with her medical career and large family (she's one of 11 children!) to help her. Because of her heart for children, she has fostered 7 children including MJ, an 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. When MJ came to this wonderful home, she weighed 45lbs. Her body was locked in the fetal position and she would not make eye contact. She had been neglected and starved. In fact, she was so desperate and anxious, she chewed her thumb to the point of a severe infection. MJ's new foster family was able to help this precious girl gain weight. She now loves to dance in her wheel chair and smile…AND in 2020, MJ's foster family adopted her! The Ann Children's Fund helped MJ by financing a special medical stroller which helps her family transport her to doctor appointments and include her in all family outings!
JUBILEE
Trying and trying and trying, at almost 4 years old, Jubilee Arti was not yet walking. She would stand up, try to walk, fall down, and do it all over again all with a huge grin. Diagnosed with failure to thrive around age 2, the doctors in India didn't know what was wrong. They hypothesized that it could be atypical Rett syndrome or even cerebral palsy, but neither of those conditions quite fit. Jubilee’s parents didn't know what was wrong either, but from the day they saw that first video of her, they knew Jubilee was a determined, spunky little girl, who they wanted in their family and were willing to help in every way they could.
They now know what the doctors in India didn't. Similar to both Rett and CP, Jubilee has a rare genetic condition — less than 60 people worldwide are known to have — that makes life and physical progress much more difficult. Each little gain takes significantly more work. As a seven-year-old, with therapies provided by Ann Children's Fund, Jubilee is making remarkable progress in skills it would have taken many more years to learn. She is learning to live life and have fun doing it as she constantly amazes those around her with her huge smile and go-getter attitude!
THE ELLIOTT FAMILY
I’m a single mom who has adopted three children with special needs. My sons, Julian and Liam, have bleeding disorders and my daughter Anne has a repaired cleft lip and palate and hearing loss. She’s named after my mother who was one of the strongest, most incredible women I’ve ever known. If my daughter grows up to be half the woman she was, I will be delighted. Unfortunately, my mother passed away before I brought my children home, although she did know I planned to adopt internationally and she was looking forward to meeting them.
When I first began the adoption process, I wasn’t considering special needs at all. I just wanted to find my kids and bring them home. I ended up adopting my oldest son from Bulgaria. I was planning to get on the wait list for a child when they sent me a paragraph about a five-year old being added to the special needs list who had Hemophilia. I called my sister (a doctor) and she said "no problem – go get him!" and we did. It turned out to be more than I expected (his medical records had his condition listed as much less severe) and I’m very grateful I didn’t know in advance what to expect. We were hospitalized for several days within a couple of weeks of returning home and again for 8 days after we’d been home six weeks. We’ve often been hospitalized multiple times per year since then, although we’ve now gone nearly a year without being admitted.
I’ve learned a tremendous amount since then – about adoption, about Hemophilia, about Julian himself, about the importance of community. During these years, so many people gave me hope and comfort – non-profits, hospitals, doctors, online communities, churches, friends, family, etc. And it became clear to me how important it was for us to have this network. It can be so incredibly isolating to parent a child with a rare or significant need. Finding someone who understands what you mean when you say "his bloodwork came back X" meant the world to me, as did finding someone who could help me navigate insurance questions, and others who could help me cover the cost of dental work for a kid from a non-fluoride country, etc. So, when Lori called me and told me she wanted to build The Ann Children’s Fund to connect people and resources and fill in any gaps we might see, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to provide the kind of hope and help which have seen me through these years.
In fact, these communities are the reason why I was able to go back and adopt Liam (who has Von Willebrand Disease) and my daughter Anne. I knew that these communities would be there for me and support me just as surely as they had with my first child. And they did. When Liam turned out to have an entirely different bleeding disorder than we expected, and my daughter turned out to have unexpected hearing loss, they came alongside me and helped me.
Now our family is complete, a fact we celebrate three times a year – the anniversary of each day that I brought one of them home and we got to be a family forever. And I’m thrilled to be able to help others find the resources they need to get through whatever they might be facing today or fearing tomorrow, as so many others have done for me along the way.
MEET ANNE
Anne was adopted from China and has a repaired cleft lip and palate and hearing loss. In her family she is one of three adopted children with special needs. The Ann Children's Fund has helped her family provide the treatment they all need.
