The beginning

I will never forget the day I went on the a yahoo web group, and was looking at the photos of a few of the waiting children. There was a picture of a little boy named Isaac. It said that he was considered a special needs child, but from first glances, I couldn't tell what his "special need" could be.

I emailed Donna (US offices) and asked her what was wrong with Isaac. She informed me that he had a curvature of the spine. She believed it was fixable, but he would need surgery.

She sent me a few more photos, showing me his back. My heart broke. From the photos you could see that his spine was sticking out in such a way that it looked as though he had a fin on his back.

My heart went out to him, but I was in no position to adopt a little boy.

I was a single, 24 year old woman, with a new job, and no one to do this with. And yet my heart felt empty when I thought of Isaac without a family...alone.

I made a deal with God. Now we all know how that works. I told him that if Isaac hadn't been placed with a family by my 25th birthday (April 8th), I would start the process, to adopt him.

The months came and went, no one wanted Isaac. I started to feel an intense desire in my heart to start the process, but I was unsure, because the editing job I had would end in mid-April and I had no idea when my next job would come.

So I waited.

Then on Superbowl Sunday my mom called me and told me to TiVo a special on Discovery Health about two children, (one West African) who had to have surgery on their spines, to straighten them out. She had thought of Isaac when she saw the commercial.

So Sunday night (February 11, 2007) I sat down and watched the special. In less than 30 seconds, I was weeping on my couch. I cried for the next hour, all I could think about was Isaac and the pain he was in because of his back.

I went to bed feeling heart broken and defeated. I woke up the next morning feeling low and alone. I went to work, and all day I felt this still small voice telling me to fill out the application to adopt Isaac.

So I went home and did it. My hand shook the entire time, and I had to start over three times.

On Tuesday February 13, 2007 I stood at the window in the post office and mailed my application. I felt this weight lift off my shoulders.

So I have officially started the process.

I'm still 24 (almost 25), still single, still don't know where my next job will take me, and yet the fear I felt back in October when I first saw Isaac's picture is gone.

I can't wait to bring Isaac home.