Meet Lauren

GOD is GOOD!!

Since we brought Kian home I have prayed about how I would tell him of his life before our home.  I wanted to put a book together to tell him his story but never could.  I couldn't do this because I thought his story in China was a sad one.  Boy was I wrong!!!  It thanks to Lauren that I know Kians story and can share it with him one day and he will know how much he has ALWAYS been LOVED!!

Lauren is now 6 years old.  She was adopted a month before Kian.  When she got home to America with her new family she would ask her mom where her "baby" was.  When she would see babies in the community she would say Mom thats like "my baby"  So, her mom began looking for her baby.  She contacted several people and then found out what adoption agency Laurens baby was adopted from.

On December 9, 2011 I got an email from my adoption agency saying that a lady was trying to contact me about Kian in China and they could not release my information to her but I could contact her if I would like.  I emailed her right away and within minutes we were on the phone.  I instantly felt a bond with Jennie and prayed she lived in Utah.  She did not but what came next was the answer to many prayers.

Her daughter Lauren was in the same foster home as Kian.  Kian is Laurens "baby"  At first I told Jennie she must be mistaken.  Kian was sickly and mistreated prior to us getting him.  But after putting the pieces together I began to get the real story of Kians life.  I even was able to talk to Lauren on the phone and she told me how much she liked her foster mom and how much she missed her baby.

This is Lauren, Kian and their foster mom.  Lauren is missing several fingers but Jennie told me how their foster mom taught her she could do anything she wanted and she does. 

While on the phone with Jennie I began looking at the few pictures we had of Kian from China.  It was there I saw Lauren and was able to share this picture with Jennie.  She had not seen it prior to our phone call.  I was told Kians foster mom watched some little boys during the day so I just assumed this was one of them.  Now that I look closely I see the beautiful Lauren but first glance the short hair made me think it was a boy.

Jennie and I spoke for quite some time.  She told me about Love Without Boundaries a charity organization that helped Kian in China.  She gave me the directors information so I could contact them for more information.  I sent an email the second we got off the phone.  Within minutes I was being contacted by several women.  Emails saying how excited they were that Eoin had been found.  LWB gives each child a name and Kian was know as Eoin in their organization.  Julie from Ireland named Kian, Eoin (pronounced Owen) after her Godson.  In the emails I received pictures and I began to SOB.  I cried for hours and days as the information rolled in. There is way to much for this post but I will tell you a little bit.

This is a picture when Kian was days old taken in August of 2009.  I didn't think I would ever see him as a newborn.  Kian was taken to an orphanage and stayed there about a month.  He was very ill and had trouble eating and gaining weight due to his cleft lip and palate.  LWB took Kian into their Henan healing home to prepare him for cleft lip surgery. 

As you can see Kian is very skinny.  But the caretakers in the home gave him a lot of love and attention.  But Kian continued to struggle.  He cried a lot and his ears were always infected as was his eye (we now know that was a clogged tear duct) he had problems with his liver due to all the medications he was on, he had asthma, blood poisoning, pneumonia and was just very sick.  They honestly didn't know if Kian would live.

But they loved him and Kian lived, he is celebrating his 1st birthday below. 

He began to thrive under LWB's care.

Below in the middle is Amy, the director of LWB. She is holding Kian.  What an amazing woman, I want to be just like her someday.  I want to go to China and continue to do good for these kids.  Right now I know my place is at home raising my boys but one day I will do more.  But now there are things I can do here so I joined LWB and support all the charity events they have and do what I can for such an amazing organization.

Below is Kian after he gained enough weight and was healthy enough for surgery.  They took this picture right before surgery.

Here is Kian after surgery.  I LOVE HIS HAIR!!

This is the Kian I know and this picture lets me know how much he was loved, his entire life.  His birth mom loved him enough to give him up so he could get more, LWB loved him enough to get him healthy and get him the surgery he needed to have a better life.  LWB put him with an amazing foster mom who loved him and the Lord gave Kian to us and LOVE doesn't seem a big enough word to describe what I feel for this boy.

Kian.  This is Stephanie in the healing home.  I sobbed with joy at this picture.  For I have sat with Kian many a times with him just like this as he has slept. 

In China when Kian let me snuggle him like this I knew everything would be ok.  I loved him instantly and this was the first time I felt he loved me back.  I wept as I tried to tell my mom of this event that meant so much to me.

So why was Kian so sick when we got him??  Even though Kian was loved he still lived in China, there was no heat in his home and it was a very cold winter, he lived in extremely poor conditions, he was hungry due to the poverty but HE WAS LOVED!!

Thank you Lauren for the best Christmas gift ever!! I am so excited for all that we now know and the happy story we can share with Kian as he grows up.

Thank You Love Without Boundaries for loving my son and taking care of him until I could get him in my arms!!