COVID Couldn’t Stop FOREVER!
Sharing the sweet and inspiring foster-to-adopt journey of The McGuier Family!
McGuier Family Adoption Q & A
1. Why did you choose adoption?
I (Christy) have felt a strong call to adopt since I was a teenager. Mark and I both knew there was a huge need for homes for so many kids out there. We have a home and plenty of love to give so we decided why not grow our family through adoption.
2. Can you share some background on the children you welcomed into your home?
Magnus was a 26-week old micro-preemie. He weighed just 1.8lbs at birth and was a very sick little boy. He suffered a brain bleed and hydrocephalus. He has lung disease, cerebral palsy, and a feeding tube. He was in the NICU for nine months.
He’s also a fighter with the best laugh you’d ever hear. We brought him home from the hospital. He was our first ever placement and we were his first ever family.
Just 10 short months later we got a call that Magnus had a new baby brother. So… up to the hospital we went again to bring this sweet, wild, little guy home!He was born full-term with no specific medical needs. Their Mama suffered from untreated mental illnesses and never pursued visitation with either of them.
We were set to have our adoption hearing on March 16th, 2020. This is the day that Covid shut down all of the courts. So exactly one month later on April 16th, 2020 via Skype and on our couch, these two crazy boys joined our family permanently. This just happens to be the same date we brought Magnus home for the first time two years earlier.
3. How did Pathway staff support you through any challenging situations?
Pathway was great! They were a huge help through the whole process. When the county was confusing or hard to deal with Pathway was always ready and available to come alongside us with support and clarity.
Also, we could tell they were passionate about their purpose. They love these kids and do so much for them. From trick or treating to the Christmas party. Pathway staff go out of their way to make all the kids feel special, including our four biological kids.
4. How has your family grown through the foster-to-adopt journey?
Adoption has helped us understand Father God’s love for us as his children. Our boys are no different to us than any of our four biological children. It has also grown compassion and empathy in all of us. One thing is how very different people’s lives are from ours. We have a lot more causes now. If that makes sense. Poverty, mental health issues, systematic racism, special needs parenting, standing and speaking for the ones who can’t do it for themselves.
Adoption has shook us.
It’s changed us.
It’s challenged us.
It’s stretched us.
It’s helped us become better.
It’s stinking hard at times, but most things that are worth while are that way. Our life is not boring. It can be hard and quite frankly we feel like crazy people a lot of the time, but we wouldn’t change it for the world.
When the boys run up and give you the biggest hugs and say “I love you!”, that says it all.