When I was 18, God put it on my heart to adopt. I had 2 biological kids, back to back, and then 3 years later, my husband and I adopted a 17 month old girl from China. 2 years later, I was on an adoption website and read about a little boy 5 years old, who had been abandoned at birth on bus tracks when a stranger intervened and he had been in an orphanage ever since. I knew I could be his mom. A short video showed a cute, normal little boy playing cars. As the adoption process went forward, we would hear different terms like hypoevolutionism and just chalked it up to orphanage neglect like our first adoption. But when we got over there, it was clear that it was more, and we questioned if we would be able to even keep him safe.

At the age of 6, he was not potty trained and could not speak and had to be watched constantly. Our guide tried to talk us out of the adoption but I did not feel like God was telling us to not do this hard thing. My oldest son was 8 at the time and he gave us additional reassurance that this was his brother; he didn’t see his handicap. We adopted him and brought him home and life was very difficult with 4 kids now, 3 businesses, no nearby family support, and even a home church my husband had started. But God gave us grace upon grace and I very imperfectly began learning what it was to be a special needs mom.

By 2020, things with Paxton got a little better, we were in a great school district, we moved on to 18 acres and began a hobby farm, and got the right kind of therapy. Even the COVID lockdown wasn’t that difficult with all the land he had to roam and learning farm chores. It seemed to be the perfect set up for Pax and I could see a positive future of gardening, goats, chickens, lots of tasks to keep him busy with me. He loved the outdoors, not so much the animals, they annoyed him, but he did like being outside with his siblings and me.

Unfortunately, things in our family took a drastic turn in the winter of 2022. My husband and I separated and he immediately moved out. One of my biggest fears was being a single mom of 4, one of course with profound autism. The next months were difficult and unfortunately, Paxton picked up on the tension in the house. By May, he was extremely agitated, not sleeping, and couldn’t tolerate school. I was in constant communication with his doctor. With all the changes in our family, the grief and him going through puberty we took him to the only place that would care for him, Terrell State Hospital. That was such a dark day.

Throughout the summer, a compassionate doctor worked on adjusting medications and I worked on moving to East Texas to be closer to family. I also tried to find any support I could for Paxton, assuming he would come home soon and I would find a qualified caregiver to help me. July 22^nd I found a house and was in the midst of celebrating with my 14 year old daughter when her doctor called. She told me, in no uncertain terms, to take her to the Children’s ER, she had leukemia. I was concerned enough to take her to her pediatrician the day before-2 rounds of antibiotics and she still wasn’t getting over tonsillitis, but cancer was the farthest thing from my mind. I was shocked! Didn’t God know that we were going through a difficult divorce and my son was in a state hospital? It turned out to be an aggressive form of leukemia that needed aggressive chemo and 3-6 week stints in the hospital through January. And God was there all over that hospital.

The first 2 weeks, I thought I was going to lose her. I remember one night, staring at her monitor all night long just praying, “Dear God, please clear her lungs. Please don’t let her go on a ventilator.” The next morning, she started to turn around, and then we saw miracle after miracle. People were praying from all over.  Even astonishing the doctors by how she was able to be so active, out of bed, walking up and down the halls, continuing with her schoolwork, while going through round after round of chemo. But poor Paxton, he had to go live in a host home. After she got out, I worked hard to get him home with me but could not find enough support and eventually he went back into the system.

We tried a great group home in Fort Worth, but because it was in a neighborhood, it wasn’t safe for him and he eventually had to move to the state school in Abilene, 4.5 hours from me. Then in May of 2024, he was transferred 90 minutes from me to Lufkin State Living Center, where he will stay for the time being. To say this has been a blow to our family is an understatement. But he is safe and cared for, something I just have no capability to provide for him where I live now. Especially as I take care of his 3 siblings who have also been through so much these past 2 years.

But God has given me renewed hope. I have lived in the Dallas metroplex and in San Antonio, but it wasn’t until I moved to my roots, East Texas, did I find a network of families going though struggles like ours. It has been such a comfort and reassurance that God has not left me to take care of him on my own but has provided a safe environment for him and a hope for a future here in Longview close to his family support and in a place where he can be set up to succeed.

In 2019 I became guardian to my 42 year old brother, Jim, after both our parents passed away. In 1977 Jim contracted bacterial meningitis when he was 5 months old, leaving him with an intellectual disability and severe autism. Although Jim requires round the clock care, he lived at home with our parents until 2020, when our dad passed away (our mom passed away in 2010.) In 2021 Jim was diagnosed with aggressive and untreatable glaucoma, leaving him blind. His behaviors became too difficult and unsafe for his group home provider to manage, and he was moved to San Antonio State Supported Living Center, six hours away from me. It was an extremely difficult admission process, and I am grateful he was admitted there and grateful for the care he is now receiving. Sadly, there are many families struggling with a lack of options for their loved ones with severe autism. Not only are the wait lists for help long, but more and more group homes are closing due to funding issues. I am so excited to see God’s hand move in the forming of Rehoboth Acres. Our prayer and desire is that Rehoboth would provide an exceptional community of love, support, and safety to our loved ones with these challenges, giving them a place of peace to grow and thrive.