Help 4 the Gardners: The Invitations Are Out!

Friday, September 30, 2011

The Invitations Are Out!

Hoping you all received your invitations today! Many thanks to Lisa Frey of Bella Carta Studio for donating her time, talent and resources to create these lovely invites.

We hope to sell out...so please send your RSVPs in soon!

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Why Give?

Brent and Jodie Gardner knew early in their marriage that they had a special calling. Brent and Jodie not only felt compelled to adopt children but they would only consider children with significant special needs. Jodie describes this action not as a choice, but rather the path which they knew was chosen for them. In 2005, Tyler joined the Gardner family. In addition to Down Syndrome, Tyler had other challenges including Hirschsprungs Disease and Klinefelter's Syndrome. But Tyler thrived in the Gardners’ home, and it was of little surprise when Emmalee Ann joined their family just a year later from the same adoption agency. Emma was born premature and had a number of risk factors as well.

In 2006, Brent accepted a position in Rochester, NY and the family moved across the country. The children were adjusting well, Brent was enjoying his new position, and life was very good. In 2007, the Gardners received an unexpected call from their adoption agency. There was a baby boy, born 15 weeks premature and who weighed only 21 ounces. In his first weeks, he had already experienced seizures, a brain bleed and infections. His outlook was bleak, but he deserved a home and the love of a family. After some prayer, and understanding that this baby came with no guarantees, the Gardners quickly agreed to adopt the little boy whose name would later become Nathaniel. And after spending many months in the hospital, Nate also came home to his forever family. But the joy was short lived. On March 2, 2008 the Gardners’ lives would be turned upside down when Tyler was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

In the three years that have passed, the family has experienced more trying times than is possible to list. Tyler is now in remission, but spent 2 long and difficult years receiving treatment. He has had a number of surgeries and infections and it seems he has spent as much time in a hospital as he has at home. Nate is also a survivor and has defied the odds against him, but the road has not been easy. He has also required numerous surgeries and although thriving physically, continues to experience many developmental delays. During this time, Jodie also broke both ankles and was laid up for many months. And unfortunately her ankle healed wrong- twice.

While Tyler was still receiving cancer treatments and Jodie was laid up with her ankles, Brent began experiencing troublesome symptoms. After many months of trying to figure out what was going on, Brent was diagnosed with Behcet’s Disease in November of 2009. Since that time, Brent’s health has steadily declined. Behcet’s is a progressive disease and eventually Brent was forced to quit his job and is now disabled. Over recent months Brent’s health has rapidly deteriorated. He has experienced many bouts with dangerous infections and, more recently, began suffering from Congestive Heart Failure. At this time, Brent is still hospitalized.

As one would imagine, it has been particularly difficult for Jodie: trying to manage the care of three children (two with significant needs) and a very sick spouse. Jodie states, “When we committed ourselves to adopting children with special needs, we never imagined that the responsibility would come to fall on only one of us.”
With both families residing out West, Jodie and Brent have relied mostly on their friends from church and Adoption STAR. And at this time, these friends have all joined forces in effort to raise funds to help offset some of Brent’s medical bills and to help care for their three children.

We are hoping that you too might be willing to help this family who is experiencing such desperate need.