The love story of Kelly and Larry Peterson began at a summer camp for children with Spina Bifida. Born on the same day, the couple found that they had a lot beyond their shared birthday and disability.
Spina Bifida is a condition where the spinal columns and the cover around the spinal cord are not fully formed, affecting motor ability and the ability to walk. Prior to 1960, the survival rate for infants with Spina Bifida was about 10%. Even as medical science improved, some still saw the diagnosis as death sentence.
Both Kelly and Larry lived in their childhood and in high school, the pair started dating. Today, they remind of those days when they had to pay for the phone for minutes and their parents warned them to see the use of their phone.
“We always, we really joined together,” Larry Peterson said.
The couple married in 2015 and within six months, began a discussion on adoption. However, he quickly faced obstacles that highlighted the ongoing discrimination against people with disabilities.
Kelly Peterson said, “We actually came to an agency who said, ‘No, we have a list of disabled that we do not work with potential adoptive parents, if they have X, Y, and Z position and Spina Bifida is in the list,” Kelly Peterson said.
This month is the 35th anniversary of the Disabled Act of Americans, which prevents discrimination against disabled Americans. Law requires businesses such as restaurants, hotels and grocery stores to provide equal opportunities to people with disabilities to reach goods and services. But in practice, when it comes to services like adoption, equal access is not always guaranteed.
The rejection was disappointing, but Peterson understood concerns about the liability of the agencies and can adopted families handle further challenges.
Eventually, an organization agreed to help the family by changing everything. While browsing the agency’s website, Kelly saw a little girl with Spina Bifida.
“As I am on the website, I see a little girl with Spina Bifida and I was so, ‘How do we remember it?” “The couple said in united.
The little girl was Headley, who became Peterson’s daughter in December 2018.
“It was love at first glance,” said Larry Peterson.
Like many children with Spina Bifida, Hadley also has other conditions, including autism and a speech disorder. Peterson regularly bring Headley to help the medical and library to help create his freedom.
The couple believe that their shared experience with Spina Bifida makes them uniquely suited to care for the complex needs of Headley.
“We are through it. I mean, we are doing a lot that you can pass with disability,” Larry Peterson said.
Kelly Peterson said, “I remember when an adult will tell me when a child was thinking, ‘It’s good for you,’ How do you know that you are not through it? With him, we will be able to say that we are there,” Kelly Peterson said.
Jennifer Kelly, a adopted specialist who works with children with serious medical requirements and helps the Personal Parents to adopt Personal Family. She emphasizes that disabled adults should not be automatically exempted as adopted parents.
Jennifer Kelly said, “Adults with disabled people have considered those challenges.” “Maybe they have some weak spots, but we can put some resources that can help with it.”
Peterson was thoughtful about his boundaries, accepting that there were some children they felt that they could not take care of adequately. Their house is already modified for the needs of Headley.
One of the biggest concerns of the family was the cost. Kelly is a teacher and Larry works in a call center, and medical bills can be expensive. Jennifer Kelly did not compete with the family just with Headley; He also helped them to secure the federal benefits available to the families raising children with serious medical requirements.
Shriners for children have also reduced the financial burden on Peterson by covering the cost of medical processes of headley, some of which will usually cost tens of thousands of dollars.
The family now worries about how the potential cuts will be done by Medicade Impress their capacity What he needs in future to provide headley.
“That is my world. I can’t imagine him not to be here,” Larry Peterson said.
Kelly Peterson said, “We can’t be happy on this occasion.”
Asked if they can one day become grandparents, both Larry and Kelly responded together: “Anything possible!”
