Brighten Your Day

In December 2016 after 14 years of having to depend on a feeding tube, my birth daughter McKenna was able to have her G tube removed!

To say that this feeling was one of elation, the best Christmas gift I could've ever received is an understatement. It was a miracle from God!

I've spent the last several years from the time she was two suspended in time, receiving updates from her adoptive mom, visiting McKenna, buying her food-related items in hopes that they would encourage her to eat, writing about this experience, researching the cause of her food aversion, talking about it, agonizing and praying over it – you name it.

My birth daughter was born with a condition called food aversion which caused her to not be interested in food from the time she was a newborn in the nursery. The nurses noticed right away that she wasn't interested in feeding. And when she stayed with the transitional parents before she went to live with her adoptive parents, she also had a hard time feeding.

She went through lots of speech therapy and the doctor said usually kids like these get their G button removed by the age of 4. But with each passing year McKenna couldn't. I didn't know how her life was going to play out.

I always worried that my birth daughter would get bullied over her condition but it never happened. Nor did she ever let it stop her from doing anything she wanted to do. She was a cheerleader, Honors Student, published two books through her school, baby sat, volunteered at the zoo on-going, performed at Mayfest, took dancing lessons, performed in music and dance recitals, was chosen for the cover of a Houston space magazine cover during camp, learned to surf, snow ski, and is now first chair in the marching band playing percussion.

She even got her first job without anyone's help. She wants to work with kids when she grows up. She loves them.

I thought I believed in miracles but the truth is before this month I never had any faith that McKenna would be given the gift of freedom from her feeding tube. I can't say that all my prayers resulted in a massive amount of faith because it's simply not true.

But I am so grateful now that no matter what the cause she is free and I don't have to debate it any more.

And I know no matter what obstacle is thrown in her path in the future she will conquer it.