Knox's Family

We are the Mebert Family and we have 7 children. Our first 4 children are biological: Keegan (19), Kelton (17), Kennedy (16), Kealyn (12). Our next two are Kooper (7) and Kallahan (4). Both Kooper and Kal were medically fragile NICU babies that we had the joy of adopting after fostering them for a period of time. In the winter of 2017 we felt God calling us to adopt again, this time, a baby with Down syndrome. We contacted the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network and started the process of getting registered. We were on track to be finished with our home study and on the NDSAN registry by July. God had a different timeline. Our son Kal had a trach and we were told he would always have a trach but after a second opinion from an amazing doctor at CSMott Children's Hospital we were told that Kal’s airway could be repaired and he would be able to be decannulated (remove his trach). But this meant a long year of surgeries. We put our adoption on hold and Kal had 13 surgeries from September 6, 2018 until he was decannulated in January 2019. We submitted our home study to NSDAN that same month. From January - November we received 12 potential matches and we also received 12 no’s from each of these possible matches. We were growing weary, but trusting that God’s timing was perfect, and that His plans were greater than ours. We were starting to think maybe we were not being chosen because maybe we were too old, had too many kids, some of our kids had special needs, we homeschool, we live on a farm. All of the qualities we felt God had woven into who we are and how He designed our family yet we questioned if we would ever be chosen by a family. All the while God was so patient with us while weaving together the most beautiful adoption story. On October 24, we received a phone call from a man from our church and he wanted to talk to us that very day. He came to our home and told us about a family he knew that possibly wanted to make an adoption plan for their baby, that was prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome, and was due to be born in November. Would that be something we were interested in? YES, a million times YES!!!! We planned to meet with the birth mom and dad November 2 at 6 p.m.. The meeting never happened because the birth mom delivered her son on November 2 at 6:08 p.m. Just 8 minutes after we were supposed to meet. We went to the hospital to meet them the next day. It was a hard, tear filled and beautiful day. The birth family shared with us how much they truly love their son but they did not feel equipped to be able to care for all of the extra needs that he would have due to him having Down syndrome as well and needing open heart surgery. Their choice for adoption was made out of pure love and adoration for their son and it was so very difficult. As we sat in the hospital talking the birth dad shared with us that the reason he wanted us to be the adoptive family was because he loves farms and would love to live on one himself, he thought it was great that we homeschool, have a big family and already know how to care for children with special needs because of Kooper and Kal. All of the reasons we were starting to doubt that we would ever be chosen and all of the reasons that this beautiful birth family and our loving and gracious God chose us to be the adoptive family. Just 2 days later we brought our beautifu lson home from the hospital. Only God can write those kinds of stories.