When I was 15, my family received the blessing of adopting a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. We were so incredibly happy, but we all knew that it wouldn’t be easy. FAS can cause developmental and physical birth defects that are hard to pinpoint at birth. There is a long list of possibilities ranging from simple learning disabilities all the way to being dependent their whole life. It’s was scary knowing that “failure to thrive” was a very real possibility. With so much unknown, it was hard to see how this would pan out, but we knew it was right for us.

At six months old, we took in this tiny baby who had no one else. He was small and helpless. At six months old, he was barely the size of a newborn baby. For months, he never cried, making it a guessing game to know what he needed. But he became part of our family, and we became committed to helping him in whatever he needed. None of us knew how much of an impact he’d have on us, or that he’d change our lives, for the better.

Slowly he started to grow, and it wasn’t until he was two years old that he started to walk. It was such a breakthrough. Speech has taken even longer, now at age four and a half he can say small sentences, but even that is not consistent. He has a hard time communicating, and because of that, he gets angry. Even with all of these sad things, he still is one of the most adorable and fun little humans.

The way that he impacts everyone around him says quite a bit about what a blessing from God he is. His smile lights up the room, and his pain is felt through everyone he knows. No one expected that such a little guy could influence the feelings of so many people, but everyone this boy meets falls in love with him. Even at the grocery store, people stop and tell us how cute he is. People ask about him because they remember the cute little boy with glasses.

He has no idea that he is different than everyone else. He doesn’t see how hard he has it or that he goes through things normal four year olds shouldn’t have to. He doesn’t know that other four year olds are twice his size. He is content with the life he has, and he just smiles and dances through the hard times.

Having a sibling that depends on you and looks up to you is one of the most uplifting things in the world. Being the older sister to a special needs child changes you in a way you wouldn't expect. You become more understanding and caring when they doing something fresh, you learn how to comfort them and make them feel loved, in their own special ways. You learn to appreciate their quirks and differences. But overall, you learn to love in an entirely new way.

When people tell you that blessings come in disguise, believe them. No one could’ve expected his impact. It was hard to look past what challenge this could end up being. But it was worth it; now, we could never picture our lives without him.