Dad: Justin, Mom: Emily, and kids. Emily has been an enormous encouragement to me over the last couple of years. Our kids are around the same age and involved in church activities together.
Just to share a bit of their story: A couple of years ago, while Justin was playing basketball, he broke his ankle. He needed surgery. After the surgery, he developed a life threatening infection. It was touch and go, and there was a chance he wouldn't make it. I'm sure there were nights when Emily laid her head down on her pillow and wondered if she was going to end up raising 4 small kids on her own.
Miracle #1: Justin healed. Slowly. But he healed.
In the process of that healing, they gave birth to their 4th child. After 3 boys
, a girl!
Their family was complete, or so they thought.
When their precious new baby girl was only a few month old, the doctor discovered a problem with her eyes. The diagnosis: congenital glaucoma. At the time, they never could have imagined the journey that they would travel over the next year. There was surgery after surgery. Sometimes they would go in for an exam under anesthesia, and the doctor would have to come out and tell them that they had to rush her to emergency surgery to repair their baby girl's eyes. Countless times, their sweet baby was put under anesthesia. Countless times she was operated on. Countless times, the doctor prepared Justin and Emily that their baby would most likely go blind.
They were in a constant battle to overcome the blindness that seemed to be slowly creeping in. But all along, God was working in the hearts of this family. They were seeing first-hand what true beauty is, how there is lovely in the unlovely, how there is grace in struggle, and victory where others see defeat.
Justin and Emily started to feel that their family was not complete. Maybe biologically it was, but a piece of their heart was still out there. Still waiting for them.
In the meantime, Miracle #2: After witnessing their daughter receive countless eye surgeries, at least 10, Emily and Justin are given the news that there is no longer any signs of glaucoma present in their daughter's eyes.
If that's not a miracle, I don't what is.
And now, it's time to see Miracle #3 happen. Justin and Emily found their little boy waiting for them in the Philippines. He is 5 years old, and Emily has told me that he appears to have some kind of developmental delay. It may be a result of his situation, and he could improve once he is home, but they don't care, because he is their child.
They just made this video:
in cooperation with a website called Give 1 Save 1. The idea is to ask everyone to give just $1 in this family's efforts to bring their boy home. So please go here, and help the Russells bring their child home.
What a heart-warming story and a beautiful family.
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