Mike and Robin George love their big family.
They’ve got nine kids in total: seven who are biological, and two who were adopted from Eastern Europe.
It’s definitely a full house but the couple are actually looking to adopt again.
The adoption process is quite a tedious one but it does ensure that all adoptees are matched with capable, loving parents – and Robin and George definitely fit the bill.
Curious and delightful as it is to hear of a happy couple raising nine children, one can’t help but wonder about the challenges this raises especially with two of the children having special needs.
It was only last January 2020 when Robin and Mike became official parents to two little girls with special needs.
“We had just officially become the parents to two sweet girls with special needs. We sat for a week in our little apartment situated right in the city center. We were anxious to get back home to our seven other kids, but we had to wait on some final paperwork from the Embassy before we could leave.”
One of their daughters was three and a half year old Anya who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Around the time the George’s were scheduled to bring her home, Anya wasn’t doing so well.
That winter when Robin and Mike picked Anya up from the orphanage, the little girl was exhibiting signs of difficulty breathing. The couple were told Anya had bronchitis so Robin and Mike made sure they had antibiotics.
Observing her new daughter closely, Robin suspected that Anya had something more than just bronchitis.
A day before their flight home, Anya became less responsive. Robin and Mike began to formulate a plan for receiving proper medical help for Anya at the Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Until then, they had to hold on, hope for the best, and stay strong.
Luckily, the prudent mom thought ahead. Their plan included having a nurse with them the entire time.
Valerie, the nurse, monitored Anya during the entire flight while Mike took care of Yulia, their other daughter.
Robin could clearly sense Valerie’s growing tension, and the worry on the nurse’s face was evident.
“I asked if everything was okay. She said Anya was getting worse. I slid over to see her and watched as she began struggling to breathe more. She sounded like she was drowning in all her mucous but the equipment we had was clearly not enough.”
They still had a long way to go before reaching their destination. The couple then reached out to their friends and family to ask for prayers for Anya.
“I watched as each and every breath Anya took robbed her of every ounce of energy. You could see each and every rib protrude and she struggled to get the air she desperately needed.”
Panicked, Robin hurriedly approached a flight attendant, grabbed him, and gasped that her baby was dying.
The flight attendant rushed to where Valerie was holding Anya and immediately called for doctors on board to help assist.
It was a heartbreaking sight for Mike and Robin to see all the doctors shaking their heads sadly after taking just one look at their daughter.
Then one man approached them and introduced himself as a neurologist. After checking on the little girl, he confirmed that Anya was indeed having continuous seizures and that Robin should give her more medication.
The plane radioed and located a town just outside of the Arctic Circle called Iqaluit. When they finally landed, the medics hurried on board.
“I was holding Anya, shaking uncontrollably, and praying over her. As soon as we saw the medics, we grabbed our things. Valerie took Anya and at this point, I did not know if she was dead or alive. I grabbed Yulia and my husband grabbed all of our belongings. The town was so small it didn’t take long to make it to the tiny hospital.”
Nurses and doctors worked quickly to stabilize Anya. After successfully doing so, the medical team informed Robin and Mike that they had to medevac Anya to a larger hospital. The closest was in Calgary, Canada, and only one of the parents was permitted to go.
Without a second thought, Robin hugged Mike goodbye and went with Anya.
After a 6-hour flight, they finally arrived and Anya was kept stabilized. She was not allowed to go on a commercial flight but fortunately, the medevac had permission to cross the border. So after staying for a couple of days in Calgary, Robin and Anya were finally at the Seattle Children’s Hospital where Mike and Yulia met them.
Thanks to prayers, love, and dedicated medical professionals, Anya was discharged after two weeks.
It was only the start of a beautiful adoption journey but already, Mike and Robin survived quite an ordeal.
“Bringing home these girls with significant special needs has not been an easy road but it is one I would do again and again.”
Learn more about Robin and Mike’s beautiful adoption stories on their Instragam and Facebook page.
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