SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – Jailynn and Robert received a life-changing surprise Thursday that began with Embrace Washington’s Executive Director, Terri Crafts, knocking on their door and then leading the foster parents out to the parking lot, where a red mini-van greeted the couple with a bow on top.
“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe this!” Robert said of the early Christmas gift.
Jailynn said the new vehicle will make it much easier for them to take one special two-year-old to his frequent medical appointments.
“He has a seizure disorder…cerebral palsy…he had a brain injury at birth.” Jailynn listed some of the medical conditions of that little boy who defied the odds after being exposed to heroin and meth in utero, resulting in his special needs. They are happy that the boy, whose identity will also remain hidden at this time for safety reasons, is now a part of their lives, and thankful that the community came together to help them.
“This child that they’re taking in is so special and has so many needs, and the fact that these people are stepping up in order to adopt him and they just needed a vehicle that would accommodate his wheelchair, to not have that seemed like such a shame,” said Crafts. “When we told the story of this sweet little boy and the angels taking him into the community…they wanted to help.”
And help they did. Alene Alexander, co-founder of Embrace Washington, said this is the fastest the group has ever been able to raise so much money for such a worthy cause. Several local businesses and individuals made this surprise van possible.
“There are many donors who contributed to this,” Alexander said. “Oh my gosh, it meant so much.”
Jailynn said medical appointments are almost everyday of the week, often multiple appointments in one day, and that van will make it easier to travel to them with the boy’s feeding tube, wheelchair and other special equipment.
“It’s a huge relief for us…took a huge burden off for sure,” Jailynn said.
Crafts hopes more people will realize that there are more than one thousand children in the Spokane area in the foster care system, and people who take them in like Jailynn and Robert are their heroes.
They recommend reaching out to Embrace Washington for more on how you can help local foster families or become one yourself.
