Our super amazing twins and how they overcame the odds

My husband and I started fostering in 2017 after a period of infertility.  Our desire was to be a safe home for kiddos who needed a safe place to heal and be loved.  We had our first two foster children for about 14 months.  We were new to South Carolina and new to our church, and brand new parents, let alone foster parents.  To say our first experience was hard is an understatement.  We didn’t understand the foster system, were not aware of available resources, and did not know how to navigate all of the struggles.  We did have an amazing caseworker from our placement agency and a fantastic therapist; however, we had not built a village.  While that was hard, and I don’t recommend that to anyone starting foster care, God used that as a way to make Himself known to us.

Watching our first two kiddos successfully reunify with their mother was one of the hardest yet sweetest moments in our lives.  We had a short-term placement a couple of months after, and then took a brief break.  A good friend told me that she met the sweetest twin foster babies and that we needed to foster and adopt them.  She did say that they were severely shaken babies, and they weren’t sure yet of how that would affect them due to how young they were.  In fact, the neurologist said that one of the twins might be a “vegetable” due to the severity of the brain bleeds.

I researched shaken baby syndrome, and when I saw all of the possibilities like blindness, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and developmental delays, all I could think of was that I can’t do that.  How could I care for one, let alone two babies, with those possible complications?  I told my friend no, I am not in a place where I feel like I could care for the babies.  

I distinctly remember driving to Asheville to visit some friends, and God had a talk with my heart.  He really questioned why I thought I couldn’t handle the possible outcomes.  Did I not believe in the amazing power of God?  Those are just possible complications they could deal with; however, our God could be gracious and heal them.  Not to mention that He would be my strength to care for them through the complications.  Who am I to say no just because they might have some complications?  Am I fostering and loving on kiddos that only have good outcomes? NO!  God has called me to foster and love kids who need a safe home and a place to heal.  I realized that it is not my strength or power that is needed; I need to rely on God’s strength.

The Sunday after I had that talk with God, my friend asked me if I would at least be willing to meet the twins.  I said absolutely.  My husband and I met the twins and their foster mom the following week, and the rest of our lives were changed forever.  We started babysitting for their foster mom weekly and created a bond with the twins that would forever change our lives.  We received placement of the twins the week they turned one year old. 

Saying yes to the twins not only brought us our forever daughters but it also brought us our village.  The twins' first foster mom, who is now Mama Heather to all of our kids, and my good friend, who is now Aunt Cynthia to all of our kids, became our core village.  Our new village introduced us to all sorts of resources and connections.  We became a group of five families that shared our fostering journeys and supported each other.  After almost seven years, we are still a strong, connected village and have expanded our village to include new foster families!

PS I Love You has been a constant in our lives. Whenever we get new placements, PS I Love You is the first of many appointments I make right away.  I love the support and care we receive whenever we get new placements, along with their constant support during the journey.  They are always ready to listen, support us, and recommend resources to support our kids.  My four forever kids are so excited when I say we are headed to PS I Love You because they know that PS I Love You is a place where they have been loved well and are still loved.  We love dropping off donations and stopping in to say Hi to Ms. Kay and Ms. Susan.  Did you know that Ms. Kay and all of PS I Love You met our twins before we did?!  They even met my forever son before I did! 

And yes, my twins, with the amazing power of our God, have overcome the odds and have minimal complications due to their injuries.  

Hannah Choi

Foster/Adoptive Mom