CHLSS

  • Donate
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Adoption
    • DI Uber 2.1Infant Adoption
    • A father and son created through foster care adoption embrace.Foster Care Adoption
    • Young girl from China smiles at the camera.International Adoption
    • Close
  • Foster Care
    • Three siblings in foster care smile in the part with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders.Foster Care
    • An African American single woman wraps her arms around two brothers she adopted from foster care.Foster Care Adoption
    • Close
  • Pregnancy Services
    • Birth parents and adoptive parents smile with son.Open Adoption
    • parenting2Parenting
    • A father holds a football for his infant child.Birth Fathers
    • Happy woman and man waiting to adopt a child.Waiting Family Profiles
    • Close
  • Post Adoption
    • Domestic Post Adoption ServicesDomestic Post Adoption
    • International Post Adoption ServicesInternational Post Adoption
    • Post Adoption ResourcesPost Adoption Resources
    • A teen boy who was adopted from Korea as an infant smiles against a stone wall.Post Placement Reports
    • Close
  • Education & Events
    • An Ethiopian adoptee and her sister smile and hug.Education & Events Calendar
    • A woman attends a webinar.Recorded Webinars
    • Close
  • About Us
    • Mission & History
    • Leadership
    • Employment
    • Volunteer
    • Close
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
  • Login
Home / Blog / Adoptive Family Stories / A Lot of Love to Give

A Lot of Love to Give

December 4, 2017 by Staff Contributor

Dean smiles with his two sisters, one leans her head down to his. Their mom's arms are visible as she stands behind them.Dean traveled across the world from India to come home to the Ellermeier family when he was just shy of 2 years old. It didn’t take him long to bond with his new sisters, 5-year-old Ingrid and 3-year-old Willa, in whom he found a kindred spirit. Dean and Willa love exploring outside and getting into everything together. “If he sees his sister doing something, he’s going to do it too,” said his adoptive mother Heidi.

When Heidi and her husband, Jeremy, decided to expand their family through adoption they knew from research they had done that they wanted to preserve the birth order of their children. This meant their next child would need to be an infant or a toddler. After exploring domestic adoption and realizing the length of time they may need to wait, they learned about the international adoption programs of Children’s Home and LSS.

Dean smiles in his mom's arms as she leans in and rests her forehead on his cheek with a soft smile.“We felt like we had a lot of love to give. We know that there are a lot of parentless children and we knew there was somebody who would be a good fit for us. Nine months after we called, we had Dean! We were officially matched with him right at Christmas,” said Heidi.

Dean and his sisters all get along famously — enjoying outings at a splash pad or hiking at the local nature center. Heidi and Jeremy trade off work schedules and feel lucky they each get one-on-one time with their children. It might sound like a dream, but it wasn’t always simple.

“I’m not going to sugar coat it, it was really difficult,” said Heidi. “In India, Dean was grieving pretty hard. Once we got home he accepted me, but it took him three or four weeks before he would let Jeremy care for his needs. It was fear and the limitations of what the orphanage could do. There wasn’t a transition period.”

Heidi and Jeremy were originally intimidated by the idea of adopting a child with orthopedic needs. “Some of these special needs seem scary, but they’re really not. The prospect of adopting a child with a limb difference was pretty frightening, but that’s not a concern for me anymore,” said Heidi.  Connecting with local support groups and their physical therapist helped Heidi and Jeremy understand Dean’s needs better.

“Some of these things seem overwhelming and some of them are, but it’s amazing how much kids can overcome and adapt,” said Heidi. “At the end of the day, kids just want to be involved and feel loved. You prepare for the worst, but overall the process has been easy,” said Heidi. “The girls have been really excited and accepting of their brother and Dean really feels like he belongs.”

Learn more about how you can adopt internationally Give today to support the work of Children’s Home to find homes for children like Dean
FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrintFriendly

Filed Under: Adoptive Family Stories, International Adoption, News

Meet Waiting Children

View Children

Help a Child Thrive

Contribute Today

Main Office

1605 Eustis Street
Saint Paul, MN 55108
651.646.7771
800.952.9302
[email protected]

Maryland Office

15800 Crabbs Branch Way Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20855
301.562.6500
[email protected]

Virginia Office

4101 Chain Bridge Road Suite 301
Fairfax, VA 22030
703.214.5533
[email protected]

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Charities Review Council
Standards_Seal_BLACK_WEB
Charities Review Council Seal 2022
coa-logo
NCFA Member Seal_
IAAME
Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Approval
Human Rights Campaign seal

© 2023 Children's Home Society and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. All Rights Reserved.

Terms & Conditions Privacy policy Developed by Vivid Image Staff Login