My son was born in October 2016 on a Native American reservation located in Montana. At first, he seemed like a perfectly healthy baby. However, when he was only five months old, something terrible happened. He was taken to the emergency room quickly, and doctors discovered that he had been very upset by one of his biological parents. He experienced severe bleeding in both areas of his brain and in each eye. He was airlifted to a pediatric hospital in Salt Lake City, where he had surgery to take out the blood and liquid from his brain. A technological device known as a shunt was inserted to assist with this, and he will require it for his entire lifetime.
Once he felt better, he lived with his family and biological aunt. While there, he was again hurt, bitten, choked, starved, and had 15 broken bones. His cousin, a courageous nine-year-old girl who assisted in his care, confided in a trusted person about the mistreatment. Due to her, she was removed and placed into foster care at ten months old. During that period, he was very weak, with only a weight of 8 pounds, and could barely move by himself.
At the age of eleven months, he began living with us. We often joke that we “picked him up in a parking lot” since we met his former foster mother in a hospital parking lot to bring him home. We drove four hours to get him and another four hours to get him back.
During lunch, a few older women remarked that he was handsome but asked about how we achieved his dark skin tone. We just laugh and said that he was “cooked in the oven for too long.” We ignored those remarks; we were simply thankful to provide him with a safe, caring environment.
Initially, his medical treatment was very tough. At one-year-old, he acted like a 3 to 4 months old baby. We brought him to a Denver hospital for evaluations, which included an eye exam to assess the injury from the abuse. Doctors informed us he could potentially lose his sight and may never be able to walk or speak. They mentioned he would likely require assistance with eating for his entire life. We quickly started therapies and regular trips to Denvar.
As parents, it was difficult to listen to all of this. Gradually, he began to make progress. He suffered from various diseases due to a weak immune system. He required ear tubes on two occasions and surgery to extract his adenoids for improved breathing. Regardless of the challenges, at 14 months, he started crawling completely, and by the age of 16 months, he was able to walk. He began to say words at 15 months, and by the age of two, he was combining words. At the age of three, he is flourishing. He continues attending therapy for speech and physical abilities, as well as for social play, but he has shown remarkable improvement.
The process of adoption required.
The adoption process was lengthy due to his Native American heritage. We have to checked if any family or tribe member wanted to take him. Fortunately, his biological family did not object, and after several months of legal proceedings, he was officially become our son on August 6, 2019. We remember that day clearly that he said exactly, “i am adopted now,” and it was the most joyful moment of our lives.
Kain is a claim and adorable boy who enjoys to see the trucks, dinosaurs, and construction things. The loving older brother to our younger son and enjoys playing with his sister as well. We recognize he will encounter difficulties due to his injuries, such as requiring continuous medical appointments and specialized education. He is unable to participate in contact sports due to his suspension, and we feel worried when he gets injured. However, we would not alter anything. He is done more than our expectations and keep our day going.
