In 2010, Mandi’s husband, Tyler, joined the US Army as a member of the 101st Airborne Division; however, when he finished his basic training, he received news of deployment to Afghanistan. He had to serve a unit there, from which he would earn the Presidential Unit Citation. Once the tenure was complete, Tyler was relieved after getting home and was there for a year. However, in 2014, he was deployed again.
When you join the military, you must always be prepared for this, but Tyler always felt that his attention and mind were stuck in the war, even when he came home. After completing the second tour, Tyler made a big decision. He left the army! Not just this, as the feelings did not tend to leave, he decided to seek help and soon saw a VA. Tyler was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, which had been affecting his thoughts and peace. Although he did regularly get therapy, the effects did not seem to leave.
Although as a couple and family, everything seemed perfect, the deeper you go, you can figure out how tough people are and how things are not as they appear on the outside. Mandi was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at a very young age, when she was 15. Thus, she silently fought her battle with great strength throughout her life.
The endless major surgeries,e.g., stomach removal and then reconstruction because of paralysis due to nerve injury, drain her out physically and emotionally; however, she showed remarkable resilience. Not just this. Being malnourished has become a permanent part of her life, as after the surgery, the doctors only left an almond-sized stomach for digestion.
Mandi and Tyler had already met before he was deployed for the second time and dreamed of having a beautiful family. Both had the urge to have children, but due to Mandi’s health condition, it was not possible, and so, they looked for alternative options. Adoption was now a dream! Foster parents are coming now, so they know they, too, could get licensed for it. It did take a few months to complete the process from taking training classes to getting all the paperwork done, and the couple was excited to embark on a new journey.
While foster parents sometimes have to wait months to welcome a baby home for the first time, Tyler and Mandi got the first call the day they were approved as foster parents. Hunter, a beautiful 8-day-old baby, needed a home. Although arranging stuff in such a hurry was a bit chaotic, the couple rushed to get all the essentials, and the moment they held Hunter, it felt different.
This was precisely what they needed in life. The following 16 months felt like a rollercoaster of emotions, as the urge to give Hunter a forever home kept growing, and the bond became unbreakable. In 2017, right before Christmas, the day was finally here! Henter was finally their child, officially and legally. Hunter’s excitement was immeasurable in the courtroom when the decision was announced.
Upon hearing his last name announced, Hunter clapped with his tiny hands and, with joy, said, ‘Daddy’. This part of Tyler needed to heal; no one else could do it for him.
Hunter is a ray of sunshine in the couple’s lives, and the story proved how love is not only in the bonds based on DNA but also in your heart. He is more than just a child for the couple now; he completes the family.
