Locals, celebrities support special needs adoption
At this very moment there is a crib in a Carthage home waiting for Ezra James Simmons, 2. It might be a few more months before he can make the journey from China, but his American family said they’re ready to welcome him home.
Jason and Melinda Simmons have been married 21 years and they have: Olivia, 15; and twins Ace and Quinn, 10. As a family, they made the decision in February to start the adoption process for something God put on their hearts a long time ago — a Chinese boy with Down Syndrome.
Why
“Adoption has always been on our hearts because it paints the perfect picture of the Gospel,” Melinda said. “We always hoped it would be a way God would grow our family but when Jason asked me what I thought about adopting a child with special needs I said, ‘No.’ I felt like I wasn’t a good enough mom to parent a child with special needs and the thought scared me. Satan hates adoption so that was one the things he used to put doubt in my mind … but then some things happened that softened my heart.”
Between Ace and Quinn befriending a classmate with Down Syndrome, following mothers of children with special needs on social media and hearing Ace’s nightly prayers for a little brother with Down Syndrome, Melinda said God slowly changed her mind.
“Over the course of six years, I went from thinking ‘I could do this’ to ‘I want to do this,’” Melinda said. “God placed a desire in my heart to champion the fact that to have a kid with special needs is a gift, and it’s what God is calling us to do but we see Ezra as our son, and it just so happens he has Down Syndrome.”
How
The family found a Hauge-accredited orphanage in China and started looking through the profiles of children with the help of Madison Adoption Associates. Unable to pinpoint the reason why, Melinda said Ezra’s picture stood out and the family selected him from the long list of children waiting on families.
The Simmons family faced a financial goal of raising $36,000 to bring Ezra home. They immediately started cutting back on the budget, applying for grants, fundraising and Melinda designed and made bracelets to sell for the cause. She said she set a goal of selling 50 bracelets.
“I ended up selling close to 300 bracelets,” she said. “It means the world to us the way our Forest Park church family rallied and I wish I could express what it means to us. Fundraising is not easy pride-wise, and there was part of me that really struggled asking for help. But what I have found is that not only are people willing to help, they want to help people. Not everyone is called to adopt, and this is a way for people to support adoption. Every time I see a bracelet in the community I feel supported, and that my son — who I haven’t even met yet – is supported and is going to come here and be loved and accepted.”
“No!!”
With $20,000 still to raise, Jason and Melinda thought of another opportunity. As a simple getaway last October, the couple traveled to see “Johnnyswim” in concert at the Chipstarter contest that is held in conjunction with the Silobration in Waco, Texas. It was there where Jason and Melinda watched Chip and Joanna Gaines from the TV show “Fixer Upper,” award funds to people to pursue their dreams. Fast-forward a year later, Jason and Melinda sat down to make their contest video entry to voice their dream of adopting Ezra. Melinda said she was at home when she got the very special phone call.
“A voice over the phone said, ‘Melinda?’ And I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is Chip Gaines.’ I screamed, ‘No it’s not!!’ Melinda laughed. “I heard people laughing so I think I was on speakerphone. I think I yelled ‘No’ at him three times. All of a sudden the thought that our adoption was paid for overwhelmed me – even though we were just finalists. We talked for about 15 minutes and he said it sounded like we lived in a very supportive community. My prayer through all this was, ‘God please don’t let me become a person that doesn’t believe you can do big things if this doesn’t happen.’”
Jason and Melinda traveled to Waco, Texas Oct. 19-20 to participate in the filmed production of Chipstarter along with 11 other finalists from across the country. In front of a roaring audience and booming confetti cannons everyone on stage realized they all had been awarded the funds they needed for their dreams ¬– Jason and Melinda’s check was for $16,203.
God’s Will
“We wanted the adoption to be funded in the way that God wanted it to be,” Melinda said. “God has made this so, so clear that this is His will for us. Our story would be just as amazing if none of these things have happened and we were still wondering where the money was going to come from. God is still good and in control and at the end of the day you have trust His timing, and that’s going to look different for every adoption. His provision outweighs all the worries – that’s what has gotten us through the past six months.”
With dreams becoming reality and time drawing closer for Ezra’s arrival in late winter or early spring 2019, Ace said there’s some things he’s preparing for as a new big brother.
“I’m excited to get a brother,” Ace said. “I get to teach him about Star Wars. I think when he’s here and gets a little older we’ll get a bunkbed and I get to be on top.”
In the meantime, the Simmons family continues to wait … the crib is already set up.
“We can’t wait to bring Ezra home to Forest Park, to Carthage — we’re excited to see what God has for the future.”
“I just know God has something big in store for Ezra,” Jason said. “He’s not even here yet and look what God has done.”
