JMJ
Most of you know we have felt called by God to adopt two of our children into our family from a family member who couldn’t care for them. These two beautiful children needed a home, and we joyfully opened our home, arms and hearts to first Anthony (now 15) and then Monica (now 10). These two children are a part of our family in every sense-they are Bucklings, and we pour our love into them as our children.
What some of you may not know is that our adoption journey with Anthony has been a difficult one, with many, many unforeseen struggles, financial hardships and a heavy emotional toll on everyone. We took Anthony into our home and almost immediately realized there was something very wrong. It took many hours upon hours of interventions, doctor assessments, therapy, medications, patience, love and prayer to realize he suffers from mental illness, and that he needs more specialized care than we are able to provide him. We spent years and years attempting to care for his very specialized needs that come from his mental illness, Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and PTSD, often finding that our whole family’s physical, financial and mental well-being were in danger. After much prayer, discernment and professional guidance, we decided to place him in a specialized school that specifically treats his mental illness. We keep in constant contact with both Anthony and the facility, and the entire family prays and sacrifices for him on a daily basis. We have never ceased pouring out our love upon his poor, wounded heart. He has made significant strides in his healing journey while under the care and treatment of this facility, and we are so grateful to God and to the facility. We pray and continue to hope he will continue to make progress with God’s GREAT grace, love and mercy, and with the facility’s great experience and expertise.
The facility that is treating him is an absolute Godsend to Anthony and to our family. They treat him with love and respect, while also knowing exactly how, and having the means, to help him grow into who God made him to be. This facility, however, comes at a considerable cost to us. We have sacrificed greatly to pay the monthly fees, none of which are covered by insurance or any other aid or help. We have a commitment to his healing and growth and need some assistance to continue to meet his needs.
Honestly, it’s a little difficult (because of our pride) to make our needs known to the body of Christ, but we have gotten to the point that we are deep in debt paying for his facility, and need some help to continue to meet his needs. Your friendship and support are deeply appreciated, and we would like you to pray and consider helping us in one or both ways in our adoption journey.
1. Please pray and sacrifice for Anthony in his healing journey, to learn and grow to know, love and serve God and be able to heal and grow into the young man God made him to be, and give Tom, Maria and the facility wisdom, discernment, and insight to help him as he needs and as God guides.
2. We have partnered with Lifesong for Orphans, a non-profit organization that helps pre and post adoption families. They have graciously and generously offered an Adoption Matching Grant of $6,000 to help pay Anthony’s treatment expenses! Will you please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us meet this matching grant? Our goal date is August 13, 2026, but funds will be accepted towards his treatment until he is out of the treatment facility.
There are two options for giving.
1. By mail. Please make checks payable to “Lifesong for Orphans.” In the memo, note “family account number, 90601” and “family name, Buck” to assure it goes to the correct account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744.
2. Give online. Go to www.lifesong.org/donate/family. Select “Give to an Adoptive Family.” Complete the online form and fill in “Family Account Number, 90601” and “Family Name, Buck”.
Thank you for supporting us through prayer, sacrifice and financially, if you are able! Please pray this entire process will glorify God and fulfill His purposes.
JMJ
September 21, 2026
Dearest friends and family, I humbly write to you again on behalf of my son, Anthony. He is currently still at the therapeutic facility and has made some great strides in his healing process this year. He still has a ways to go and must still remain at the facility, but we have hope. Hope that he can learn how to function in society, that he can learn to have real relationships with people and especially with his family, and most of all, hope that he will come to know the GREAT and BEAUTIFUL love of God and know what love looks like in himself and others. With that hope also comes need. That is why I am writing this appeal. I am asking for two things. First and foremost, please pray for Anthony. He needs God’s huge and tender grace to heal his heart, and for that, I ask that you please pray for him. Pray for healing, for strength and for trust. We pray the Divine Praises and the Litany of Trust with him every time we talk to him. Privately, we all sacrifice for him and have our own devotions that we pray for him. A few that we have a deep devotion to are Our Lady of Sorrows, the Novena to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, and novenas to St. Jude, St. Rita and of course, both St. Anthonys. 😊 Whatever prayer you choose to pray, please join us in prayer!
Secondly, I ask again for financial help. So many of you were so incredibly generous last year, and truly had a deep, deep impact on us and the beauty and generosity of the Body of Christ! I can’t express in words the deep gratitude we have for each of you who prayed and gave financially last year! I am asking again for you to prayerfully consider donating. We have been blessed by another matching grant by Lifesong for Orphans, the non-profit that gifted us grants last year as well. We also just received news that Tom’s work is majorly cutting back his pay, and we were already struggling to pay for Anthony’s facility, hence the need to ask for help again this year. We have hope for Anthony’s healing, but need additional assistance to be able to afford his facility. Lifesong for Orphans has offered us a matching grant to help with our fundraising efforts, so that means that donations are matched by the organization. Your donation is tax-deductible and would be a GINORMOUS blessing to us!
We were blessed to be able to go visit Anthony this year. He was deeply impacted by our visit and has been able to make great strides over the course of this year. We have more hope than ever for his healing and we know that God’s grace is moving in his heart and that the facility he is at is working wonders with him. He has two years before he turns 18 and our hope is that we can continue to work side by side with the facility, all under God’s guidance, to keep him there for as long as he needs and that he will continue to grow and heal.
If you can only pray, please pray! We ask firstly and most fervently for you to join us in prayer for our son. If you can also donate, please consider donating one of two ways:
-Lifesong for Orphans page here: https://mystory.lifesongfororphans.org/stories/buck-familys-story/
-Or by sending a check to Lifesong directly. Please make checks payable to “Lifesong for Orphans.” In the memo, note “family account number, 90601” and “family name, Buck” to assure it goes to the correct account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744.
All of the money you donate will go directly to pay the facility where Anthony is. It is a beautiful blessing on our family that they have given us a matching grant again this year!
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for praying, loving and supporting us!
Tom, Maria, Anthony and the rest of the Bucklings <3
We entrust Anthony to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate heart of Mary and ask Sts. Anthony, Jude and Rita, pray for us!
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,Immaculate Heart of Mary and Sts. Anthony, Jude and Rita, pray for us!
Family Name: Buck Family Account Number: 90601
STRIPE charges an online processing fee (2.2% +.30 USD per transaction)*. Your donations will be decreased by this amount. You may also send a check payable to “Lifesong for Orphans”. In the memo line please write “Buck 90601”, to ensure it is credited to our account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744.
Lifesong has been blessed with partners who underwrite all U.S. administrative and fundraising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption.
- In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to Lifesong for Orphans. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.
- Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. Individual donations of $50 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request.
- *3.5% fee for donations given with an American Express card