We are the Suero family and we’d love to share our adoption story! Our family includes dad/Danny, mom/Rachel, and kids: Isaac, Jonah, Oliver, Lily, Ivy, and Simon. Isaac and Lily were adopted in 2020 from Ukraine via unrelated concurrent adoptions. We had always planned on adopting, but we thought maybe we’d adopt from China as Rachel’s 2 youngest brothers were adopted from there. We definitely thought we’d wait until our biological children were older, our lives were slower, and we had way less student loan debt. We thought we’d adopt just 1 child, as young as possible, with only minor needs. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine we’d adopt 2 children with very profound special needs, who were older and were from Ukraine, or that we’d do so while expecting our 4th biological child! But we’re so happy and grateful that our story turned out much differently than we expected.
After coming home, in large part thanks to the matching grant we received from Lifesong in 2020 and the kindness of many donors, we settled into our new life as a family of 8. We ended up having to move to a new state to obtain better medical care for Isaac and we also had to purchase a vehicle that would actually fit all of us together with room for a wheelchair. We tried to recover financially from the adoptions, a job loss, medical complications including a heartbreaking miscarriage this year, and changing life circumstances such as the big move. God saw us through every challenge that came our way, but it didn’t exactly seem like the best time to consider growing our family. Thankfully, we know that His timing is better than ours, and He made it very apparent that we were meant to go down this path again.
So here we are again! We’re a bit surprised, but very excited that our family is growing through adoption once more. This time we’re adopting from Bulgaria and we’ve been matched with TWO waiting children. Listed online as "Jasper" and "Erik", J just turned 6 years old and has spent his whole life in an orphanage in Eastern Bulgaria and E is 19 months old and has spent his life in an orphanage too. Both boys have some big needs, including some very complex needs, but they're each so perfect to us. Some of their diagnoses include cerebral palsy, craniofacial abnormalities, epilepsy, Noonan syndrome, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, heart defects, blindness, significant delays in all areas, and brain differences. Many of their needs are unmet currently, most notably: the absence of the unconditional love and protection of a family.
Currently, our homestudy, USCIS fees, background and FBI clearances, all agency fees, and our foreign fee deposit have all been paid in full. What remains is: $11,200 in foreign fees, all travel expenses for 2 trips, and then medical exams, visas, and plane tickets home for the boys. We were offered an extremely generous matching grant of $7000 from Tim Tebow Foundation + Lifesong, so for the first $7000 we raise, every dollar will be doubled and we will be VERY close to our needed goal!
We are deeply grateful for every single person who has walked beside us as we bring our children home. Every kind word of encouragement, every last prayer, every dollar spared on behalf of helping us make it to J and E quickly means so much more than we can express. We cannot wait to share our happy update with ALL of our children together in our arms. Thank you so much.
Love,
The Sueros
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 “Suero 10692”, 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
