Amado is 33 years old and has been in the United States since the age of 13. This man is amazing. He always has a smile on his face. He loves the United States. He loves his family! He loves his job and he loves teaching Spanish. I had the privilege to hear a little bit of his story tonight. It's a story that touched my heart. So, I thought I'd share it with you.
Amado was born in Honduras. He has 15 siblings in all. 10 of those are from Honduras and 5 are from the United States. You see, Amado was adopted at the age of 13 by a family from Alabama. A team went to Honduras on a mission trip one year and met Amado and his family. Upon meeting him I'm sure their hearts hurt for them. When Amado was 3 months old he contracted the Polio virus. When they met him at the age of 13, he couldn't walk. The virus attacked the muscles in his legs. Amado could crawl and he had a wheelchair. He had no use of his legs at all. He said his knees were "locked". So, this family decided they wanted to bring Amado to the United States if his family approved. They would adopt him and take care of him. His family agreed and Amado's life has been forever changed. He had 3 surgeries on his knees and a year of very intense therapy. He now walks with the assistance of forearm crutches. We asked him if he could remember the day he took his first steps. With a smile on his face he said, "July 20, 1990." At this point I was really trying to hold back tears. This man and his story had my heart tonight. To know that his family gave up so much so that their son could have a better life blows my mind. It had to be one of the most difficult things they've ever done. It was a completely selfless act. Some people might say they are crazy. I say they had their son's best interests at heart. Just think. If they hadn't been willing to give Amado up...he probably wouldn't be walking today. He'd still be wheelchair bound. He'd still be in Honduras. This man is very thankful for what he has. He has two sets of parents and 2 sets of siblings and loves them very much. He now has 5 of his siblings from Honduras living here in Alabama!! His biological parents have been to visit but they don't want to live here permanently. Their home is in Honduras. That's where they want to be. Amado's says this is his home now. He goes to visit Honduras...but this is where he longs to be. This is his home. I'll close with Amado's last statement which just about sent me over the edge with emotion. He said, "I'm thankful that I had polio. If I hadn't had polio then I wouldn't be where I am today. I wouldn't be in the United States." I wish you could meet this man. You'd find him to be just as amazing as I do. I count myself blessed to know him...and to know just a tiny part of his amazing story. :o)
Until next time...
James
No comments:
Post a Comment