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Adoption Success Story: The Schmitz’s

Posted November 28, 2009 by LSS Adoption Services

Categories: Success Stories

The holiday season can become overwhelming with all of the decorating, shopping and preparing, but for one little girl, the magic of the season thrilled her every moment.  "Our first Christmas was a real joy with Meghan.  It was obvious by the look on her face that she had never experienced anything like this before," said Mary Schmitz.

Ken and Mary Schmitz's lives changed forever this past fall when they became the proud parents of a four and a half-year-old girl from Mongolia.  As the parents of seven, the Schmitz's became interested in adoption when their daughter and son-in-law were looking to adopt a child of their own.

Once the adoption process began, it took less than a year until they brought Meghan home.  "The paper work, as with any adoption is a major task, but it is definitely something that can be accomplished by most anyone who has the will to stick to the job- plus the outcome definitely over shadows any of the paper work," commented Ken.

Both Mary and Ken said that they will never forget their first night with Meghan before returning home. "When we went to the orphanage for the last time to take Meghan with us, she was quiet and didn't smile, but seemed eager to come with us.  I am sure she was afraid, but being very brave," said Ken.

"Because all her clothing needed to stay at the orphanage, we changed her into a new outfit and shoes, both of which she stared at with amazement.  When we removed her old shoes, we found her toes were curled under and she had calluses from her shoes being too small."

That evening as they went to bed they heard Meghan crying.  "There stood Meghan with her new shoes in her hands.  She thought she was losing her new shoes which meant so much to her and wanted to wear them to bed," continued Mary.  "For weeks afterward, she would not try on boots, slippers or other shoes for fear of losing her precious new shoes that were big enough for her little feet." 

Since then, Meghan has experienced so much with the Schmitz family.  From learning to speak English, trying new foods, sleeping in her own room and opening herself up to a new family, Meghan is constantly mastering new feats and bringing an unbelievable amount of joy to their home. 

"We are so blessed to live in the United States, and traveling to Mongolia just reinforced our feelings about that.  We give up so little to provide so much to one of these little ones- I would encourage everyone to consider international adoption!  The love and happiness Meghan has given back to us has made us all wonder how we ever enjoyed life without her," concluded Mary.