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We completed the necessary classes to prepare for fostering children in September 2014. 
On October 20, 2014, we received a call that there was a 9-year-old boy who needed to “step down” from a group facility and were asked to consider having him for the weekend.  I shared with the caller that in the past 2 weeks, I had dreamed 3 different times that we received a baby…...to that the worker responded, “that it was rare to have a baby come to the system and if they did that, they typically are a sibling group that they prefer to keep together”.  We agreed for them to send us information on the boy.  Three hours later our world changed.  We were contacted about a little girl that had been in the hospital for two months and was ready to go to a family.  They sent us her records to review (all 82 pages) and set up a time for us to meet her for that night.

Reading as much as we could understand, we knew that Arrayah had overcome great odds.  At the age of 6 months, Arrayah was violently shaken by her mother’s boyfriend, we later learned she had been previously abused as well.  The life flight team brought her to the local children’s hospital in dire condition on September 1, 2014, the doctors not giving her much chance to live at all.  DCS didn’t take custody of her for 10 days, thinking she may not survive her injuries, but Arrayah was a fighter!!!    We went to the hospital and met her that evening.  She had a caregiver by her side that helped us learn a little more and we both held her, immediately feeling a connection. Arrayah was just a baby, a baby with a gtube, a shunt and a broken arm, all due to an adult that lost his temper.

The doctors estimated Arrayah’s life expectancy to be 18 months and she would likely be 100% dependent on others for every area of her care.  We spent 4 days, 24/7 in the hospital learning to care for her immediate needs….and wow, God carried us through!!  Arrayah was 8 months old when we brought her to our home on October 27, 2014.  

Multiple Doctors appointments in the first 3 months quickly showed us that, as foster parents, Doctors did not know if they would see us again, that typically foster parents change rapidly.    They realized over time that our love for Arrayah was great, and we were in it for the Long Haul, as we eventually adopted Arrayah when she was 3.

Arrayah faced challenges like most other children that have been shaken; nonverbal, CVI, incontinent, no purposeful movement of legs or arms, the list is long.  It is safe to say she was on the more severe side.  During the first 6 months we saw very little interaction out of her, and she cried a lot.  At a doctor's appointment in a waiting room, she did something we’d never seen before.  She smiled so big that I could not get my phone out of my pocket quick enough to capture that moment.  Little did I know that was the start of a new Arrayah that we became accustomed to seeing. 

We rejoiced each time we could remove a med from her list in hope that we would uncover another side of Arrayah.  Her smile could light up a room and her laugh, as we later found out could make your heart pound with laughter as well. 

In a way, we were very fortunate.  In addition to her shunt and gtube placed prior to us bringing Arrayah home, she only had to have three major surgeries.  Hip dysplasia, suprapubic catheter and magnetic spinal rods for scoliosis.  These surgeries provided her with a better quality of life.  We thought long and hard about each surgery and the pro and cons associated.  We are thankful for the guidance received from doctors and therapists to make Arrayah’s life better.  We had sporadic private duty nursing care to help along the way and kept Arrayah out of the ER and doctors' offices as much as possible.  We had in home therapies as well as outpatient ones, Arrayah even attended PreK and Kindergarten for a brief time.

Back to the plan, God was preparing US for Arrayah all along.  We made decisions regarding things that would be better served to support Arrayah before she came into our life.  We believe God gave her to us because he knew we could take care of her best.  She had a love of music, swinging and all things the color pink.   She was the greatest blessing of our lifetime!!! 
Arrayah’s situation should have been different.  

She was given 18 months as her life expectancy and made it almost 9 years, she passed on November 15, 2022. She is deeply missed by all who loved her. 

The person that did this to her is currently serving a 20-year sentence for Aggravated Child Abuse and Neglect, which he still has about 8 ½ years left on.  He took a plea deal 2 weeks prior to trial in order to gain a shorter sentence.  We have meetings scheduled to discuss further charges since Arrayah’s death.