Good things come to those who wait, and this year Gina Sparks, 50, is celebrating Mother's Day with two very good things — her adopted children Lamar, 8, and Jency, 5.
"These children are such blessings to me and my husband," Gina said. "We waited so long to have a child of our own ... but once we realized that just wasn't in God's plan for us, He opened our eyes to adoption and blessed us with the perfect pair."
Darlene Chapman |
Gina Sparks, 50, celebrates Mother's Day this year with her two adopted children, Lamar, 8, and Jency, 5.
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The plan
Gina and husband Pat were high school sweethearts. They married when they were 19 with three things on their minds: for Pat, it was going to seminary school; for Gina, it was following her passion for pottery; and for both, it was starting a family of their own. However, as the years went by, Pat completed seminary school and Gina developed her craft, but there was still no baby.
"We wanted kids so badly, but I just couldn't get pregnant," Gina said. "A few friends of ours recommended an adoption agency in Beaumont and, after much research and prayer, we decided this was what God had planned for us."
Lamar
Not too long after the paperwork was completed, Gina was holding her newborn baby boy.
"Adopting Lamar was such an amazing day," she said. "All of our hard work and patience was rewarded the instant I held him in my arms."
Gina settled into her role as a new mother quite easily, but there was one adjustment she needed to make.
"I had hired a sitter for Lamar so that I could work on my pottery, and I had made the garage my studio," she said. "One day I was working and could hear Lamar and his sitter in the living room playing and working together. I thought to myself, 'Gina, you've waited so long for this baby, what are you doing in the garage?' Needless to say, I put away my potter's wheel."
Gina delighted in watching her son grow into his toddler years. Shortly after Lamar celebrated his third birthday, Gina received a phone call from the adoption agency — a baby girl needed a home.
Jency
Gina was blessed once more with a newborn to cradle in her arms. But something felt different, she thought. Jency seemed to be extremely hard to comfort and she her small frame jerked awkwardly at times. Concerned for her child, Gina sought medical advice. Jency was only 7 months old when she had her MRI.
"The results were not good," Gina said. "Doctors found several brain malformations ... my daughter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy."
For Gina, time began to move in slow motion. The news of Jency's disorder was hard to hear, and even harder to realize. At night Gina would tip-toe to the crib to watch her daughter sleep soundly, free from the discomforts and occasional muscle spasms.
"I'd look at my beautiful baby and wonder, 'What's going to happen to this precious child?' Everyday I'd see her try her best to move her body ... her eyes would light up and she'd smile her sweet smile. She'd try so hard."
Gina called the adoption agency to inform them of Jency's disorder. The response to the news wasn't exactly what Gina anticipated.
"I was told that because I wasn't made aware of Jency's condition pre-adoption, it was within my right to ... bring her back. Bring her back?? I guess for some people that's an option. I don't really understand that. She's my daughter."
As for now
Nearly four years have passed since Jency's diagnosis, and each day has been a new adventure for Gina and her family. With Lamar getting more and more involved in school and Jency improving week by week through therapy, time seems to go by in the blink of an eye.
"I just try to take in every moment I can with them," she said. "They'll be grown before I know it. Lamar is only 8 years old, but he's already so responsible and mature. And Jency ... she's 5, attends School for Little Children and has already decided she's going to play soccer in college. My children are both very ambitious, and I'm so proud of them."
