OK - here goes. We're adopting a daughter and she needs prayers.

Originally Posted by LDG

SHE DOES NOT HAVE AIDS, SHE IS NOT H.I.V. POSITIVE - and she doesn't even show any signs of Hep-C (which she was diagnosed with in the past)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU -

How can Gary, Naomi and I thank you enough for all your incredible good will and good wishes?

Oh - when we hadn't heard from her by 10:00 last night, I told Gary that I thought she wasn't going to come if we let her get away with it - that she's just too scared to get the results. He agreed, and we were prepared to hit the car and roll into the City again. Which is, of course, what happened. At 1:30am she called to say she didn't think she was going to make the last bus out here, she'd just catch an early bus in the morning. Gary said, "Honey, the last bus left half an hour ago. dWe know you're really scared, and we know that on some level you really don't want the test results. But we're going to get this behind us so we can do what needs to be done, whatever that is. We all need to put this behind us. So we're leaving right now, we are driving into the city to pick you up, so this time you're going to tell us where to pick you up. It will take us no more than one hour, so just to be absolutely sure we are there waiting for you, where do you want to meet us at 3:00?" (3:00 am!) Go Dad Go!

We checked into the hotel at 5:30am, Naomi and I slept until 10:00, and we got it together and headed to the Docs. She was rigid like a stone, walking like a zombie, and staring off into never-never land. It snowed here - we were on time, and the Doctor was late! We had to wait for about 25 minutes, and each minute was complete excruciating agony. Doc waived us in - and we asked Naomi if she wanted us to be with her. She said no, she really wanted to do it alone, but she really, really appreciated our making her do it and being there for her (Gary managed not to cry until she disappeared into the examining room).

It seemed like they were in there forever - though it was only about two minutes before the door opened and Doc popped out for something. Gary and I walked over to the exam room door and peered in - and she had almost a smile - and I said to Gary - "I think she's smiling - " - and she lit up like the Fourth of July and said "I'm OK!" - We glanced at Doc - and she was beaming and gave us both thumbs up. We were whooping and crying and we were all hugging - it was insane. But she had more stuff to go over with her, so we got coffee for everyone, and they did take like half an hour.

When they were done, Doc came out and said - I don't know how you guys do it, but you've got an amazing kid on your hands.

And Naomi confirmed that she wants us to legally adopt her. And we went back to the hotel, discussed the creation of the Homeless Assistance Network for a couple of hours, and then passed out.

She feels like she's been given a new lease on life, and she doesn't want to waste it.

We told her let's do things one step at a time - we've got to get her healthy first, and as she's been through (state-run) detox several times, she knows that this news is really the hardest news of all, and she just went through the easiest part of it.

She kept thanking us for being there for her, over and over again. We keep telling her she does not have to keep thanking us - and it finally hit me.

I don't know who wrote or said this - or if I just made it up. I have no idea. But I told her that thanking us for "being there for her" is like thanking the sun for shining, or thanking the wind for blowing. So instead of continuing to tell her to stop thanking us, every time she thanked us, we were going to thank her for being.

Now - the hard part begins. We had to let her go again. She did not come out prepared to head straight to detox, though she said again, she is committed to doing this. I told Gary - I think she's really going to. He said - let's just see. When you're in the curve, it is so clear that you want to quit - but when you're coming down, it's a completely different story.

So anyway, we went out to dinner with her friends, and then we drove her back into the city. She says she's going to call the clinic Thursday or Friday to make the commitment to go in, and she's going to say good-bye to her friends - because, as she puts it, if she wants to do this right, she can't see them again for a long, long, time and that by the time she's probably ready to see them, she won't know how to be with them because all they really have in common is the high.

So - one day at a time. Oh thank God she's OK! She really is our Sunshine, and boy do I hope we can help that little beacon of light shine.

Thank you all so, so, so, so, so much!

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Originally Posted by D'Elle and Beau

L and G---I follow this thread with interest. I agree with all of the cautionary notes that have been placed in this thread, and I also know that you already have your hearts in this and cannot pull back or be cautious now. I figure it's better to give wholeheartedly and try, even if you get your hearts broken, than not to follow your hearts. I continue to wish you the very best of luck. The hardest part is that Naomi, although she truly does want to be with you and change her live, is still controlled by the drug to which she is addicted. That drug will continue to make her decisions for her until she really kicks it for good, if she can do that. Let's just hope and pray that the intervention may be enough stronger that she can continue to take steps toward health and sanity. My thoughts are with you.......

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