A little about me - Danesha starts most mornings with a song. Lying in bed, waiting for help to get dressed for school, she sings happy notes perfectly befitting her joyful personality. And the best part of it is, she has a family of her very own to hear her sweet tunes.
For years, Danesha lived in foster care as one of about 3,500 children in Pinellas and Pasco counties being cared for by the child welfare department. Of those kids, almost 350 of them are available for adoption and hoping for a forever family at any given time. On February 26, 2009, Danesha officially became part of the Lorne family and realized the dream shared by so many children like her.
Deanna Lorne cared for Danesha as a medical foster parent for five months before it struck her how well the sweet little girl fit into her existing family and how she was thriving in so many ways. She is motivated and encouraged by her new brothers and wants to do things for herself that she wasn’t previously able to due to medical handicaps. Deanna says that, “My family loves her as my own and delights with each smiling visit she makes to their homes or vice versa. They think God has placed her in the perfect home.”
Since finalizing the adoption and being able to officially call Danesha her own child, Deanna says most things are the same. Still, she says, “Mentally I feel relieved and a sense of accomplishment as if giving birth to a new baby.” She added that she has enjoyed “putting things in place to make her happy and celebrating freely as her mom.”
A TESTIMONIAL by Deanne Lorne
"Adoption means that I can have a family that I have some choice in. When the Lord blesses us with a biological child, the anxiety and excitement involved is a natural overwhelming experience. Adopting a child that I have grown to love unconditionally and the excitement of making her mine is just as exciting. It’s like having an agreement to unite as a family, laying all our concerns on the table and then taking a plunge together. It is such a joyous adventure. " |
