Childhood Friends Turn Lifelong Love into Inspiring Adoption Journey

Quick Smiles:

• Larry and Kelly Peterson rekindled their childhood friendship into a lifelong love story.
• They adopted a baby girl with Spina Bifida, embracing a shared journey.
• The couple advocates for others with disabilities to pursue adoption.

Larry and Kelly Peterson’s story is a delightful tale of serendipity and determination. Meeting at a Spina Bifida camp when they were just 10 years old, they discovered they shared not only the same condition but also the same birthday. Their paths diverged after high school, only to cross again a decade later through the wonders of social media. Love blossomed anew, and this year, the Indiana couple tied the knot, setting their sights on building a family through adoption.

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Kelly, unable to have a biological child, was once told that her disability might stand in the way of adopting. Yet, she and Larry remained undeterred. Through a special needs adoption agency, they found baby Hadley, a little girl who also has Spina Bifida.

July marked a dual celebration for the Petersons: their ninth wedding anniversary and five years since welcoming Hadley into their family. Thanks to the support of adoption networks, their dream came true. The couple believed, “there was no one better to parent this child” than themselves, given their deep understanding of her condition.

Parenting has been a joyful and challenging experience for them. They’ve delighted in watching Hadley’s personality shine and her milestones unfold. Even with Kelly’s 18 years of experience as a special education teacher, she finds parenting to be a unique challenge.

Adapting to parenting from their wheelchairs, Kelly and Larry have devised ways to care for Hadley without exceeding their physical limits. They receive support from nearby family members, making their journey a collaborative effort. The Petersons are now eager to support others with Spina Bifida who wish to adopt.

They aim to dispel stigmas and stereotypes about disability and parenting. Recently, they launched a Facebook page, Journey Down a Country Road: Spina Bifida + Adoption= Our Family, to offer guidance and support. “We want to let society see that people with Spina Bifida live a life just like their non-disabled peers,” Kelly shared.

Larry and Kelly encourage prospective parents with disabilities to pursue their dreams without fear. They advise against accepting “no” from agencies and to remain aware of varying policies. “Adoption is a learning process and you need to keep pushing along,” they said. Hadley receives care at a children’s hospital, where she benefits from therapies and has undergone surgery. For Kelly, who was once a patient there herself, this brings their journey full circle. Their story is a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of love and perseverance.

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