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Show d ram, Tmmigtarinn md MinmliiwinB Shiwt few, ml Awfinra f to orphanages. it' Pkyiqg parents forababy is illegal, says Brenda, who is the south-ea- st director for Children's Hope International, an international adoption agency. List year, the won a congressional awitd Angels in Adoption for her work there. And in 1997, the Batkets were named Family of die Year for Tennessee by state Family and Chil- r'f& o dren's Services. Facing challenges But frightening days would lie ahead for the happy family. That year; Sam was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, the moat common form of childhood leukemia. . "We were devastated," Brenda says, recalling the days she spent at the hospital with her ill ton. But Sam, who most likely would haw died had he remained in Latvia, completed treatment and appeared to be in remission. ' Withan 80 percent to 90 percent cure tare, the fimily believed Sam was out of the woods and decided God was leading them to adopt again. Brenda, whose growing family had led to her wotk at Catholic Charities adoption sendees, had by then joined Children's Hope InremadonaL When tfaat agency began arranging adoptions of Vietnamese children, Brenda saw it as a sign that they should . $.0 adopt again. This time, they asked for a sibling group, and Melody and Daniel joined the family in 1999. They were told the girl and boy were brother and sister, but later learned they were cousins. Just a year and a half later; the family faced the nightmare of Samlndapie and the knowledge that a bone manow transplant was his only hope. "It was hard. But I have a great husband and we a lot," she says of the return to days spent in the hospital, while still juggling the needs of six other children. "It was really difficult. It really hard on Melody ... She was new to our family and that was really hard on the whole group," Brenda says. Melody already had apetienced much pain in her young lifo. "She had lost both patents, (and) she had been in the asphanage for about six weeks. Her hiith dad had died, and her mother placed her for adoption. She had lost a lot." During that difficult adjustment, Brenda was spending all of her time at the hospital with Sam. "It really allowed Ken to bond with them," Brenda acknowledges, adding that her mother came from Texas to help, too. "I was going, Okay, God, this is really more than I can handle.1 1 know it is with die grace of God that we keep going," Brenda says. Sam received a bone marrow transplant earlier this year, but he must stay home, and out of public, for a year to protect his immune system. That means Brenda and Ken, senior editorial director at Word Music, take turns working from home to soy tag-team- ed with Sam. "We do have a great life. Its not necessarily the life yoi would pick, but that's all right. He's worth eye ty bit of it," she says of Sam. and PanMJay and Andrew am In iwnt organised. Weve always been frugal, and I do wotk full time, Brenda explains. And though Sams illness is always there, happy times are abundant in the Basket household. Melody; the only child old enough to remember her life before adoption, says life in America with her new family is "really fon." The Barkers try to make sure their children learn about their various cultural heritages Melody likes to wear a traditional Vietnamese outfit and hope they eventually can take each child back to his or her birth country. time Despite busy schedules, Brenda and Ken make a point to spend with each child. Joy prefers to simply sit and calk with her mother: Grace and Faith love to shop. Andrew likes his parents to attend his soccer and baseball games. "You cant be everything to everyone," Brenda says. "I think parenting is . going with your heart. Your bean is usually fight. one-on-o- ne . Vicki Bnum, American Profiles Cartral editor and matter eftwo, still Barker pa tbreetgb a uotk doesn't understood betu Brenda J making sure everyone's needs are met But Ifs realty Cach one Is different and unique . I Just love sitting and talking with them, seeing all their different gifts. " "The toughest Happy times Otherwise, things are bock to normal as normal as life gen in a family so large they had to add an extra sear to their Suburban to get everyone in the same vehicle. s, Brenda and Ken are handling their both financially and logistically. Im very Iw jjj ffi thing Is chal-lenge- 1 - V' American Profile Pago 7 |