When Kelly and Larry Peterson — both born with spina bifida — first applied to adopt a child, they were heartbroken to be turned away. Some agencies told them their disability disqualified them from becoming parents. But the couple never gave up hope. They knew they had the love, experience, and determination to raise a child — and they were right. Today, they’re proud parents to a daughter with spina bifida, the perfect match they never stopped believing in.
Kelly and Larry Peterson
“Junk, junk,” Kelly Peterson said aloud as she sorted the mail. But when she came to the envelope at the bottom of the stack, her heart sank — it was from an adoption agency, and the news was bad.
We are sorry, but we cannot help you with an adoption, the letter read. We have a list of disabilities we don’t work with, and yours is one of them.
Tears filled Kelly’s eyes. She and her husband, Larry, both had spina bifida — a condition in which a baby’s spine doesn’t form and close properly before birth. They rely on wheelchairs and heavy leg braces to get around.
The couple first met at a Chicago-area spina bifida camp when they were just 10 years old and discovered they shared the same birth date and year. They quickly became camp buddies, and despite living miles apart, they always kept in touch — even dating throughout high school.
But when they went off to different colleges, they fell out of touch. Kelly studied special education and Larry built a career in customer service.
Kelly and Larry Peterson
But one night in 2016, Larry’s name popped up as a friend suggestion on Kelly’s Facebook page.
How have you been? She messaged him. A few months later, the former high school sweethearts wed.
Kelly had always dreamed of raising a family. She’d babysat since she was 13 and even worked with special needs children and kids with autism, and she loved all her students. But it wasn’t the same as having a child of her own, and though doctors said there was no reason Kelly couldn’t get pregnant, it just wasn’t meant to be.
The couple soon decided it was time to try adoption and were interviewed by various agencies. “You’re going to have to educate us,” social workers said reasonably and asked several questions. “For example, how would you do things like lifting a baby into a crib from a wheelchair? What would you do if your child decided to bolt toward busy traffic?”
Kelly and Larry patiently addressed their concerns. They showed the social workers the Pack ‘n’ Play they planned to use as a bassinet, which included an easy-to-reach changing table.
Kelly described her years of babysitting twins and caring for an entire classroom of children with various physical and learning disabilities.
“And as far as our child bolting, I can move pretty fast in my wheelchair,” Kelly said. “But first of all, our child wouldn’t ever be playing anywhere near traffic.”
Dreams do come true
The couple was ultimately approved for adoption, but then letters began drifting in from various adoption agencies, each more hopeless than the last.
“Is this ever going to happen for us?” Kelly asked Larry, feeling downtrodden. But they were determined.
Eventually, Kelly found an agency called Special Angels that helps children with disabilities find forever families. “We can definitely help you,” they said, and true to their word, the couple was soon matched with the perfect child.
A woman in Missouri was in her final months of pregnancy, carrying a baby girl with spina bifida. She couldn’t care for the child, and another family had already applied to adopt. Ultimately, the birth family would decide who would adopt the baby girl. “This is the child we are meant to adopt,” Kelly and Larry said as they submitted their application, outlining their medical histories and Kelly’s teaching experience. “We’ll know how to help her through the tough times and show her it’s possible to flourish and build a wonderful life despite her disability.”
The birth mom agreed, and in November 2018, the couple drove to Missouri to meet their new daughter. “Hello, Hadley,” they said as they cuddled the newborn, who was already scheduled for the first of many surgeries to come.
Kelly and Larry Peterson
A true forever family
Like all parents, Kelly and Larry celebrated their daughter’s milestones — her first smile, her first word, “Go!” because she wanted to be on the move. Instead of learning to crawl, Hadley learned to roll, and her first steps were in leg braces. Hoping to inspire and encourage other potential disabled parents or parents of disabled kids, Kelly created a Facebook blog, “Journey Down a Country Road: Spina Bifida + Adoption = Our Family,” where she shares the challenges, joys and rewards of being called “Mom” by Hadley, now 6 years old.
“I love all my students at school, but Hadley is my daughter. I get to take her home, be silly and do everything with her,” she says. “She’s our perfect little angel and it’s a dream come true to be her mom!
