If you have been journeying with me for a while here on my blog you will know all about our sweet Haven. I share about her quite a bit. Haven is ten and has been a part of our family for two and a half years now. You can read Haven’s story by clicking on her name on the navigation bar.
A more recent update is here.
Haven is an absolute treasure. Since she has been home we have been to countless doctors, therapists, and professionals. None of them has ever really been able to give us an “official” diagnosis as to why Haven is still non-verbal and still developmentally around a three-year-old’s level. And that’s okay. We don’t care about labelling her or putting her in some kind of box. The only thing that matters to us is that we love her with everything we have and help her to become all that God has created her to be.
All the unanswered questions are just big whatever!
Having endured much orphanage abuse and a disrupted adoption which was so very hard on her, what we do know is that Haven definitely suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Her struggles are emotional and psychological. It seems that at some point in her little life she shut down emotionally and stopped speaking (as a way of dealing with her horrid circumstances)…and since then, she has never been able to find her voice again.
She is content to live in her silent world.
No amount of speech therapy has helped.
Two and a half years in a family has not made her speak (which many thought it would).
We’re dealing with very deep wounds.
And very profound delays in all areas of her life.
One of the things we have had checked in the past is Haven’s eyesight. Poor sight can, of course, lead to many issues. Prior visits to eye doctors have always given Haven the “Everything’s great, bring her back next year” result.
Last week a few of our kids had their routine eye exam. Never, ever would I have expected to hear what the doctor had to say about Haven.
Severe far sightedness! We’re talking about not being able to see more than a few feet in front of her. So bad that the lenses have to be specially made for her.
Oh my word.
Anthony stood next to Haven as the doctor put a pair of his optometrist lenses on her sweet little face. She made an audible gasp and beamed from ear to ear, making happy sounds, pointing at things. She could SEE!
We seriously could not believe it. No doctor has ever diagnosed Haven with anything other than perfect vision. How can that be? Ugh. Makes me mad.
If this doctor is right, and his diagnosis is accurate, it could literally change Haven’s life.
I can hardly wait to see what happens.
