Yesterday was Chloe's 3rd Birthday. God gave us a birthday miracle yesterday. I posted about it on our adoption blog, but I did not think to post here. I've copied and pasted the entry from our adoption blog below. If you'd like to see new pictures of John Paul and Dasha then you can visit our adoption blog at ... www.newboldfamilyadoption.blogspot.com There is also a newborn picture of Chloe on there above yesterday's post.

A Birthday Miracle

Three years ago today at 11:45 a.m. our lives would change forever. This was the day that God blessed us with our little miracle named Chloe. We did not know until after she was born that she had Down Syndrome. At first we were scared and concerned about many things. But one thing was for sure, we loved this beautiful little girl. She stole our hearts from the beginning and as she grew she stole the hearts of everyone that met her. I'm told that she stole the hearts of strangers as well. One thing is for sure, God gave us a little angel and we were so blessed to be her parents.

God decided to take her back on August 15, 2007 and He placed the desire in my heart to adopt another child with Down Syndrome. I knew in my heart that there was a higher reason for her short life and we decided to trust God in the desire that He placed in my heart. We've been scared along the way and at times I have even questioned if this was God's plan for sure. Each time I have questioned it, God has given me confirmation and the strength to press on. Today, on Chloe's 3rd birthday, God gave us a miracle. At 5:00 this afternoon we went to court and became the proud parents of John Paul Newbold. Of course we still have to wait ten days before it is finalized. But today is the day that the judge told us "Congratulations on our new child!" I am just awestruck by how God has worked all of this out. I've been crying tears of joy for the last hour and I just can't believe how good God is. I had asked God to let us have a child by Chloe's birthday, but this is just a miracle. I can't wait to get John Paul in our custody and see the plans that God has for His life. Things may be tough in the beginning, but I know that God has great things in store for John Paul. He has protected him and given him favor all along. The thing that choked me up in court was when they were talking about his mother giving up her rights to him. What really got me was when they said that he has been in the orphanage since December, 2004 and has never had any visitors and that no one in his family has ever expressed interest in him. That's hard to hear about a little child that you have grown to love. I can't wait to get him home and give him the love that he deserves. Never again will he be without a family. We are so blessed to have our new addition to our family, angel # 2!

I guess I'll wrap it up by saying...Happy 3rd Birthday Chloe. We love you so much. I know that we have a sweet little angel looking out for us in Heaven. God is still using you to bring us miracles. We love you angel.

I have updated to let you all know about an urgent need for a four year old little boy with Down Syndrome named Roma. Roma is in an orphanage in Eastern Europe and is going to be transferred to the institution in June. While Roma can still be adopted after he is transferred, this is a fate that no child should have to face.

I met Roma myself in person while on my trip to his orphanage in April. Roma has had a very special place in my heart for a long time. After meeting him I knew why. In spite of the conditions he is currently living in he is able to walk while holding onto furniture. He would be able to walk independently now if he were just given the chance. He is kept in a swing all day and I saw this for myself. Roma is fortunate to have a swing. Nadia, that we are hoping to adopt, and all of the other Down Syndrome children were not so fortunate. We found Nadia sitting in her crib chewing on her bed sheets and rocking herself back and forth because she had no toys or personal attention. After Roma is transferred he will also be kept in a crib. They do not even take these children outside to play. They are labeled the "defectives". One family that just adopted from one of the institutions witnessed with their own eyes children tied to beds naked or only partially clothed. One child was in a crib naked with a pot under him to defecate in. None of these children deserve this!

It is my prayer and hope that we can raise enough money to help a family afford to adopt Roma. Adoption grants greatly increase the chances of these children being adopted. Many more families would adopt these children, if only they could afford to.

We have decided that ALL donations raised from now until July 1st will go into a special grant specifically for Roma in hopes to find him a forever family. If you are interested in adopting Roma yourself please visit www.reecesrainbow.com and contact Andrea Roberts.

Please help us to give this little guy a chance in life. I was unable to post his picture here due to some technical issues. I will continue to try to get that straightened out. Please visit our family adoption blog to see a picture of him there. www.newboldfamilyadoption.blogspot.com

Please pray for all of the orphans all over the world, especially the children with Down Syndrome and other special needs. I have witnessed with my own eyes the sad existence that they have in these orphanages. Everyone deserves joy, hope, and a chance in life.

We will appreciate any and all donations for Roma, no matter how great or small! Please just help him if you are able. There is a donate button on the front page of this web-site. You can make a donation there or by mail. Our mailing address is...

66 Payne Street
Charles Town, WV 25414

Thank you so much!

I went home this weekend to visit my family and the newest member of my extended family, Dylan Lee Pierce. Dylan is the new baby boy to my cousin, Brandy and her husband Cliff Pierce. He is so cute, a little miracle from God! I would like to ask that you please keep Dylan in your prayers. When he was born he was suctioned out and it caused a fracture on his little skull. He had swelling, but it is going down some now. Pray that his little skull will heal and that all of the swelling will go down. Also, pray that he will not have any adverse effects from the fracture. He's doing really well, but please keep in him your prayers.

I also went to Chloe's place while I was home. I call it her place because I don't to call it her grave. It sounds too morbid to me and it is her little place until Christ returns and her little body meets her spirit in the air. I can't wait for that day!!! I made her an Easter floral arrangement with pinks, yellows, hot pink daisies and aqua carnations. It looked very cheerful, like her. I put some Easter picks in it too. One bunny rabbit, an Easter egg, and a lamb. I tied an Easter bunny around the vase. Someone put a stand with a hook in the ground and hung wind chimes on it, after she was placed there. We don't know who did it, but if you're reading this and you did it, thank you very much!! We hung a cross on it for Easter. It's pastel colors and looks like Easter. It says REJOICE! And you know, that's exactly what I did while I was visiting her place.

Chloe has brought Christ's resurrection into reality for me. Easter has never been more real or meant more to me than it does this year! Just the thought that she gets to spend Easter with Christ Himself makes my heart so full. And through Christ's death and resurrection, I have the promise of spending eternity with Jesus and my little angel. Even though she's in Heaven, God continues to use her to bless me and to help me to grow closer to Him.

I struggled with "faith" for as long as I can remember. I always prayed for God to give me more faith and to help me not to doubt that He is real. I'm not proud of this doubt that I had, but I think we all face it at some point in our lives. I even had a dream one night (long before Chloe was born, or even before I was married to Rick) that I was walking along the beach with Jesus and I asked Him "to help me to believe without a doubt". He took my finger and placed it in His nail scar. Then I woke up, and once I realized that I was no longer walking with Jesus, I was sad for days!! Then I realized that He lives in me! Pretty elementary stuff, but it was still hard for me to grasp. It is true that we have to come to Christ with child-like faith. I am proof of that. Even after this, I struggled with faith. I prayed and asked God to give me more faith for a very long time. Then Chloe was born and my faith journey truly began. It's when I couldn't fix it myself and I was powerless to help Chloe, that I was forced to have faith and trust in God. Having Chloe revealed to me that I had stronger faith than I was giving myself credit for. I just had never had to rely on my faith in such a powerful way. I think I was afraid to. God used Chloe to increase my faith and to show me how to release it. Through her life and death, my prayer for faith has been answered. It's not how I would have chosen for it to have been answered, but now I wake up everyday trusting in God that He has Chloe safe in Heaven. For the rest of my life, I will have faith in knowing that Chloe is waiting on me in Heaven with Jesus. There is nothing more beautiful than Christ's love for us! I could never begin to explain all that God has given me through Chloe. Love, faith, hope, joy, peace, strength, just to name a few. As I stood talking to Chloe at her place yesterday, I was flooded by these gifts that she brought me. I stood there and rejoiced in what God has done for me! I rejoiced over Christ's resurrection and in the promise of Heaven. I rejoiced and thanked God for Chloe and the growth that He has given me through her. I rejoiced and thanked God that I will see Chloe again! I am also so thankful that God has NEVER left me, no matter where I was in life, or how bad I've messed things up. I'm thankful that He is patient with me as I grow and overlooks my flaws!! He was with us the entire time with Chloe, loving us and giving us strength. He showed us the power of community and prayer through all of you. I'm still amazed by the outpouring of love and support during that difficult time. It restored my faith in people! Thank you all so much for allowing God to use you to minister to our needs. It still means a lot to us!

For those of you that may not know, we are in the process of an international adoption. We would also really appreciate your prayers during this time. After much prayer, we are in the process of trying to adopt 2 little girls with Down Syndrome from Eastern Europe. There names are Nadia (4 years old) and Zhenya (1 year old). We have a separate blog set up for our adoption, if you would like to follow our journey. There are pictures of the girls on our blog. I only have one picture each, but I hope to get more in April.

Newbold Family Adoption Blog

We reached this decision after a lot of prayer and consideration. I'd like to add that we are in no way trying to replace Chloe. Chloe can never be replaced and she will always be our little miracle! It is through having Chloe that we know that we want more of these special little children in our lives. After Chloe went to Heaven, and we began researching the purpose for her foundation, I learned how Down Syndrome orphans often suffer in other countries. Best case scenario, they do not receive the special attention and love that they deserve. Worst case scenario, they are bound, tied to beds, and often not fed, or bathed. All of the Down Syndrome Orphans will ultimately end up spending the rest of their lives in mental institutions (that is, if they actually live to adulthood) You can go to the following link to read a story that was in the NY Times that will attest to the abuse that these children often endure. I warn you that it is very disturbing and the pictures are heart wrenching! But these children endure this every day, so you should be able to endure it for the few minutes that it will take to read the article. I had no idea that this went on in the world, and we had a child with Down Syndrome. Please read it to become aware and to spread the word. These children are literally pushed away from society's view and their cries need to be heard!

NY Times Article

After all Chloe gave us, we couldn't stand idly by and not give back. We as Americans treat our pets better than a lot of these children are treated. Please pray for a quick, smooth adoption process and that the girls will be taken decent care of until we can get them home. Nadia (4) is scheduled for transfer to an older orphanage in July. Pray that we will get to her before she is transferred (if it's God's will). After the children are transferred to the older orphanages, their chance of survival greatly decreases! Some of the older orphanages in the country our girls are in (which I can not disclose) are said to bury up to 30 children a month! It's a poverty stricken country and the children do not receive good medical care, if they receive it at all. Some of the orphanages are better than others, but I'm not sure which orphanage Nadia would be transferred to. Just pray that she won't be transferred and that God will keep both of the girls in His hands and keep them safe. I also ask that you remember to keep baby Dylan in your prayers as well. Thank you so much!

As Thanksgiving nears it's inevitable for us to miss Chloe even more than usual. Traveling home to NC without her is so strange. I'm still not use to driving the car without hearing her babbling in the backseat. When that feeling of emptiness sets in I begin to think of all of the beautiful memories we have of Chloe. I know just how lucky we were to have such a special, loving, and perfect (in my eyes) little girl. Sometimes I still can't believe that God chose to give us such a beautiful child. It's been hard for me at times to understand why God chose to heal Chloe in Heaven rather than here on Earth. One day before she passed away I was crying and praying, asking God to heal Chloe and to please let us have more time with her. I heard the voice of the Lord say, "It will hurt more later". I didn't fully understand that until recently. One day a few weeks ago I was having a hard day and I sat down to read my Bible and pray. I asked God to please give me peace over why he took Chloe from us. I asked him to show me some scripture that would help me to understand. He led me straight to Isaiah 57, which I don't remember ever reading or hearing before. Here's what it says...

Isaiah 57: 1 The righteous perish,
and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.
2 Those who walk uprightly
enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death.

It all made more sense after I read that. You see God had been preparing me for Chloe since I was pregnant with her. When I was pregnant with her is when I first began hearing the voice that I believe is the Holy Spirit. It first occurred one day when I was talking to one of my friends that was pregnant at the same time I was. She was talking about how she was afraid her baby would have Down Syndrome because she had an aunt that had DS. I heard the voice say to me, "It's your baby not hers". Well needless to say it shook me pretty hard. Chloe had already tested negative for DS with the AFP testing. After she was born they told us she might have DS. I knew she did because I had already been told. She was in the P.I.C.U. for ten days after she was born and I was so scared she would die and never get to go home. I remember thinking to myself, "Is she going to die?" I heard the voice say again, "No, not yet".

The two things I feared the most for Chloe from the time she was born was leukemia and someone hurting her. Leukemia is more common in DS, but only 1% of the children are diagnosed with it. However, I feared those two things to my core. By saying I feared someone would hurt her I mean a pervert. We all see how many sick people there are when we turn on the news. Chloe was so loving and trusting of everyone! She did not know a stranger!

Then one day while Chloe was playing with her toys and I heard the voice say, "She's too good for this place". I feared what that might indicate. About a week later I looked at her while she was sleeping and I had a vision of her and she was dead. It was very disturbing and I honestly started to think I was going crazy! Then a couple of weeks later I looked at her again and saw her dead, but it was a peaceful image in my mind. However, it was still disturbing! So I had a physical and had my blood and thyroid function checked. Everything was fine. On the way out of the doctor's office I heard the voice say, "It's the baby's blood not yours". I immediately made an appointment and had her checked out. Sure enough she was anemic. It was checked again a month later and her platelets were low. I knew she had Leukemia.

So we were admitted to the hospital and the bone marrow results confirmed it. The next day she started chemo. That night I held her and cried and prayed. I heard the voice say, "Expect a miracle". It kept saying it over and over. I expected a healing miracle, but it didn't happen that way. Well, she is healed, but in Heaven! I see miracles in every day now and I know what a miracle Chloe was! Well, I've always known what a miracle Chloe was! That's just one more reason I fought so hard to keep her here. She was like a little glimpse of Heaven here on earth. A little taste of the joy of the Lord. She was my sweet earth angel.

The next time I heard the voice was when it said, "It will hurt more later". After I read Isaiah 57 it all made perfect sense to me. My intuition about Chloe was never wrong from the time I was pregnant with her. My fear of Leukemia came to pass so I can only believe that God took sweet Chloe home to protect her from the evil of this world and possibly my other fear for her life.

So this Thanksgiving I am thankful for many things. I am thankful that the Lord speaks to me and guides me through this difficult life. I am thankful for Isaiah 57 and the peace that God has given me through that scripture. I'm most thankful that we have the promise of Heaven through Christ! If I didn't have the promise that I will have eternity to spend with my sweet baby I would not make it through this! I am thankful that we had Chloe for two years and for all of the MANY blessings she brought into our lives! I'm thankful for the wonderful husband that God has blessed me with and the deep intimacy we have formed through having and losing Chloe. I'm thankful that I no longer fear death and each day is easier because I know this life is only temporary. Any suffering that we may endure is only for a short time compared to our eternity in Heaven. I am more aware that this world is not my true home and trivial things don't matter anymore. It's amazing what you can learn from a 2 year old! We've grown in ways that would not have been possible if Chloe had been healed on this earth. For the growth I am thankful. I'm thankful for all of the precious memories we have of Chloe and the sweet dreams I have of her some nights. I'm thankful for all of the wonderful people that have prayed for us and continue to do so. Your prayers have carried us though this and given us strength. I'm thankful for Chloe's Miracle Foundation, Inc. and all of our generous donors. I could go on and on so I am thankful that I have more to be thankful for than not!

I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Thank you for your continued love, prayers, and support! We love you all!

Kristy & Rick

We just returned from a memorial service at Inova Fairfax Hospital for all the children who have passed away in the last two years. We lit candles and let off balloons as part of the service. Thanks to all the staff and chaplains who participated in such a lovely memorial.

Hello, everyone. Cards and letters of support continue to trickle in, and we cherish each and every expression of love. We are in the process of forming a 501(c)3 IRS charitable organization, but the process takes a few months. We will keep everyone updated on the progress. Thanks again for all your help.

Someone approached me at work today and commented on my faith level. I recounted a story I once heard a pastor tell. It was in the context of crossing over to eternity, but I think it also applies to faith. We are like children going on a train trip--a new adventure, as it were. Parents will never give their children the tickets to pass to the train conductor until right before they step onto the train. Why? The children might be scared or nervous. They might lose the ticket. They might not even know they are going on a trip because they haven't been told by their parents. The bottom line is that God will give us what we need at the appropriate time to get through any difficult circumstance. When we step onto the train, we will have the appropriate ticket. And, guess what? We didn't have to pay for a thing...

We are compiling stories from friends of Chloe who have been touched in some way or whose lives have been changed as a result of her journey. We have already received some wonderful e-mails and cards filled with encouragement and insight that we would like to share with the world. Please e-mail your stories either to richard.d.newbold@gmail.com or kristynewb@hotmail.com with "Changing Lives" in the subject line. Or you can always send something to The Newbolds, 66 Payne Street, Charles Town, WV 25414. Thanks again.

It has been a difficult adjustment not having Chloe constantly by our side, and we miss her very much. It seems like the place is quiet and empty, although the cats are still here, which is a mixed blessing (don't tell Kristy I said that). Seriously, though, they knew something was going on and were glad when we came home for longer than 20 minutes to clean the litter boxes and leave. I know that Chloe is having lots of fun in heaven, and I take comfort in that. Thank you all for the cards, letters, and gifts of support. Once we get all the gifts of support together, we will keep all of you posted on how the Lord leads us to help other children.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to making Chloe's funeral such a moving experience. We are going to write a book about our life with an angel. I suspect many people did not attend the funeral because it was just too much from an emotional standpoint. That's okay. The important thing is that you are motivated to take action. The videos from the funeral will be posted on the website to share with those unable to attend the service. I know a lot of people were traveling or working.

If you are planning on arriving earlier than 06:30 p.m. tomorrow, please go to Kristy's dad's house, which is just minutes from both the church and the funeral home. There will be a lot of food to eat, etc.

Steve Caviness

6405 Mid Pine Court

Pleasant Garden, NC 27313

336.674.0204

 

Visitation will be at Forbes and Dick Funeral Home (see entry below) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. tomorrow (Friday), and the funeral will be at Pleasant Garden Baptist Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday. That information is as follows:

Pleasant Garden Baptist

1415 Neelley Rd.

Pleasant Garden, NC 27313

336.674.5382

http://www.pgbc.com/

We are establishing "Chloe's Miracle Foundation" to help other children with Down Syndrome and/or leukemia. Donations can be sent to us at 66 Payne Street, Charles Town, WV 25414, or you can donate through the main page of the website at www.chloesmiracle.com. There are several other great organizations as well, so just get involved. Thank you all so much for your help standing with Chloe through her battle. God bless.

Continue reading "Arrangements"

Chloe danced into heaven this morning at 06:25 a.m. Although heavily sedated, she raised her arm twice, so I guess she was greeted by two angels. We will post more regarding arrangements. We love you all, and God loves you all.

Details regarding the funeral arrangements can be obtained by calling the funeral home directly at 336.676.8408 or 336.275.8408 (corporate). We are meeting tomorrow at 2 p.m. to go over the details, so they may not be able to answer questions right now. It would be better to contact them tomorrow, probably.

Forbis & Dick

4601 Pleasant Garden Road

Pleasant Garden, NC 27313

Chloe's oxygen saturation level is decreased, meaning that the red blood cells are not able to effectively carry oxygen throughout the body. Her lungs are becoming fluid saturated, making it difficult to breathe. Kristen, one of the nurses, did her nails, so she looks very cute. We spoke with the hospice staff today, and they gave her more morphine and Ativan to ease any discomfort she may be experiencing. We have all spent several hours today praying and reflecting on Chloe and her short life and how many people around the globe she has impacted. Brando, our friend from California, prayed with us as have several other friends and pastors and hospital staff. Thank you all for you amazing outpouring of love and support in this difficult time. We know that no matter what happens, God is in control of the situation.