The deployments, moves, trainings, long shifts, missed holidays and possibility of dying violently in combat ― it all adds up to a job that less than seven percent of Americans ever sign up for.
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If standing out were a professional sport, then, Nathan and Tina Scheid would be first-round draft picks.
“I won't lie; there are times that I think back on how easy life was before adoption,” says Tina, a stay-at-home mom and Marine Corps wife currently stationed in San Diego. You know, when all she had to deal with was taking care of her active-duty husband while raising three daughters in a new location every few years ― often by herself.
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But that was then, before she and her husband ― a Staff Sergeant who works on CH-53 helicopters ― added two sons to the mix, both with intense special needs. Teddy (listed as Tobias on Reece’s Rainbow) came home in 2016, and Emmett followed in 2021. Both boys hail from Bulgaria.
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“Sometimes life doesn't seem as carefree and spontaneous [now],” Tina admits.
“But does it feel worth it? Absolutely, without a doubt. We can't imagine life without these boys.”
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Teddy is eight years old now and was diagnosed with the rare Cardiofaciocutaneous Syndrome in America. The diagnosis is at least partly responsible for his lovely curls, the physical feature that drew Nathan and Tina in.
“Teddy had the most adorable curls, and a mischievous look on his face,” Tina says. “He hasn't lost that look yet.”
Nathan and Tina had childhood friends with special needs and met adoptive families in adulthood. But they never fully felt convinced that they should also make that leap ― until the night Nathan announced to his wife that now was the time.
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With three daughters in the house, it would be a boy, they decided. The couple was scrolling through profiles on Reece’s Rainbow, looking for a son from China, when they saw Teddy’s curls and shy smile. “Go back!” Nathan urged. Right after they finalized his adoption, they PCSed (moved, in military speak) from Chicago to California. |
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Just another part of the Scheid family life package, right? The moments of growth and love, however, were the hidden treasures wedged between the crazy parts.
“Teddy works hard in therapy and loves going to school during the week,” Tina brags. “He loves water therapy, and is learning to ride an adaptive bike.”
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The experience left them wanting more. One day, Tina saw baby Emmett’s photo on Facebook. He had Down Syndrome and seemed so fragile. Emmett’s was a “Covid adoption,” hampered by delays, but the Scheids persevered.
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Teddy holding baby Emmett |
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“Emmett went from 14 pounds to almost 30 in 11 months. He was so tiny and couldn't even hold his head up,” Tina says. “He now sits up on his own, can stand with support, is working on an eye gaze-tracking communication device, and just last week had bilateral cochlear implants placed.” Emmett is three now, a lover everything and everyone. |
“Seeing them love life fills us up.” |
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Life is wildly busy with therapy and doctor appointments, laundry and meals, school and work. The Scheid’s daughters (ages 16, 14 and 12) regularly fight over who gets to play with the boys, especially Emmett (Teddy likes his space!). Teddy is a nonverbal foodie but intelligently understands nearly everything spoken. Emmett, meanwhile, is a pro at getting grumpy people to smile and laugh.
“They are full of energy, excitement, laughter and joy,” Tina marvels. “Seeing them love life fills us up.”
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Not all the work they entail? Not all the extra hassle of not only protecting and sacrificing for the nation, but protecting two small souls who will never be able to return the favor?
Nope. “I tell people now that love takes so much time and space,” Tina says. It doesn’t erase trauma, nor the scariness of diagnoses and the future.
But love does launch you back upwards to keep trying, a helicopter rotor that never quits.
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“Things could have been so different for them and for us if we wouldn't have said yes and made that trip to Bulgaria. I wouldn't even want to see what that life would look like without them.”
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Crystal Kupper is a freelance writer specializing in magazines and special projects. Since earning her journalism degree, she has written for clients such as Zondervan, Focus on the Family and the Salvation Army, among many others. |
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REECE'S RAINBOW | www.reecesrainbow.org |
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