HOUSTON – Dozens of special needs orphans arrived in Houston on Monday, one stop on a journey that will eventually lead them to their forever homes.
Brent Shook and Audrey Shook from The Woodlands have five biological children, but felt they wanted to adopt a girl from China with special needs. Lucy, a 6-year-old girl with Down syndrome had been living in an orphanage until Monday.
"They are the ones that need the most help and we felt called to embrace somebody that needed a family and be their forever family," Brent Shook said.
The Shook family is one of more than two dozen families taking part in the Great Wall China adoption program. More than 30 special needs children arrived at Bush Intercontinental Airport on Monday. Sixteen of them will live in the Houston area and 14 others will fly to another part of the U.S.
Suzanne Faske adopted Joy, who has polio, several years ago.
"I'm happy that the kids can have a family," Joy Faske said. "They get to see what it's like to be a part of a family and somebody that loves for them and cares for them."
Some of the families taking part in the event will host some children at their homes for a weeks, but the intention is for all of the children to be adopted.