Adoption is a Marathon

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13b-14)

Adoption is not a sprint.  Quite the contrary- it is a marathon.

When I saw that it is has actually been 7 months since my last blog entry, I was struck even more about our own Boston Marathon of adoption that Geoff and I signed up for many years ago. That last blog entry was done on the day of Cameron's surgery- the first of 5 surgeries in the past 9 months. 

3 years ago, Cameron was days, and perhaps even hours, away from dying.  He was neglected, starved, malnourished, disabled, and abandoned.  He was alone.  It was decided that there was no hope for him.  And a world without hope is death. 

I would like to think that Cameron's story is unique.  But unfortunately, it is not.  There are millions of orphans with similar stories all around the world.  For Cameron, however, that was not the end of his story.  It was just the beginning.  God used two special women, Amanda and Chrissy, and many others who support them to save his life.  God literally reached down from Heaven and scooped Cameron up out of the crib he was dying in and placed him in The Starfish Foster Home.  Cameron was no longer alone.  He was no longer neglected.  And after several months, Cameron was no longer malnourished.  Cameron was loved.

The last 9 months have not been easy.  Running a marathon never is.  Following God's will for your life may be exhilarating, but no one said it would be easy.  In the first 5 months of Cameron being home, we were at Children's Hospital Boston every week, often more than once a week.  He had a medical team of heavy hitters organized by his mama.  Despite medical insurance, Cameron's list of medical bills became higher than I could count and resulted in 4 jobs between Geoff and I (Geoff's full-time job plus additional overtime job and two part-time jobs for me) to take on this part of our adoption marathon.  At one point, Cameron's daddy was on call for 24 hrs/day, 7 days a week for 14 weeks in a row.  That's a lot of missed sleep.

During this phase of our family's life, a friend asked us to be a part of the Credit Union Kids at Heart division of Miles for Miracles for Children's Hospital Boston.  This is a massive endeavor to raise funds for Children's Hospital and includes patients at the hospital being paired with a marathon runner.  This person runs in honor of the patient.  We agreed for a couple of reasons.  First, we had been under so much stress and Children's Hospital Boston was the place that was trying to help us with Cameron.  Second, not only do we love Boston, but Geoff has a life goal of running in the Boston Marathon some day.  The Boston Marathon seemed a perfect metaphor for what we were in the midst of- a very long journey that included a Heartbreak Hill as well as a finish line.

We were more than thrilled when Cameron was matched with David Binette.  He was not just another marathon runner trying to get into the marathon using a charity spot because it is so difficult to qualify.  David and Cameron share something in common- the same surgeon.  David was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome which included several congenital anomalies, including cleft lip and palate. Many years ago, Dr. Mulliken repaired David's cleft lip and palate just like he did for Cameron last September.

David's heart was in the right place when he joined the marathon runners of the Credit Union Kids at Heart team.  Unfortunately, his body was not cooperating with his heart's desire.  David did run cross country when he was in high school and had done some races over the years.  But not a marathon.  He injured his ankle in the Fall and struggled with it throughout his training.  He was never able to do more than 9 miles for his long runs during his training this year due to the aggravation of the injury.

Anyone who knows a bit about marathon training knows that you need to build up to at least 20 miles in your long runs to successfully complete a marathon.  Yesterday became more than a marathon fundraiser for Children's Hospital Boston for me.  It was an example of life.  It doesn't always go how we plan it or desire it.  There are bumps and bruises and failed attempts.  I didn't care that David was not going to be able to finish the race.  I felt it was similar to Cameron and his story and the challenges that he has had to face.  I liked that David was willing to be in the race for Cameron in the first place.  It was so clear to me that we all must keep going because sooner or later, we will cross that finish line.  And so will Cameron.

Yesterday's conditions were brutal.  The heat reached close to 90 degrees and the news of the horrible marathon conditions was broadcasted all over the world.  Amateur runners were asked to not participate.  The winner of last year's Boston Marathon set the world winning record for marathon times last year in 2011.  This year, he dropped out at mile 19.  Elite runners began walking at mile 5.  MILE 5!  This is unheard of in any marathon. 

We were busy entertaining 3 Murray Monkeys in the Firehouse designated for our group yesterday.  It is really fun- firefighters giving tours of their trucks to the kids, food everywhere, bubbles, games, and marathon updates.  The firehouse is on the marathon course and we can watch the race from the windows of the firehouse.

Our team of marathon runners' times are updated and everyone cheers throughout the day.  We got David's 5K update and were excited that he made it that far and decided to start the race despite the official warnings to the runners.  Then we got David's 10K update and were getting a little surprised at his time.  A couple runners had to drop out due to the heat and injuries.  We were all concerned about the race conditions and the safety of our team.  By the time we got David's half marathon time, the energy in the Firehouse began to change.  It was no longer about race conditions, running ability, and the reality of marathons.  It became something bigger- what can happen when you let your heart take over and simply make the decision that you are not going to give up.  No matter what.  You will finish the race that you started no matter what the world says.

With each mile that David reached, my heart rate began to increase.  By the time he got to mile 20, I knew he was going to do it.  Despite every obstacle, David was going to make it and he was going to take Cameron right along with him.  When I saw David's smiling face turn the corner on Hereford and Boylston Street and make his way to the Credit Union Kids at Heart Miles for Miracle group, I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.  Geoff and Cameron ran out to meet David on the course.  They each held one of Cameron's hands and lifted him high into the air as they ran towards the finish line.  It's a little under half a mile at that point and eventually David picked Cameron up and ran across the finish line with Cameron held tight in his arms.  The announcer screamed "here comes David Binette and Cameron!" and the crowd went wild.

Three years ago, it was not expected that Cameron would live. He was not expected to be on this earth on April 16, 2012. Cameron crossing the finish line of the most famous marathon in the world would not even have entered the minds of anyone who met him. But, we serve a big God-  A BIG, BIG GOD who specializes in changing lives.

Cameron wore his marathon shirt to bed last night.  Cameron also insisted that he wear it today.  He is currently running around the house with his Miles for Miracles t-shirt on as well as his patient partner marathon medal.  His sisters are chasing him and all three kids are laughing so hard, they can hardly stand up.  With help, Cameron has crossed the most famous finish line in marathon history.  With God's help, we can all run the race that He has set before us and claim the prize that He has promised to all of us.




Photo 1 is Team Murray with David and if you look closely at Photo 2, you can see David holding Cameron's left hand and Geoff holding his right hand as they run towards the finish line on Boylston Street.