Luis and Maria decided to adopt Josemaría, a child with Down
Syndrome, when they already had seven children in their family. And then
Luis was diagnosed with leukemia....
January 04, 2013
Our names are Luis and Maria. We have been married for twenty-three
years and have eight children. We have also been supernumeraries of Opus
Dei for many years. Several years ago we began to think that our now
quite large family was not going to have any new members.
"In the days leading up to Josemaría’s arrival, all kinds of worries kept going through my head."
At home we talked about it over dinner. We were surprised to find that our children had quite varied opinions. Some were in favor of it, but several said: have you gone crazy? Aren’t the seven of us enough for you? Each child reacted in accord with his or her age and point of view. It was quite amusing to see.
An event like this helps you to focus on what is truly important in life. In the days leading up to Josemaría’s arrival, all kinds of worries kept going through my head. I imagine it’s the same with parents who have been told that their child will be a Down Syndrome child: the fear of what the future will bring, what this child’s life will be like, and what will happen if you’re not there to look after him. But in the end you have to set all these worries aside and say: look, we’ve already helped seven children get started in life. Why shouldn’t we be able to do the same for Josemaría? Why can’t we give him what we gave our other children: the possibility of being happy and being a child of God? And in the end you realize: we can certainly do that! And everything else we can leave in God’s hands.
"The day Josemaría arrived was a special day in our family, and we had a small celebration."
"He has a special ability to draw out the best from each one of us at home. It’s true. I’ve seen it time and again."
Back home, my other children told me: mama, can you imagine how bad this year would have been if we hadn’t had Josemaría with us? For Josemaría has been a great blessing for our family during these difficult months. He has a special ability to draw out the best from each one of us at home. It’s true. I’ve seen it time and again.