[Churchgirl]

Are there any foster/adoptive/birth parents who have successfully
raised children in spite of debilitating illness?

[lorial]

The woman who has agreed to adopt our last foster son is a wheelchair bound paraplegic. The child has some medical problems too but he's ambulatory and a toddler. This was a very successful match in my eyes and I made sure everyone who asked my opinion knew it.

[hockeycoachmomo]

I don't know of any stories about parents with debilitating illnesses, but all foster/adoptive parents have to get a medical exam and a certificate from the doctor, stating that they don't have any medical problems that would prevent them from being able to properly care for a child.

I would think that there are many parents who are disabled or suffer from severe medical conditions. As long as it doesn't interfere with their abilities to care for the child, it shouldn't be a problem.

One time one of our foster children was supposed to go to live with a woman, but then she suffered a heart attack the week before and they wouldn't place him with her. I'm sure that it was because it was so soon after the heart attack. Once she had fully recovered and was cleared by her doctor, I'm sure she got a placement.

Michelle