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Meet the Tolins
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Love By Teri Brown
. Another adopted child, Erin, had to be placed with a different family. Erin was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, static encephalopathy, premature adrenarche, microcephalic and ADHD. Her behavior placed the Tolins' medically fragile children at risk and, with love, they realized they needed to place her elsewhere.
"I continue getting children up, bathed and fed during the morning hours," says Sue. "Just about the time I finish with the last one, stopping to do a few dishes, clean up a mess or two and start one son with school work, it is lunch time and we start the changing, feeding routine again."
While this may not sound unusual, remember that three of the Tolin children are fed with tubes. "That requires a little different technique than the typical plate and silverware!" says Sue.
The Tolins spend the afternoon doing physical therapy with the children. Sue also does occupational and speech therapies with a couple of them. The older kids get home about 3 p.m., and the Tolins begin the after-school routine which includes starting dinner, getting the girls stared on their homework and housework.
The typical after-dinner routine includes baths, teeth brushing and quiet time. One child needs to be hooked up to an overnight feeding pump and another needs tracheal tube care. The Tolins then pray that everyone sleeps through the night!