The Journey To Jewel

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

Sometimes in life there are people you don't know, but their actions touch you deeply.

I have never met Tammy & Jeff Jarrett, but I can tell you they are the best the human species has to offer.

Jeff is a chef at the North Avenue Wine Bar in Hudson and his wife, Tammy, is a nurse. They have 3 sons and an adopted daughter from China. They are in the process of adopting another daughter, Jewel, from China.

This is no ordinary adoption story though. The Jarrett family is adopting a child that according to the adoption agency is a "hard to place" child. You see Jewel was born without eyes/blind. The Jarrett's 1st adopted daughter is also visually impaired.

Many adopting families would shy away from the extra work a "special needs" child could potentially be, but yet the Jarrett family sought out not one, but two, special needs little girls.

A bunch of local chefs pulled together last month and held a fundraising dinner to help the family raise the funds for this 2nd adoption. (The Jarrett's were not planning on adopting again at this point, but fell in love with Jewel and have proceeded with the adoption.)

They are a little more than half-way to their goal and are still many, many months away from bringing their baby girl home.

We could not attend the dinner, but sent a donation. We received a thank-you letter in the mail with an update. Included in the letter was this lovely idea, " Another project we are working on and would love all of you to participate if possible: Jewel's 100 Good Wishes Quilt. We are asking that you send a piece of fabric, along with a note, wish, saying, etc to Jewel. We will turn all the pieces of fabric into a quilt, then make a scrapbook with a small piece of the fabric and your note. We will someday be able to read all of these wishes to Jewel, and let her feel the fabric and her quilt. She will then be able to FEEL the love that all of you had for her, even before she came home to use."

Are you crying, because I am? Talk about good people. Wow.

Jarrett family, we can all learn from you and the love you have to share. You are amazing folks and all five of your children are lucky to call you Mommy & Daddy!

If you'd like to follow Jewel's journey, you can do so here. There is a donation link on the page. Please consider donating so these wonderful people can bring their other daughter home soon and she can reap the benefits of such a loving home and all the wonderful resources she will have available to her in the United States of America.

I can't begin to imagine what little Jewel's life would be like if the Jarrett family hadn't decided to open their hearts again and she had to stay in an orphanage in China.

There are angels among us.