Fostering HopeSample

My name is Deb Shropshire. I'm a pediatrician, which is a great surprise to those who know me, because I don't really like kids all that much. But when I was in medical school I fell in love with foster kids. Fell in love with families that struggle and foster families who courageously take in kids that don't belong to them. Fell in love with case workers who sacrifice way more than an 8 hour work day. Fell in love with police officers and judges who agonize over every decision. Over the years I have interacted around 25,000 kids in foster care. Each has a unique life experience, and yet there are common themes in them as well. It is my desire to share with you a sense of the struggles they encounter, while protecting the details of the life of each individual. For that reason, what you are about to read is not individually accurate - details have been modified and stories have been merged to protect the individuals who experienced them - but it certainly is collectively authentic. These are the stories of the people I love. Stories of heartache and hope. Of getting lost and being found. Of seeing God in unexpected places. I hope they inspire you, but more than that, I hope they distress you. I hope that you won't be able to sleep. That your stomach will be tied in knots. That you will no longer be content with a safe, sheltered life but instead will be transformed into someone who is passionate about those who are broken. About those who are oppressed. Who are desolate. Those who are closest to the heart of God. www.fosteringhopeproject.org