Inspire, Spring 2011

Thousands of children nationwide wait for foster and adoptive homes. Many are healthy and will find one, but some require significant medical care, making home placement difficult and rare. These children end up calling a hospital “home” and a nurse “mom.” As an adoptive and foster mother to children with medical needs, Dana Scott ’98 keeps orphans from becoming permanent hospital residents — and inspires others to do the same. St rting Her Fmily After graduating with a nursing degree, Dana helped develop Bethesda Outreach Ministries in South Africa with Evangelical Baptist Missions. As a housemother to children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic, Dana relied on her nursing background. It was here that she met Lerato — her name means “love” in her native Tswana — an orphaned child with significant medical and emotional needs. Dana felt drawn to the sweet, African girl, and she sensed God calling her to adopt Lerato. Dana’s parents fostered children throughout her own childhood, so she felt comfortable opening her heart and home to a child not her own biologically. She watched God orchestrate what is usually a difficult adoption process in Africa, confirming His call on her life. “Throughout my life, God had taught me to love with all my heart,” she said, “but to hold loosely, because His plans are often very different from ours.” Dana returned from Africa in 2007 to live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Though Dana never intended to adopt again, God soon revealed an opportunity to adopt a second daughter, Braeleigh, and to begin fostering medically fragile children in her home. M n ging Her Routine While Dana does typical “mom” duties like fixing meals and helping with homework, other things like medical, therapy, or foster-related appointments also fill her days. Braeleigh was born at 24 weeks, weighing less than two pounds. She required tube feeding and suffered from chronic lung disease, severe pulmonary hypertension, cardiac issues, and developmental issues. Because Lerato and Braeleigh have regular medical needs (Braeleigh still sees five specialists in addition to her pediatrician), and because the foster child Dana cares for also needs medical assistance, Dana only fosters one child at a time. Taking children to see doctors is part of her daily routine. With such a schedule, Dana’s employment options are limited. When she is between foster children, she works through an agency as a home care nurse, often caring for her Fostering the Fr gile by Nicole (Hanson) Russell ’04 As adoptive mother of two and foster parent for children with medical needs, Dana Scott ’98 uses her nursing background to fulfill her mission. 14 spring 2011