God gave David and Priscilla Morse of Tennessee very exceptional hearts. With 2 biological sons of their own, they decided to open their hearts and home to a tiny girl from Russia named McKenzie in 2012. The 3 year old had Down syndrome and a heart condition but her new and loving family was completely accepting of her special needs. And at that point, David and Priscilla Morse thought that they were done adopting.
But then in 2014, God led Priscilla Morse to an image that she couldn’t overlook. She came upon the photo of a famished boy so malnourished that he looked more like a baby than a 6-year-old. The boy, whom they later named Ryan, was literally wasting away in an orphanage in Bulgaria. He wouldn’t last much longer without someone adopted him.
And Priscilla couldn’t imagine not saving baby Ryan. She knew that she was being called by God to bring Ryan home.
Priscilla said that they had decided long before that if they were going to adopt, it was going to be the kids no one was coming for – kids in Third World countries who are sheltered away in orphanages.
Gratefully, her husband David was totally on board with saving baby Ryan. So the couple began the process of another international adoption. By November of 2015, the whole thing was lastly set for Ryan to come live with the Morse family. Priscilla flew to Bulgaria and she was ready to bring her new son home. By now, Ryan was 7 years old. But the shrunken boy weighed only 8 pounds. Prisciall recalled that Ryan was bones and skin and he literally looked like a skeleton. The first thing that went through her head was as if he is going to die.
The poor child had a host of medical complications, comprising cerebral palsy, club feet, scoliosis, and microcephaly which is a birth defect that affects brain growth and head size.
Getting him prompt medical attention was crucial for any hope in saving baby Ryan. Once back in the United States, Priscilla and David Morse rushed Ryan to a Children’s Hospital. Priscialla said that she had never in her life seen doctors’ look at a child and burst into tears. They all said there was no way that this kid should still have been alive.
Ryan finished a month in the hospital and doctors weren’t sure if he was going to make it.
In spite of all of his challenges and special medical needs, the Morse family never gave up on saving baby Ryan. Doctors were able to fit Ryan with a feeding tube, which helped him get the nutrition he so badly wanted. As he grew stronger, they were able to start addressing some of his other disorders.
Surgical procedures helped repair Ryan’s clubbed feet and spinal rod placement helped with his scoliosis. Correct nutrition has taken him out of new-born clothing to a child’s size 6 years old. He’s also made substantial improvements with speech and communication and now has a full range of motion in his hands.
Ryan turned 12 in May of 2020 and seeing how far he’s come is incredible. Priscilla says that Ryan’s doctors and therapists are confident that the boy will carry on thriving and reaching his full potential. She said that it’s going to be a long process as seven years of neglect can’t be undone in a day.
And while Ryan still has a long road ahead of him but the unbelievable progress that he’s made already is proof enough to never give up.
The story of saving baby Ryan is such a beautiful example of selfless love.
Priscilla said that everyone deserves a family and no one should be written off if they have special needs just because it’s going to be hard. She believes that life is hard anyway, so we need to adjust and learn because these kids are so very worthy.
God has given this family such a special purpose and we can actually see the power love has in the transformation Ryan has made.
Since Ryan’s adoption, David and Priscilla Morse later went on to adopt Gigi, a special needs child from the Ukraine, as well as give birth to another biological son, Will.
This story behind this sweet family is rightly inspirational and it helps prompt us of how God’s love is for His children.
