No more quiet, no more sleeping in, no more spontaneously going to see a movie. The Pyle’s new life revolves around giggles and tears, sticky hugs, bath toys in the tub, crayon drawings and love. Oh, so much love.
Despite their concerns, Sheila and Mike did just that. A few days later they received a request for placement—for yet another group of three. They arranged to meet the kids, who were placed in two different foster homes. Kyla, then 4, and Solomon, 14 months, were placed together in one home, and baby Shay, 4 months, was in another. When they entered the first home, Solomon, who wasn’t walking yet, crawled to Mike and lifted his arms. He then sat on Mike’s lap the entire visit while the couple played on the floor with Kyla.
When they left, they KNEW. Even before driving to Elkhorn to meet the infant, they were ready to go back in the house and bring the kids home. Meeting Shay clinched the deal. The baby had a flat spot on his head and it was obvious he had suffered poor nutrition and neglect. They wanted all three kids with them as soon as possible.
The next day the Pyles contacted Child Saving Institute and said they wanted to foster the children. Still completing the licensing process, the couple couldn’t officially welcome the kids to their home yet, but they could invite them for pre-placement weekend visits. On a Friday night in mid-May, all three of the children started spending their weekends at the Pyles for six weeks. On that very first night, as Sheila tucked Kyla into her bed, the little girl looked up at Sheila and said quietly, “My Mommy and Daddy hurt me.” Sheila was taken aback, but without skipping a beat, she pointed at the decorative angels hanging on the wall and responded, “Nothing is going to hurt you here. You are safe with us.”
They had a wonderful time in those two days together, followed by five more consecutive weekends that flew by much too quickly. When the Pyles received notification their licensing was complete, Sheila and Mike gathered up the kids the same day. Sheila especially wanted to let Kyla know that when she came home with them, she would get to stay. “She had been through so much in her short life,” Sheila says. “Not only was she herself abused, but I know she was doing everything she could to protect and care for her baby brothers.”
Less than a year after the children came to live with Sheila and Mike (they took placement June 30 and adopted April 4), they became a legal family. The changes to the children’s demeanor, health and happiness have been dramatic. Solomon, who was not walking when they first met, attended physical therapy and went from a sad little boy to a joyful toddler within five weeks. Shay overcame his early health issues and is celebrating new milestones every day. Kyla, who went from being a withdrawn little girl whose speech was difficult to understand, is now an enthusiastic kindergartner who loves making new friends and sharing what she’s learning with her family. “It’s amazing how much a child can change with just the right environment,” Sheila observes. “Just by giving a child lots of love, building their trust and helping them feel safe, you make such a big difference in their lives.”
To honor the special occasion, the couple hosted a “Family Celebration Day,” inviting friends and family to meet the Pyle kids. “People who met our children before they were placed in our home have a hard time believing the children they see now are the same ones. It’s a wonderful feeling.”
“Everyone says, ‘Oh, think how much you’re helping those poor kids,’” Sheila continues, tears welling up in her eyes. “But the truth is they made our lives better. They came to live with us and they changed our lives. They are the gift to us—the gift of loving children. Just seeing the changes that a strong, loving foster home can make in a child’s life is incredible. It’s so rewarding to see the changes you can make with love and guidance. When we went into this, we didn’t really know how it was all going to pan out. We just knew we were committed to the process—whether it was a short placement or a long placement. It just worked out the way it did. It was meant to be.”
Sheila now wishes they had a bigger house so they could continue to be foster parents. “There will be more foster kids if we win the lottery,” she says with a grin.
Sounds like they already did.
