New podcast episode: Open Hearts, Open Mind & Open Home
Amanda Sharp, Foster and Adoptive Mom, Shares her Family's Story of Growth
Monday, May 15, 2023
Episode 6: "Open Hearts, Open Mind & Open Home" - Amanda Sharp, Foster and Adoptive Mom, Shares her Family's Story of Growth.
"It's totally worth it", Amanda says when asked about the heartbreaking realities of fostering and adopting children with special needs and medical complexities. Amanda and Justin Sharp experienced many losses during their journey to parenthood, but the family they created, the sibling bond between their children, and the community in which they surround themselves makes it all worth it.
In the second addition to our foster care awareness special series, Amanda answers the questions that are tough to ask about opening her home to fostering children with disabilities: How did she and her husband have faith in themselves and their agency to accept any call they would receive? How did they have the courage to reopen their doors after suffering the worst imaginable tragedy? What advice does she have for other families who might consider fostering a child with special needs?
Adjusting the Sails is a podcast hosted by the Paths for Parents and Family to Family programs at the WVU CED aimed to discuss the lives and specific challenges children with special health care needs and other disabilities and their families, caregivers, and service providers face, and how to manage those challenges. The podcast serves as a platform for all disability-related topics to be discussed and as a mediator between families and caregivers to share their stories and experiences. The podcast features guest speakers, panelists, and a variety of program representatives and service providers to offer education and training to the listener.