McCrackens Round Up (to ten!): Bio (Reece's Rainbow)

Once upon a time …

As fate would have it, soccer and kids drew Peter and Sharon together. While they lived in the same small town, it is possible they’d never have met, had it not been for the fact that Sharon was the coach of Peter’s daughter’s soccer team. Sharon, a single mom of three, fell in love with Peter’s radiant spirit, and Peter, a single dad of two, fell in love with Sharon – period! One year later, they purchased a wonderful old Victorian home and their families moved into one very busy Brady Bunch household consisting of five kids of varying ages – all of whom played soccer! -- and a collection of cats. Fifteen years and 1,000 soccer games later, Peter and Sharon are happily married. Four of their oldest have “flown the nest” to live lives of college, work, music, motherhood, etc.

But wait! There’s more! The family grew …

Their daughter Gillian was born in 2003; much to their surprise, she had Down Syndrome – and how their world changed! Suddenly immersed early intervention programs, therapies, and medical appointments, their hearts opened in a way they’d never known possible – for knowing and loving a specially-abled child is truly a gift. Less than two years later, Isabel (now 7) was born. Surrounded by toddler toys and blissfully immersed in a kid-centric world, Peter and Sharon opened their home, hearts and family further: For the past six years, they’ve foster-parented children who are specially-abled, attachment disordered, and in need of medical and therapeutic intervention and advocacy. For years, they averaged four kids in diapers, and Sharon boasts she can change diapers blindfolded and up-side-down! Being a stepping stone for so many broken souls has been a rewarding and humbling experience: unconditional love, consistency, and stability are magical ingredients for these children, who always thrive in the McCracken’s home … letting them go is hard, and Peter and Sharon have cried buckets of tears.

(… and grew ....)

Peter and Sharon are in the process of foster-adopting Prince N (age 4) and Princess R (age 3), a brother and sister duo who’ve been with them for the past three years. They cannot imagine life without these two angels, who steal hearts with their twinkling blue eyes, Prince N's “Dennis the Menace" penchant for mischief, and Princess R's unruly curls and enchanting spirit – plus a beautiful biological family, who remain in close contact.

(…. and grows!)

About two months ago, the McCrackens became aware of the plight of orphaned children with Down Syndrome in other countries, most notably Eastern Europe. They cannot imagine that children such as Gillian (now a charismatic 2^nd grader who reads, rides her pink bike, plays t-ball, dances in ballet classes, and swims like a fish) go through life without the pleasures and rights that we take for granted, such as the right to have family, education and medicine; to be loved 24/7; to hear someone whisper “ I believe in you”; to tickle your toes in sand and snitch cookie dough from the bowl; to grow up surrounded by support and admiration of siblings, grandparents, peers and community. Rather, these orphans serve a life sentence, if they manage to live past the age of five, in mental institutions. Haunted by this knowledge, the McCrackens made a vow to make a difference in the life of one orphan. Peter and Sharon ask you to support them in their efforts to “bring home” this precious little girl: Melody.