FUNDRAISER UPDATES HERE:
$48,296!
-as of Sept 2022-
For further updates on fundraising, please click on Part 2 here!
If his story is new to you, it began in China when a special boy, born without legs, was left at the gates of the county orphanage at 2 months old. He spent 10 years being cared for by various nannies while waiting his turn for a family.
God was working in our hearts at the same time, and after adopting our youngest daughter from China in 2014 we thought our family was complete. Then we came across Hudson's file on the waiting list, and after a lot of prayer and 10 months of paperwork, we found ourselves excitedly traveling to bring him home, making us a family of six in 2016!
He was fearless while moving to a new country with a new family! Even today, if someone asks him if he was scared about being adopted and moving to America he says, "Nope, not at all." He's a brave kid who loves change and adventure! Hudson dove head-first into his new life, loving the excitement of all the “new” experiences: birthday parties, holidays, swimming pools, restaurants, road trips, game nights, movies, kittens, kickball, snacks, school, church, family events…. he loved to be involved in it all!
Many people, even strangers, have told Hudson how inspiring he is as he gets around on his prosthetic legs, or when they see him play and climb all over a playground just fine without them. He doesn’t understand why people are so impressed with something that feels so “normal” to him. We’ve told him it’s because they can’t imagine living their life without legs, or learning to walk on “robot legs”. Not to mention living in an orphanage and then moving to a place with a different language, food, and culture!
The hardest part of his story is the effects that the early childhood trauma has had on him. Studies have shown that even in infancy, a child’s brain is wired differently after loss, neglect, or trauma. It can affect many parts of their life, especially in both the way they see themselves and in their relationships with others. For Hudson, these struggles have been very difficult to overcome. There have been many, many troublesome days, weeks, and even months. We anticipated this. The Lord has been faithful in helping us to overcome and press on together. But things have gotten to the point where we no longer have the ability to protect and help Hudson when he’s dealing with strong emotions. Similar to most teens, he has a strong will and an even stronger desire to be independent. But unlike a typical teen, he has experienced early childhood trauma that has left him without the foundation or the emotional capabilities to process this, to make good choices, to calm himself, or to allow us to help him through it. His meltdowns have increased in frequency and have gotten to the point where his safety and well-being are a serious concern. We are no longer confident in our ability to protect him from himself. (Cue the “mom guilt” and feeling like a failure. 😔)
We know this might come as a shock since most of you have only seen the happy, outgoing, funny, inspiring side of Hudson, and he’s still there much of the time! But we are deeply concerned and want to be sure that he has the tools he needs to reach his goals for a bright future.
We are 100% committed to helping our son, and after much prayer and searching have found a residential program that is an amazing fit. This program will allow him the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and caring environment while also challenging him to take ownership of his behavior. They will focus on all the key areas that Hudson needs direction and support in, including counseling, education, physical fitness, spiritual disciplines, and preparation for work & adult life. They also have many opportunities for fun & recreation!
Master’s Ranch Christian Academy (MRCA) is in southern Missouri and has been helping troubled teenage boys for over 20 years. Here, the boys learn to earn privileges and develop a strong work ethic. They participate in an accredited school curriculum year-round (half days in the summer) and also get to enjoy swimming, fishing, and field trips. They develop leadership skills as well as take on household responsibilities and farm chores. The staff is experienced and equipped to work with teens from difficult backgrounds, including adopted kids (approx 80% of their participants are from adoptive families) and they have three licensed counselors working with the kids one-on-one and in group settings.
We
believe this is the ideal place for him to make some progress! It could truly change the course of his future!
When I inquired about the cost of the program my heart sank. It’s not covered by insurance, and even though their fees are supplemented by local churches and generous donors, it is way beyond what we can afford. Our first reaction was to close the door, carry on as best as we can at home, and hope we all survive. But some friends inspired us to put our pride aside and reach out to all of the people who have been touched by Hudson’s story. If everyone rallied together, it would show Hudson that his people are behind him, and we would be eternally grateful! (I’m literally in tears even now as I think of all the times we’ve been encouraged by everyone’s prayers and kindness over the years. 😠Thank you, sincerely!)
We
expect to drive him to his temporary home-away-from-home on the second
weekend of December. This will allow us to celebrate Hudson’s 16th
birthday as well as Thanksgiving with the family before he leaves. When we told Hudson about the Ranch, he was surprised (as we expected) but as we told him about the program and showed him photos of boys working on the ranch he got more and more interested and excited. His top priority now is to learn how to weld and to earn the privilege of driving a tractor. 😀 He has asked many questions, and is very optimistic that this program will give him a head start for his future. (He's ALL about graduating and entering the workforce ASAP!) His biggest disappointments are that he won't be able to continue his yard-scooping job next summer, and he's not allowed to bring any electronic devices. Thankfully those stipulations aren't holding him back from being onboard with this decision!
So here are the numbers we’re crunching…
Tuition is $3,800/month and the enrollment fee is $6,650.
There is a 12-month minimum stay, and most students end up staying for 18-24 months.
Overall, we’re looking at a range between $52,000-$98,000, and aiming for the likelihood of at least $75,000+ over the next 18+ months.
It’s all quite overwhelming! But we truly believe this
is the direction God is leading us, so we’ll move forward in faith, even if we currently could only cover a few months on our own.
Would you be interested & willing to be a part of Hudson’s healing journey?
If 100 people might commit to give $38/month, or if a group of supporters could give a one-time amount (large or small!), he would be well on his way!! The Master’s Academy is a non-profit, so donations made directly to them are tax deductible and would go straight into his enrollment & tuition fund.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out! cnschuler@gmail.com
If you’d like to donate towards Hudson's treatment, thank you so very much!!
There are 3 ways to give:
1- Send a check to:
Master's Ranch Christian Academy
PO Box 709
Myrtle, MO 65778
Designate the note line for “Hudson Schuler"
(This is tax deductible AND does not incur a credit card processing fee.)
2- Click here to go directly to MRCA's PayPal account. Enter an amount, then choose one of the two buttons to
either use your PayPal account or pay with a card.
Be sure to tap the line that says “Add special instructions here” and put “Hudson Schuler” in that space. If you are setting up a recurring monthly donation, there's no space for his name, so the office recommends doing your first month as a one-time gift with his name and then setting up the recurring donation after that so you're donations will be linked to him.
(This is tax deductible, but will incur a 3.5% processing fee if a credit card is used.)
3- If you’d prefer to send a donation through us personally or by another method (check, cash, personal PayPal, Venmo), please reach out to us by email or see us in person. cnschuler@gmail.com
(This is NOT tax deductible, but does not incur a credit card processing fee.)
We will keep everyone updated daily on the status of his account! Just come back to this blog post, or keep an eye on our private Facebook group! (If you aren’t already a member of our private Facebook group, "7,777 Miles to Adoption," please request to join to keep up with Hudson’s updates!)
You’re welcome to share his story and invite people to follow along! We KNOW God has big plans for our son and can’t wait to keep sharing testimonies of God’s faithfulness!
While
we are heartbroken to have Hudson going so far away for so many months,
we know it’s for the best. We’ve tried so many things already over the
years, without progress in key areas affected by trauma. This is NOT us
giving up on him; it’s quite the opposite! We must do what is best for
him, no matter how difficult it seems or what others might think. We
plan to write and call him often and hope to visit in the spring!
Thank you, once again, from the bottom of our hearts! ❤️ We appreciate and cherish your prayers and support!
Curt & Nikki
(and Hudson!)
P.S. If this wasn't too much to read already, I'll be answering Frequently Asked Questions below and add more as they come up! Ask away!
FAQ:
How do your other kids feel about this decision?
Our kids are all processing this in different ways. Corbin (age 10) is a very logical thinker. He was surprised at the announcement but agrees it sounds like a great place so he's content. Evie's first concern (age 13) was, "Are they nice there??" and she's happy after being reassured that yes, they're very nice and will take good care of Hudson! Violet (age 9) has the hardest time with change, in general. She cried a little and said she'll miss him. Then she made him a bookmark for his Bible that says. "Be strong and courageous! We will always be here for you!" and she has faith that God will protect him and bring him home when the time is right. I'm SUPER proud of all four of these kiddos and how bravely they're handling this transition!
What happens if you surpass your fundraising goal, or he only stays for 12 months?
Wow- first of all, that would knock our socks off!! But to answer the question, we should know his homecoming date at least a month before he finishes. We will inform any monthly donors that they can end their donations. If we happen to have a remaining balance in his account when he leaves, we will happily leave it with MRCA to use towards other students in need, or for supplies, maintenance, holiday parties, etc! The Ranch is always in need of funds to help the boys and I would love to be a blessing to them, especially after everything they'll have done for our son!
