Why the Smiths Say ‘Yes’

By Analiz G. Schremmer
Buckner International

LUBBOCK, Texas — Barbara and Sean Smith have fostered more than 50 children, so people assume it’s because they can’t say no.

“Oh, we can say no,” Barbara clarified. “We just don’t want to miss out on the blessing.”

The Smiths said they like knowing that they’ve helped a child, seeing a child learn something new or grow closer to God. Helping children is their ministry; but it doesn’t come without sacrifices.

Sean talked about a girl whom they kept until she was almost 5. “She was adopted by another family. We have set up Skype to talk to her. Grieving is a real thing and everyone in the family goes through grieving. It isn’t just the parents. It’s also the children.”

The Smiths have adopted three of their foster children: Nancy, 13; Andrea, 11; and Chelsey, 9 and they have five adult children of their own.

“The girls love helping us care for the babies and they also have a hard time letting go,” Barbara said.

One of the hardest to let go was a boy who was with the Smiths from birth to age 9.

“He grew up with our children and he is their brother. We were set to adopt him when it was decided that he could go back to his birth mom. So it doesn’t always turn out picture perfect in the way you might want it.”

The Smiths have cared for many medically fragile children because Barbara, who used to work as an emergency medical technician, is equipped to care for them.

Two of these babies are in their home now: one with hydrocephalus, a condition caused by water buildup in the brain, and the other with liver and blood pressure complications.

For a while, Barbara was taking a weekly six-hour car drive to Dallas to take one of the babies for treatment. Now it’s only every two or three weeks. But Barbara said she’s never minded.

“It is a way of life for us,” she said. “One time, my husband was at work and I called him, because I didn’t want to make a decision without him. I said, there is this little girl with some medical issues and I was wondering how you’d feel about taking her in. And he said, ‘Of course. That’s what we do.’ And it is what we do.”

Sean said that he wants to be committed to touching the children’s lives.

“We make it our mission to be there for these kids, to teach them about God and take them to church. I want to believe that somehow they can take this with them.”

To learn more about becoming a foster parent in Lubbock, call 806-795-7151 or visit www.beafamily.org today.