Some two decades ago, William and Amy Bauer of Fernley adopted six children from Costa Rica. All of the children were siblings, and all suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome. As a result of that affliction, the second-oldest, Elisa, now 32, is mentally challenged, and has other physical challenges. Because of these issues, she lives in a group home as a ward of the state, although the Bauers remain her legal, loving guardians.
It’s been a rough few months for the Bauers. William is the rector of St. Columba’s Church, which recently burned down in an arson-caused fire. About the same time, the Bauers learned that Elisa had become pregnant.
She decided with her parents to give birth to the baby, and arranged for a private adoption. Six qualified couples expressed a strong interest in the child. But that beautiful opportunity to turn something sad into something good was quickly challenged by one of Elisa’s physicians, who decided that – because Elisa is mentally handicapped – the baby should be aborted. When Elisa and her parents refused to agree to that, he alerted local social services, who took them to court.
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