Adoption works: Minnesota family takes to the road to prove it

Intermountain Catholic

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The Binsfeld family pause before a swim in the Holiday Inn pool in Salt Lake City. IC photo by Barbara S. Lee

SALT LAKE CITY — There is nothing ordinary about Neal and Jeanne Binsfeld and their family of St. Cecilia Parish in St. Paul, Minn. Married for 22 years, Neal and Jeanne have opened their home and their hearts to children in need.

"We cannot sit passively on the sidelines when there are 120,000 children in the United States in need of homes," Neal wrote on the family’s web site. Below that challenge is the family’s mission statement: "to promote adoption awareness and to help create connections, known to us or unknown, for kids needing permanent families."

In light of their mission statement, the Binsfelds packed up their eight children, three of them theirs by birth and five adopted, and undertook a road trip from their Minnesota home to California. At every stop the family made a point of "creating connections east 2 west" between children in need of homes and people who have space in their homes and hearts for a child or two or more.

The family made a brief stop in Salt Lake City Aug. 5, and met with the Intermountain Catholic at the Holiday Inn Downtown.

"According to the National Adoption Attitudes Survey sponsored by the Dave Thomas (Wendy’s®) Foundation for adoption in cooperation with the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, ‘About four in 10 Americans have considered adopting a child at one time in their lives. This equals to about 81.5 million adults. Considering there are 134,000 children in foster care waiting for families, these children would all have a home today if just two-tenths of one percent (1 in 500) of these adults actually pursued and completed the adoption process," The Binsfelds say on their web site. "Unfortunately, children available for adoption still languish in the foster care system because not enough families who consider adoption do it."

That certainly isn’t the case for the Binsfelds. In 1987, Neal and Jeanne did not seem to be able to get pregnant. "Even though we were very frustrated and very discouraged, we had the feeling we were up against something bigger than just us," said Jeanne. "We approached the Children’s Home Society and eventually adopted Sarah.

Born with spina bifida, Sarah, 19, is paralyzed from the waste down. That hasn’t gotten in the way of her love of basketball. She is a nationally-ranked wheelchair basketball player and played the center position for the co-ed Rolling Timberwolves Basketball Team, which placed fourth in the nation this year. She will be a freshman at the University of Arizona in Tucson this year, with a wheelchair basketball scholarship. Sarah also plays soccer and softball, and is an advocate for disability rights and wheelchair sports.

After the Binsfelds adopted Sarah, they had two children of their own, Mikaela, 15, and Marissa, 13. Then, they adopted Rebecca, 13, a victim of fetal alcohol syndrome. The Binsfelds then gave birth to Jenna.

While visiting a hospital for children with special needs the Binsfelds fell in love with Hannah, 5, who is blind, and her brother, Jess, 4. The have also adopted Ben, 8, a small, fragile child with Ring 7 syndrome who loves every new person he meets.

"Each child we have had and adopted has been a sign for us," said Neal, "an affirmation that this is what our lives are supposed to be about."

"Our children are our inspiration," Jeanne said. "Are we doing something good? All I can tell you is that the children are doing remarkable things."

That is easy to see. Sarah, Mikaela and Marissa are born nurturers. They care for their siblings with all the love and tenderness necessary for each individual child. When Jenna came down with chicken pox half-way through the trip to California, there was never a question of her going home. It was everyone’s wish that she be made as comfortable as possible and stay with the family.

Neal, a disability specialist at Allina Hospitals, credits Jeanne’s strength for the success of this melded family. Neal earned a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology at St. John’s University, and a Master’s Degree in rehabilitation counseling at Minnesota State University. Jeanne, a full-time mom, has a Bachelor’s Degree in education from St. Cloud State University, and a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Minnesota State.

"It is a great honor for us to be able to visit so many people and profile children in each community who are available for adoption," Jeanne said. "We plan to adopt more children."

Neal laughs at that. "Jeanne believes in creating your own karma, and so far, it’s worked for us. We fall in love with every child we see, and every child we bring into the family seems to make it stronger. When we make decisions, we base them first on what is best for all of us. We’ve really learned that we can overcome anything."

Indeed, that attitude helped them survive the loss of one adopted child, Joey, who died unexpectedly during surgery.

Taking stock of the Binsfeld children’s gifts and talents, it’s obvious Neal and Jeanne have worked to empower every one of them to the best of their abilities. Among the children there are sports enthusiasts, they play four instruments, many of the children sing. They all read avidly, love traveling, animals, and one hopes to be a famous writer.

Neal, Jeanne, Sarah, and Rebecca are all activists, and have taken the case of full access by people with any disability to schools, churches, and public buildings.

"We’ve advocated quite a bit," Neal said. "We try not to force the issues too much, but when it comes to our children, we try to make our points within a faith-based perspective."

Most important to the children, however, is the loving care they render to each other.

"Really, adoption is an issue that makes so much sense," Neal said.

For further information about adoption, contact The Collaboration to AdoptUSKids or the Adoption Exchange Assoc.

See brief features on Utah children hoping for adoptive families in the next issue of the Intermountain Catholic.