Meet Mattie

A lot of you on my Twitter and Instagram feed have asked who Mattie is.

Let me make some introductions. Meet Mattie. He's a miracle.

I met Tracie, Mattie's mama, through adoption. We both worked at Hannah's Dream together and now work together as consultants for Christian Adoption Consultants. I knew the moment I met her for the first time at a little coffee shop that our hearts would be knit together. We're both passionate about our faith, our families, and adoption. Through the years we've laughed together, cried together, gathered our families for barbeques, cared for babies and families in the hospital together, all over lots of coffee.

John and Tracie have seven kids. They started with Nick, Taylor, and Isabelle (their biological kiddos). Then they adopted Elia domestically. Then they went to the Ukraine and adopted Emma and Aiden. And then, two and a half years ago, they adopted Mattie (Matthias). Honestly, I have to think twice about who's adopted and who's not when I think of the Loux family.

When John and Tracie adopted Mattie, they knew (as much as you humanly can) what they were walking into. They knew Mattie had Down Syndrome. They knew he would have heart issues. They knew there would be hard days ahead.  And they knew he was meant to be a part of their family. He was chosen to be a Loux.

Mattie was a miracle from the start. And he's a fighter. He's gone through numerous health battles in his short little life. But he's also reached literally thousands of people with his story. Our friend, Kelly, wrote about one experience here. (You won't be sorry to take the time to read it.) And that's just one story of how Mattie has touched lives. For anyone questioning the idea of "quality of life," you only need to be with Mattie and his family for a few minutes.  Mattie has a smile that's contagious. His older brother Aiden, who also has Down Syndrome, is his best buddy and they're inseparable. He can make your heart melt when he signs or sings. And that hair... I'm so thankful I'm Auntie Susan to this brave little man.

Late last week, Mattie developed an infection and was admitted to the hospital. He went downhill fast and quickly needed to be put of life support. Early Saturday morning, John and Tracie watched a few feet away while Mattie crashed and needed to be resuscitated multiple times.

Sunday when I went to visit I wasn't prepared for what I saw. In all the times I've visited Mattie in the hospital, I've never seen him this sick. Multiple lines going in and out of his little body and a ventilator so strong that it shook Mattie and his bed. I held his hand and Tracie's as I wept and prayed for his life.

Thankfully, Mattie is currently considered stable but still in critical condition at the local children's hospital. He's receiving amazing care and John and Tracie are rock stars. Their unwavering faith, dedication to their son, and strong marriage is an incredible picture of real love.

Please join me in praying for the Loux family. For tangible, practical ways you can love them, click here and for updates click here. Feel free to share this post to spread the word about Mattie's amazing life. And join Team Mattie, a map that shows people praying for Mattie literally all over the world. 

Mattie needs a miracle.  Luckily, we serve a God who is good at those.