Adopt A Family

In years past, Dr. Rottler and staff have come together for different kinds of charitable acts for the holidays. We considered several things this past Christmas, but adopting a family seemed like the absolute best fit. Dr. Rottler had just come back from doing cleft lip and cleft palate cases in Nicaragua, and we spent so much time looking over the remarkable before and after photos of all of the children he helped. It seemed as though his generosity had spread to all of us. We decided to do something for children as well. St. Patrick’s Center has a wonderful program for adopting families. They are great about getting to know the families and considering both the wants and needs of each family involved. We requested a large family, and St. Patrick’s Centered delivered just that. SEVEN KIDS! Generally when you adopt a family it consists of both parents and children, but the mother requested that we not worry about her and focus on all of her children this year. How selfess. The children’s ages ranged between one and fourteen, and their wishlists were so sweet. These kids were asking for the things that we take for granted. One little girl simply asked for a pajama set. Another wanted boots. We knew we had to go above and beyond for them. Gloves, hats, shoes; they got everything. We shopped together, and wrapped together, and signed each present from Santa. It was so exciting to know that there were little boys and girls getting warm toes and fingers and, of course, some toys to top it off. Quite frankly, it was one of the more rewarding Christmas experiences that I can remember. We had such a wonderful experience this year, and we are so grateful that St. Patrick’s Center could provide us with such an enriching opportunity. They have established so many ways to participate in community outreach in St. Louis. Their staff is so kind and organized, and they are truly great at what they do. If you or your organization is interested in adopting a family next year, we would be more than happy to answer any questions that you have about it. We can also get you in touch with a St. Patrick’s Center Employee that can take you the rest of the way. We hope all of our friends, families, patients and future patients had as wonderful of a holiday season as we did. Enjoy your new year!