The Love of a Mother & Father: Elizabeth (Susanka) and Jeff Fennelly (both ’03)

The Fennelly Family of Ottawa. Jeff, 8-year-old Shawn, and Elizabeth. @OttawaMorning pic.twitter.com/4DvrYACXLr

— Hallie Cotnam (@HallieCBC) March 25, 2015

The Canadian Broadcast Corporation’s Ottawa Morning recently aired an episode about Elizabeth (Susanka) and Jeff Fennelly (both ’03) and their adopted son, Shawn. Now eight years old, Shawn is profoundly deaf and suffers from limited vision, cerebral palsy, and reflux disorder. Doctors once feared that he would never sit or stand on his own, or give and receive affection.

Yet under the Fennellys’ care, Shawn has thrived. He is walking and he feeds himself. His vision his improving, and he delights in the love of his parents. The Fennellys’ devotion to their son is heroic, from their initial fight to adopt Shawn, to their decision to relocate, so that they would be closer to his therapists, to the $10,000 they spend each year on Pedialite. At the moment, they are busily trying to learn American Sign Language so that they can communicate with him more effectively.

Thanks be to God for these loving parents, and may God bless this beautiful family!