Meet the Rouse Family
Four years ago, Emily and Justin Rouse began to experience a pull toward adoption for their family. For Emily, adoption had been on her heart for quite some time, with different family members adopting both domestically and internationally. And when the two began dating, Emily raised the question of adoption with Justin, as she knew it was something she wanted for her family’s future.
“We started to feel the pull to start the adoption process in September 2021,” Emily explained. “We finally filled out the first piece of paperwork later that month after our preacher randomly said during a message, ‘If adoption is something that has been on your heart … I highly recommend you just start the process.’ He mentioned this during a sermon that had nothing to do with adoption. It simply was the Holy Spirit speaking through him directly to us. We were so scared and nervous, but once we heard this loud yes, we started the paperwork to move forward.”
Emily and Justin’s story first intersected with Show Hope also at church, with our Hope for the Journey online educational and training resource. From there, the couple began to learn more about Show Hope’s work in financial grants. First, they applied for and were awarded an Adoption Aid grant to bring home their daughter, Mai, and in 2024, they were awarded a Medical Care grant.
The Rouses first learned of Mai’s medical diagnoses through her adoption paperwork, but the full extent was unclear. “The major thing we knew for sure was that she could not yet walk at 2 years of age, but we didn’t know the reasoning,” Emily shared. “We knew we would care for her and take it day by day once we got home with her.”
After first appointments with a pediatrician and a pediatric cardiologist, it was confirmed that one of Mai’s paperwork diagnoses was, in fact, inaccurate. Since being home, though, one consistent thing in Mai’s medical care has been physical therapy, and after a MRI just this year, she is being referred to a specialist called a pediatric physiatrist.
A pediatric physiatrist is a medical doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation for children. Physiatrists use a non-surgical approach to develop comprehensive treatment plans, working with other therapy specialists and assistive device clinics to help patients improve mobility, coordination, self-care skills, and overall function.
“The Show Hope Medical Care grant means the absolute world to our family. This grant helped us provide supports for our daughter to actually learn to walk!” Emily said. “She went through several intensive physical therapy programs and has also received a couple different pairs of custom orthotics that go in her shoes. This grant helped with paying for all these things that truly helped our daughter learn to walk. She wears the orthotics in her shoes daily and still attends physical therapy weekly. We can do these things for our daughter knowing that we have a lot of support through this grant.”
At Show Hope, we have heard families say that they have shied away from applying for a Medical Care grant for various reasons, including uncertainties as to whether they qualify or a fear of more substantial needs for other families. However, Emily Rouse has three words for you: Go for it!
“The caring people—and donors—at Show Hope have been so helpful in providing resources for families like ours, where there is a gap between insurance and receiving medical necessities to help our child thrive,” she continued. “They have built that bridge to cover the gap for us. If that looks like you and your family, then consider applying TODAY!”
And to the donors and supporters of Show Hope, Emily has two words for you: Thank you!
“Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting Show Hope and helping make this grant possible!” she shared. “We are just an ordinary family in Oklahoma, but we have an extraordinary calling to care for this sweetest child of ours who has greatly benefited from your generosity. It has truly changed the trajectory of her life. We look more like Jesus when we are giving our time, our talent, and our treasure, so THANK YOU, for giving all the above and looking more like Jesus to families like ours.”
This Christmas, we have strategically planned to raise $1,000,000 for the continuing impact of our work, yet we cannot reach that goal without you. Today, will you prayerfully consider a gift to our Gifts of Hope campaign? We need you.
