The Murphy Family
John and Jeanette Murphy, already the parents of four, have opened up their home to 23 children with special needs since adopting their daughter Shannon in 1983. The children have various disabilities including Down Syndrome, autism and heart defects.
Despite their special needs, John & Jeanette strive to teach their family - ranging in age from 6 to 40 years - independence and the skills necessary to grow in to thriving adults, while experiencing as normal a childhood as possible. They school the young children at home and teach them sign language to help them communicate. Afternoons and weekends are spent roller lading, hiking and taking field trips to the zoo. And somehow, they always find the energy to make a home-cooked breakfast every morning.
The Murphy’s story began when John & Jeanette were volunteering at a home for mentally handicapped adults. Saddened by the experience the couple wished they could do more to help. They came to believe that a strong family environment might be beneficial for youngsters facing similar handicaps. Later that same year, they were overjoyed to adopt Shannon.
In 1984, they adopted Brandy Peer. Her birth father was Duane Peer who is one of the founders of Happy Face Kids Charity. They named her Emily. In 2005, Duane Peer and Marcia Fisher (both founders of Happy Face Kids Charity) visited the Murphy family. They were so impressed with the love and care that was shared throughout the family. They saw and heard about the struggles that John & Jeanette faced on a daily basis. It’s hard enough caring for a family of 3 or 4 children. Imagine one the size of the Murphy family. Duane and Marcia were inspired to do something to help the Murphy family and other families that have children with special needs.
The Murphy’s have needs every day. They were fortunate enough to have an organization raise funds to build them a new home. But they need so much more - like food, clothes and money to help make ends meet. That is what Happy Face Kids Charity is trying to do - help them make ends meet.
