Meet the Motz Adoptive Family!
Vicie Motz’s skills with medically fragile children, and her generosity of spirit, led her to welcome six sons and daughters into her family. Vicie defines adoption as “a house full of happy, special kids.”
“Adoption means a full house of happy, special kids.”
Her first child, Tyler, arrived as a foster baby at age 8 months. After four years, his birth parents voluntarily surrendered their rights, arranging for Vicie and her husband to become Tyler’s legal parents. Tyler was medically fragile his whole short life. Sadly, he passed away at age 17.
Trevor, now age 20, also came initially as a foster child, at age 8, in 2005. Vicie adopted him later that year. Trevor’s fragile medical state requires a tracheostomy tube and a ventilator to help him breathe. Vicie is concerned that when he reaches age 21, Trevor will lose nursing services and dental care coverage. With an affinity for animals, Trevor likes to watch Animal Planet, and to allow his pet cat to fall asleep on his feet.
Two years after Trevor’s adoption, Vicie adopted 4-year-old Hunter. Medically fragile with a rare genetic condition, the little boy had been living in foster care in Florida his whole life. It took over a year for Hunter to be moved into the Motz home. Hunter passed away just last year during surgery to address his scoliosis.
Daughter Angel came to Vicie in 2008, at age 4. She had been in foster care the previous two years. In the Motz home, Angel’s health steadily improved, until she suffered a cardiac arrest in February, 2015. She recovered enough to enjoy a family trip to Disney World that July. The following month Angel had a second cardiac arrest, from which she did not recover.
Having lost three children, Vicie finds comfort in knowing that for most of their lives, Tyler, Hunter, and Angel experienced the reassurance of being with their permanent family.
Vicie’s fifth child, daughter Kyley, came to her in 2010 at the age of 5 months, as an emergency placement. Vicie was able to adopt her a few months later. Kyley’s medical condition improved so rapidly that within three years she no longer needed her tracheostomy tube. Like many 7-year-old girls, Kyley likes to get her hair fixed and to watch cartoons, especially ones involving fairies.
Vicie’s youngest child, Anthony, was “another venture from Florida.” Anthony lived in foster care since the age of 2 months due to critical medical needs. He was 3 years old when he arrived to the Motzes last December. Anthony has a tracheostomy tube and he undergoes back surgery every six months. Anthony likes to watch TV shows, especially Paw Patrol.
Asked about her motivation to adopt, Vicie writes, “I always wanted to be a mom, and I have been trained to care for medically fragile children. Adoption is my purpose in life. God has provided me the skills I need.” The greatest challenge Vicie has faced in adoption has been the long wait for children arriving from out of state. She respectfully asks members of Congress to make the interstate adoption process more efficient.
Vicie also wishes to thank Congress for the Federal Adoption Tax Credit, which helped her to purchase a wheel-chair accessible bus, “so we could all go places together as a family.”
