01/13/2026
I adopted twins with disabilities after I found them on the street — 12 years later, I nearly dropped the phone when I learned WHAT they did. _______________________________ I'm 41, and twelve years ago my life changed forever. I was on my early morning trash route, streets quiet, chill biting my cheeks. My husband, Steven, was recovering from surgery, so I'd already fed him, changed his bandages, then headed out. Life had a rhythm—but that morning, everything broke. I spotted a stroller in the middle of the sidewalk. No parent. My heart leapt. I peeked inside. Twin girls, maybe six months old, curled in blankets, chests rising and falling. Who would leave babies out here? Cold air misted their tiny breaths. Fear surged. I knocked on doors, called 911 and CPS. Sat on the curb, knees to chest, whispering soothing words I wasn't sure they could hear. When the social worker arrived and took them in, my chest ached. That night, I told Steven, trembling, "They're just babies. What if no one cares for them?" He paused, then said slowly, “Maybe… we could foster them.” I barely dared hope. Weeks later, the social worker revealed: they were deaf. Most families would refuse. I cried. "I don't care. They're perfect. They need love." Fostering them wasn't easy. I learned sign language, adjusted our home, worked extra jobs. Hannah and Diana transformed our lives—their laughter, even in silence, was infectious. We celebrated every milestone: first words, steps, birthdays. Years passed, and the girls grew brilliant, curious, and creative. Twelve years later, the phone rang. "Hello, Mrs. Lester? I'm calling about Hannah and Diana." "Uh… yes? This is me. What about my girls?" I nearly dropped the phone from my grasp when I learned what my twin daughters had done for our family. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" I WHISPERED. "MY GIRLS DID THAT? THEY REALLY DID?!" ⬇️⬇️⬇️