Heaven Shepherd was adopted by Shelly and Gary Shepherd and brought to the U.S.

In the middle of Missouri, a woman with six biological children began to have the strong feeling a child was missing from their family, and they were supposed to adopt. It took Shelly Shepherd two years to convince her husband, but she never gave up. This unknown child was on her mind when she woke up and when she went to sleep. Finally, after much discussion and counseling, Gary Shepherd agreed they could begin the process of finding a child who needed a home.

A week later, they were told a horrific story of a baby in Vietnam who had survived a bomb blast. Touch a Life Foundation went to bring this baby girl to the USA on a medical visa, to receive the next steps of medical care she needed. They asked the Shepherds to come along. There was an immediate bond, as if we had both been waiting for each other thousands of miles apart.

Heaven says: “I was adopted by the Shepherds and became a part of the most amazing family. I was the youngest of seven children, five girls and two boys. My parents loved us all with a strong, powerful kind of love — both as a group and individually.”

Haven has dedicated her life to pushing limits, helping others, and overcoming the odds. “She chooses joy every day. She chooses to be a survivor,” Shelly says about her daughter’s daily perspective. Haven is the youngest of seven children in the Shepherd family, and she credits much of her perseverance, courage, and positive attitude to her siblings and parents. As a Paralympic hopeful, swimmer, motivational speaker, lover of life, and ambassador for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Haven instills hope and self-acceptance in each child. “I guess it’s all about perspective. I’ve never looked at not having legs as a negative,” she says.