From Two to Thirteen: Our Family’s Journey
Author: Vivian Ling, Maggie Weik
Editor: Clyde Xi
9/22/2026
Introduction
Between 1998 and 2016, Maggie and David Weik welcomed eleven children from China into their family, nine with special needs. Their journey reflects a deep faith in God and a commitment to loving each child through joy, hardship, and loss.
This account is adapted from Professor Vivian Ling’s book Love without Borders, with her explicit permission, and has been further edited and updated by Maggie Weik. Told in Maggie’s voice, it offers a glimpse into the life of a family whose love continues to grow.
1. A Small Ad Starts a Life-Changing Journey
When my husband David and I got married in 1988, we didn’t exactly have a plan for raising a family. Like many young couples, we didn’t want to have children right away. David was still in medical school, I had a full-time job, and we cherished our freedom as newlyweds.
Nine years into our marriage, our lives changed forever when we saw a small ad in our city newspaper with a picture of a one-year-old girl. It said, “Baby girls available for adoption in China.” We had read about the orphan crisis in China due to the One-Child Policy. That day, God stirred our hearts, and we began our journey to our first child. In the summer of 1998, we received a profile of a baby girl from a Chinese orphanage. It contained just a small ID-style photo, but we took one look at that little face and fell in love with her. In September 1998, we finally boarded a plane to China to adopt our baby girl from the orphanage in Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province. We named her Abigail, which in Hebrew means “a father’s joy”. We loved her from the moment she was put into our arms. She was the most precious, smartest, and beautiful 10-month-old we could have dreamed of.
By 2000, we were looking for a sister for Abigail, whom we now called Abbey. Our hearts led us back to China, where we adopted another baby girl, this time from Gaoyou, Jiangsu Province. We named her Olivia Faye, and she quickly became Abbey’s inseparable little sister.
2. The Little Girl We Couldn’t Let Go
We thought our family was complete with two daughters. But God had other plans...
About six months after bringing Olivia home, we heard about another baby girl from her orphanage. An American family had traveled to China to adopt her, but during the medical examination, doctors discovered she had a severe heart condition in its final stages. Since they had already lost one of their children, the couple made the difficult decision to return the child to the orphanage. My heart broke when I learned this child had been abandoned once again, losing another chance to have a family. The orphanage had even removed her file from the China Center for Adoption Affairs, deeming her unadoptable, signaling they had given up on finding her a forever home.
David and I were saddened by this news. We began urgent communications with the orphanage through a Chinese guide who worked at an adoption agency. After months of persistent effort, our prayers were answered—the orphanage agreed to recirculate her adoption materials in the United States. We believed that with the proper medical intervention, she might live a long, happy life. Initially, we tried to find her another adoptive family, believing our two daughters completed our family. But when a friend stepped forward to adopt her, I realized I couldn’t let her go—in my heart, she had been our daughter all along.
In 2002, two years after bringing Olivia home, I embarked on another journey to China. By then, our soon-to-be daughter Sophie had somehow survived her complex congenital heart condition until age two and a half. Soon after she was placed in my care, I realized that her condition was worse than I anticipated: She turned a dusky shade of blue after walking just a few steps; her fingertips and toes were clubbed; and even her ears and tongue would turn blue. I cried a lot during that trip, thinking I was bringing home a dying child. I called our pediatric cardiologist back home and asked if Sophie would be okay on the flight home. Her answer was, “Pray hard.” Sophie was very thin and frail since her heart was working so hard that her body was using up energy very quickly.
Olivia and Sophie, adopted two years apart from the orphanage in Gaoyou.
We believe that God orchestrated the events that brought Sophie into our family. We lived only an hour away from one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals, where Dr. Thomas Spray, one of the nation’s leading pediatric cardiac surgeons, practiced. He said he had never seen a heart defect as complex as Sophie’s, but he was willing to operate. Miraculously, her surgery was successful! When we approached her bed after surgery, I remember thinking, “She’s pink!” The doctor told me I’d saved her life by adopting her, but David and I knew Sophie’s destiny had always been in God’s hands.
3. Eight More Children, Eight More Reasons to Say Yes
While our first two adopted children were healthy and had most likely been abandoned because of their gender, Sophie’s adoption began a new chapter in our lives. With each trip to China, half of our hearts remained there. We couldn’t forget the children in the orphanages, their faces full of longing for a family. Information about Chinese adoptions became a constant pull on our heartstrings. By 2016, we had welcomed eight more orphans from China into our home, all with special needs, each with their own unique challenges and gifts.
2004: Zoe from Gaozhou, Guangdong Province
Zoe was born with a clubfoot. She has just graduated college and is now an accountant with a leading firm. She is studying for a master’s degree in business administration in order to become a CPA. She is a loving and considerate child and a very devoted daughter.
Zoe (middle) with her bandmates
2008: Leah Quinn from Hengyang, Hunan Province
Leah had epilepsy and was later diagnosed with a congenital speech disorder. She eventually thrived, but then suddenly died from a seizure in 2021. In her short life, she touched so many people that two years after her death, her high school honored her at the graduation of her class.
Little Leah—a precious part of our family, forever held in our hearts.
A moment to treasure with Leah, whose smile we will always remember.
The loss of Leah has left a large void in our family. She is deeply loved and missed, and her memory lives on in each of our hearts. We believe we will be reunited with her in heaven one day.
2009: Torie from Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
Torie was born with a cleft palate and a blood disorder. Torie is now studying to become a licensed electrician and working as an apprentice in that field. She is a loyal, dedicated and fierce worker. She is well loved by everyone who meets her and a favorite sister by the younger siblings.
Torie – A devoted big sister
2010: Alexandra (who insists on being called Boyi) from Maoming, Guangdong Province
Boyi has a form of autism and some developmental delays. She has a part-time job and is not afraid of hard work! While she will never be able to live independently, she is such a gift to our family and the biggest helper. I had a major surgery last year and Boyi was instrumental in assisting me in various tasks as well as helping the family.
Boyi celebrating her 22nd birthday (2024)
2012: Gracie from Xinzhou, Shanxi Province
Gracie has spina bifida with associated complications. She is now an honor student in high school and a contributing member of the Student Council and Asian Club. She walks with ankle-foot orthoses, which stabilize her legs. Her feistiness and determination keep her on her feet. She has a wonderful sense of humor and keeps us entertained.
Gracie having another surgery
2012: Juliet from Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
Juliet had a stroke in utero, which resulted in a seizure disorder and a brain injury. Juliet has cognitive delays which will prevent her from living independently. She is a happy, sociable child and is well loved by our family and her peers. She loves the family’s pets and dotes on them!
Juliet on the go
2016: Daniel—our only son—from Dongguan, Guangdong Province
Daniel was born with a genetic condition called Cleidocranial Dysplasia. This rare condition occurs in about one in a million births and affects bones and teeth. He was born without collarbones and is short in stature. Daniel is now a senior in high school and is a great student. He loves golf, bowling, and watching sports. To earn money, Daniel mows lawns. He is receiving treatment for his dental disorder. He is also instrumental in helping with tasks in the home. He is described as a very polite and responsible kid.
Daniel celebrating his 19th birthday
2016: Caroline “Carly” from Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
Carly was born with Cat Eye Syndrome and is legally blind. She also had anal atresia, which has been treated successfully through multiple surgeries. She is joyful, creative and loves everyone that crosses her path. She is also a digital creator on YouTube and has a large following because of her engaging videos.
Carly sharing her creativity through handmade bracelets for sale.
4. Making Room, Whatever the Cost
From 1998 to 2016, David and I adopted eleven Chinese orphans within a span of eighteen years. Each time I wanted to adopt another child, David said “yes!” For years, whenever I said, “I want to talk to you about something,” David knew, before I said another word, that we were going to adopt another child.
Gracie and Torie enjoying sister time
There are two main reasons why we ended up adopting nine special-needs Chinese orphans. One is that since the turn of the century, China’s children’s welfare institutions have prioritized letting special-needs children be adopted by foreign parents, because these children are rarely accepted for domestic adoptions. The second reason is that we realized that it’s the orphans with disabilities who often face greater barriers to finding a family. We also worried about their future. Around age eighteen, young people with disabilities who cannot live independently may be transferred to adult care facilities. Although care continues, opportunities for personal growth and participation in community life can be limited. The prospect of our children spending their lives in institutions without a family of their own broke our hearts.
But we will always be grateful to our Lord for leading us to each child that He ordained to be in our family.
From 1998 to 2016, we went from being a couple to a family of thirteen.
Before we had children, we enjoyed financial freedom. David worked as a podiatrist, I had a full-time job, and the two of us worked hard and had built up our savings for several years. It wasn’t until we adopted our first baby from China that our comfortable upper-middle-class life changed forever. Our family came to rely on David to support us, and I devoted myself to caring for our eleven children. Recently, with the prospect of more children starting college, I decided to go back to work. I got my insurance broker’s license and can now start earning money to help our family.
Maggie and David attending a Cardinals baseball game
Through it all, we’ve never regretted our decisions. Raising a large family involves sacrifices, but the blessings our children bring are worth more than money can buy. We can’t begin to imagine what might have happened if any of our children had remained in orphanages. Instead, I focus on the immeasurable joy and blessings they’ve brought to our lives. Whenever God asked, “Is there room at the inn?” we always answered, “Yes.”
5. Story of Goldfish Crackers
Our family’s journey continues to unfold. While we couldn’t have predicted this path when we married in 1988, looking back, we can clearly see that the adoption of our third child, Sophie, in 2002 was the pivotal moment that set our course.
Sophie was born with a severe heart condition, and when we adopted her, doctors believed she was near the end of her life. Through what we can only call a miracle: a leading heart surgeon brought her back from the brink. She has grown into a vibrant, healthy young woman who graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is now serving the children’s ministry at a large church in Indianapolis. In June 2024, she married her wonderful husband, Luke.
At Sophie’s wedding, David gave a touching speech about their early relationship. When we first adopted her, Sophie refused to even look at him. During her hospital stay for surgery, David came to relieve me at her bedside one day, bringing along a package of Goldfish crackers to try to bridge the gap between them. At this point in his speech, David reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a package of goldfish crackers. Walking over to the bride, he said, “It was from a package like this that I took the little goldfish and gave them to you one by one. You started paying attention to me right away.” Turning to the groom, he added, “You know, from now on you’ll be the man who pampers her, and don’t forget, when she ignores you, you give her these goldfish crackers.”
Winning her Heart, one Goldfish cracker at a time
Luke and Sophie, beginning a new chapter together (June 2024).
6. The Love They Received, the Love They Give
The story of our family would not be complete without an update on our first two daughters, Abbey and Olivia, who were not special-needs adoptions. Abbey was married to her sweetheart, Harrison, on May 25th, 2024. A couple of weeks before her wedding, she graduated with an M.A. in social work. She is now a social worker at Mercy Hospital. It is the perfect position for her as she is kind and caring and has a great deal of empathy for others.
Olivia graduated from Tulane University in 2022 with a B.A. in public health and philosophy. She has many talents and is incredibly gifted. She is now the creative director for a prominent fashion design company in Los Angeles, and is definitely the “Free Spirit” in the family!
People often focus on the challenges we’ve faced raising our special-needs children. While we acknowledge these difficulties, what stands out most is how deeply gratifying it has been. Nothing brings us more joy than seeing how naturally our children have learned to love and care for each other and for other adoptive families.
This spirit of giving shone through when our oldest daughter Abbey married in May 2024. She and her spouse chose to donate their wedding gift money to Village of the Stars, a charity supporting adoptive families. In a beautiful turn of events, the charity redirected these funds to help Abbey’s brother Daniel, who needed financial assistance for oral surgery.
At the wedding of our oldest child Abbey (May 2024). Left to Right: Alexandra, Caroline, Torie, Olivia, Juliet, Abbey, Zoe, Gracie, Sophie, Daniel. Missing from this photo is their sister Leah, who passed away in 2021.
Editor’s Note
I have been blessed to know the Weik family and have grown to love every one of their children. Whenever I traveled to China, I would send them boxes of Chinese snacks, simply to spoil them a little. In return, they “adopted” me as their Uncle Clyde—a title I treasure.
“Uncle Clyde” enjoying chicken feet with Torie and Daniel—a taste of China shared together.
David and Maggie have also faced serious health challenges. David has had three strokes, with fatigue and reduced stamina as the only apparent lasting effects. His Mayo Clinic doctors are hopeful that preventive care can avert further strokes. Maggie had knee replacement surgery in June 2025 and spinal surgery that September. Complications led to three surgeries in nine days, followed by hospitalization and rehabilitation until early November. Their experiences remind us that devoted caregivers also need care and support.
Families like the Weiks are at the heart of Village of the Stars. Guided by our Christian faith, we support adoptive families, especially those raising children with special needs, through practical assistance, cultural connections, and spiritual encouragement. Our vision is a community where children are cherished and families do not have to face their challenges alone. As we walk alongside these families, their faith and generosity continue to inspire and shape our work.
Abbey’s selfless decision to share her wedding gifts inspired our Smiles Fund, which helps children obtain needed oral and maxillofacial surgeries. Its first beneficiary was her own brother, Daniel. To me, this is a beautiful expression of God’s love coming full circle: love received becomes love freely given, bringing blessings home and reaching still more families.
Two years ago, Maggie joined our board. Her experience as an adoptive mother helps keep our work grounded in the everyday joys and challenges of the families we serve.
We invite you to become part of this growing village. Volunteer your time and skills, help share families’ stories, pray with us, or give toward our projects. Together, we can reach more families, offer deeper support, and make a difference that lasts.
Clyde Xi
Founder and President
Village of the Stars
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