Mom of 4 Adopts Boy with 'Most Contagious Belly Laugh,' Gives Him Name Inspired by the Bible

Fourteen years of a happily married life and four children later, a Canadian couple realized God was trying to tell them something. Following what their hearts said, the couple found themselves in another country, waiting to adopt a little boy with Down syndrome.

Jacki Balfour recalls desperately waiting to receive dolls as a gift at every special event when she was a child. She confessed that in her mind, she always considered the little dolls as orphans who were waiting for her to shelter them.

As a little girl who enjoyed playing with dolls, Jacki learned the concept of empathy. She felt terrible for her dolls if they lost a leg or their hair, unaware of how these experiences would help her three decades later.

A Wife and Mother

Jacki married her now-husband, Rob, and they had four children: Ellie, Josh, Micah, and Gloria with him. The family of six live in Canada, where Rob worked as a pastor while Jacki homeschooled her kids.

In 2016, Jacki realized her life was taking a new turn. She read a book named "Anything" by Jennie Allen and confessed that it somehow changed her perspective on life.

Soon, she saw two dreams and thought God was trying to communicate with her through them. She considered them a message from Him and decided to act on them.

The Unusual Dreams

In her first dream, Jacki saw herself working in the church with her husband when she felt a child riding on her back. She shared that it was not one of her four babies but a child with special needs, and she couldn't feel his weight on her back.

After waiting a long time, Jacki and Rob finally received the anticipated call.

In the next dream, Jacki and her husband were sitting in a house, going through some important documents. While it might sound like they would be worried, Jacki said she and Rob enjoyed completing the paperwork.

God Was Calling Them

When Jacki saw these dreams, she had no idea what would happen a few months later. She didn't know exactly what they meant, but she felt a significant life event was heading her way. She recalled:

"Something was up. God was calling us to adopt."

Since the beginning, the couple was sure they wanted to adopt a child with Down syndrome, but they didn't know how that would happen. After they decided to listen to what their hearts were saying, Jacki began following a website that talked about children with special needs worldwide.

The Process Began

Before Jacki and her husband could proceed, they wanted to know their children's feelings about having an adopted sibling. Jacki was relieved to learn that all four of their children were excited to welcome an adopted baby.

Jacki and her husband officially began the adoption process by inviting social workers for a house inspection. She revealed that her grandparents left her inheritance that she used to start the process. However, she still needed $35,000 and had no idea how she would get it.

The Next Step

"All that paperwork I had dreamt of began to happen in reality, and it was peaceful and even a little fun!" Jacki confessed. After the social workers visited their house several times, Jacki and Rob finally passed the test and moved toward the next step of their adoption journey.

Soon, the family's documents were sent to Bulgaria, where many orphaned children were waiting to find new homes. They didn't know when they would get a response, so all they could do was wait.

After waiting a long time, Jacki and Rob finally received the anticipated call. On January 4, 2018, the Bulgarian agency in Ontario told them they could eventually adopt a baby. A day later, they discovered who the little boy was.

The Little Boy

The couple was over the moon to learn that Petar, a 2.5-year-old boy from Burgas, Bulgaria, was waiting for them to take him home. What surprised them more was that his name was the same as Jacki's grandfather, and the little boy shared her grandmother's birthday.

At that point, the couple only had a photo of Petar, but two weeks later, they were at the airport and couldn't wait to meet him. Jacki confessed:

"I knew God had picked exactly the little person we needed and who needed us."

At the Airport

As the couple walked through the airport, the staff couldn't help but notice their happiness. They shared the reason behind their joy with the people they met, and everyone felt happy for them. Jacki recalled:

"[It] felt like God was laughing and singing over us, just affirming again and again that we were being led by him."

"I've never felt so safe and covered, all while doing one of the riskiest things of my life," Jacki added. The couple couldn't wait to land in Bulgaria and meet little Petar.

Inside the Orphanage

On January 21, 2018, Jacki and her husband were sitting in the waiting room at an orphanage in Bulgaria when a woman walked towards them with the boy they would soon adopt.

The woman took the couple to another room to meet Petar privately. A few minutes later, Jacki and Rob were in a room with little Petar and couldn't believe they would soon take the little boy back to Canada. Jacki recounted:

"After about an hour, we discovered he had the best, most contagious belly laugh in the world."

They Renamed Him

Jacki and Rob visited little Petar twice daily during the next few days, and they learned more about his personality. They even heard him say "mama" and "dada."

However, one thing they noticed about him was that he rarely responded to his name, "Petar." So when the couple went to finalize the paperwork, they renamed him "Timothy" after picking the name from the Bible. Jacki explained:

"Not only is Timothy described as an ‘adopted son’ to Paul, but he was also part of two cultures – both Greek and Jewish."

After picking his first name, Jacki and Rob didn't omit "Petar." Instead, the couple chose "Petar" as his middle name, followed by "David Balfour," who was Rob's father. Timothy Petar David Balfour was the child's new name.

Leaving Him Behind

Soon, it was time for Jacki and Rob to return to Canada until the Bulgarian laws allowed them to adopt little Timothy. The mother said she felt sad leaving him behind but was relieved to know he was well cared for.

After returning home, Jacki worked hard to complete all the paperwork and other formalities they needed before Timothy could live with them. During this time, she received donations from people around her that helped her cover the remaining adoption costs.

On May 28, the couple was back in Bulgaria, but Timothy didn't recognize them. However, after they spent some time with him, he was ready to go home with them.

Their Adopted Baby

Soon, the couple brought Timothy back to Canada with them, where their children welcomed them at the airport. "I can honestly say that for them, it was love at first sight," Jacki revealed.

However, raising a child with Down syndrome was a completely new experience for Jacki and surely not easy. She revealed that Timothy sometimes refused to talk to anyone and gave her a hard time.

With time, Jacki learned how to look after Timothy and make him happy. As of now, the little boy is seven years old and enjoys being at school with his friends and teachers. He also shares a special bond with his siblings, and everyone in the family feels grateful to have him.

We hope little Timothy continues to fill his parents' life with unlimited joy and make his siblings smile. Share this story with your friends and family. It might brighten their day.

Click here to read another story about a single woman who adopted a 4-year-old girl without limbs. The experience changed her life forever.