((PKG) MICHIGAN FAMILY)
((Banner: Michigan Family Story))
((Reporter/Camera: Ailin Li))
((Map: Midland, Michigan))
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
I think the world needs to see them. I think the world needs
to see that, yes, you function, and you function fine. Being
different is just that: it's different. But it's okay to be different.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
My name is Katie Hurst and we have six children. Three of
them are biological children and three are from China that
we've adopted.
When I was seven years old, I read a book about China and
it was called “These Are My People.” It just made me fall in
love with the culture of China.
When my husband and I started dating, it was something
that I knew I wanted to do was go to China, adopt from
China. He was open to the idea, so I kept him.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Little did I know how serious she was. Three adoptions
later…..
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
We started adopting Simon and he came home about six
years ago now. He had Thalassemia Beta Major [a blood
disorder]. We knew he couldn't get the treatment and the
medicine that he needed to sustain his life in China. When
we were adopting Simon, we saw a picture of a little girl,
super cute, chubby cheeks, and it turns out it was Ellie. So,
a year after Simon came home, we did get all the paperwork
together and start the process for Ellie. We were well into
that process when we discovered Evie. She had the same
condition. Born without eyes. Same age. We decided to go
ahead and bring her home along with Ellie.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Katie Hurst))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
All of our kids are great kids. They get along really well.
They have all accepted each other which is a really key
reason we've been able to make this work. We got Evie and
she was very small. She was four and a half years old at
the time and she was 11 pounds [5 kg.]. ‘Failing to thrive’ is
what the doctors called it. We had to be very careful about
what we fed her.
((Courtesy: Katie Hurst))
((Evie Hurst))
How to make a perfect snowball? The three elements of a
perfect snowball are material, size…..
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
By the time we came home a month later, she had gained
six pounds [2.7 kg. She actually ate like a champ that first
week or two. We were all very happy with that.
((Evie Hurst))
Excellent.
((NATS))
((Faith Hurst))
Evie, get up.
((Evie Hurst))
Faith.
((Faith Hurst))
Yeah.
((Evie Hurst))
May I please listen to your “Lead Me To The Cross” by
Hillsong?
((Faith Hurst))
You have to go to school. Come on.
((Evie Hurst))
Is Ellie awake?
((Faith Hurst))
Yeah. Ellie is awake.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Their condition is actually called Anophthalmia. It's
extremely rare. I think it's one in every 250,000. However,
even that number, they are more rare because they were
born without both eyes. I have seen it in a number of cases
of kids waiting to be adopted in China. So, I don't know if
that's more prevalent or if it's just simply the concentration of
the kids being abandoned that need homes.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Just normalizing it and getting them out in the world and
letting people see who they are and enjoy who they are. I
think that cuts down on the fear. I'm proud of who they are
and I think they're genuinely beautiful girls. And I think the
world needs to start to see that.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Say cheese for me.
((Evie Hurst))
Cheese.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Teeth together. Teeth.
((Evie Hurst))
Teeth.
((Popup Banner: Ellie has severe autism and Evie is still
being diagnosed for the disorder.))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Good job, Ellie.
((Ellie Hurst))
Want shoes.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Want shoes next. Okay. Thank you for telling me. Nice job.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Ellie and Evie we both have intensive therapy, whether or
not it's done at school and through the school or outside
organizations. We have speech therapy, occupational
therapy, physical therapy, and we have music therapy, which
is a new addition, and that one has been really, just opened
doors into their mind.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
Daddy doesn’t like the word “thought.”
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Brush your hair.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
All right. Zip.
((Evie Hurst))
I get to go on the bus?
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Yep. Find the door. Step down. One. Two. One. Two. Pick
up your feet.
((Evie Hurst))
I’m going to go all the way down to the driveway.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Here comes the bus.
((Evie Hurst))
Good morning.
((Teacher))
And then, you are going to wait till it comes on.
((Evie Hurst))
Welcome Evie.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Ellie and Evie are both learning Braille. Evie is, she knows
her whole alphabet and she's beginning reading with those.
Ellie is learning Braille. She's a little bit slower on learning it,
so she doesn't know her letters yet, but we are working
towards that.
((Teacher))
Can you do number seven?
((NATS))
((Paul Schroll, Principal, Siebert Elementary School))
Free and appropriate education for all, right? It’s called
FAPE, is something that is mandated by law. And so,
students arrive with needs and we do our best to meet those
needs. Right now, Evie and Ellie are in first grade. So,
there's a first-grade cohort. In Michigan and in United
States, it's recognized that there's a lot of value for having
students that have disabilities learning alongside those
students who do not have disabilities. And there's actually
studies that show that both parts of that equation benefit
from that.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Ellie goes to 33 hours of therapy every single week, and
Evie has multiple hours on top of her schooling that she
does as well. It’s a lot of running around for us, but we've
just seen huge improvements through the therapies that they
do.
((NATS))
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Did you do Braille today?
((Evie Hurst))
Yeah.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Did you do math?
((Evie Hurst))
Yeah. May I please count to jiushi [90 in Mandarin]?
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Go ahead.
((Evie Hurst))
[in Mandarin] One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.
Eight. Nine. Ten.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
How do you say “hi” in Chinese?
((Evie Hurst))
Hi, Chinese.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Evie, say “nihao.”
((Evie Hurst))
Nihao.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
There you go.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
A little faster. Pick up the feet. There you go. Say hello.
((Evie Hurst))
Hello.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Can you find her?
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Ta-da. You found me.
((Evie Hurst))
Find that knob.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
You found it. It's a heavy door. Pull hard and I'll help. All
right. Here we go.
((Evie Hurst))
Well, it's time to start. Evie is playing on the piano, today.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Well, it's time to start. Won’t you play on the piano, today.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Music therapy is helping individuals with special need of one
kind or another to develop and function to their greatest
potential.
((NATS))
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
We're working on motor skills, both fine and gross motor
skills. We're working on communication skills. We're
working on social skills. Turn taking. We're working on
ability to self-regulate, to be able to engage in social problem
solving.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
I don’t like it!
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Well, then, think one second.
((Evie Hurst))
I can’t say “well!”
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Think one second and figure out how you need to tell me
what it is you want.
((Evie Hurst))
May I please have a paddle drum?
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Yes, here is the paddle drum. Where do you want to put it?
((Evie Hurst))
On Ms. Denise’s lap.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
That’s better. Nice job.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
There is unfortunately a misconception, and the way a lot of
people often unconsciously treat individuals with autism, is
that they're not competent. I find this not to be the case.
The individuals I work with, often, depending on the topic, in
many ways, are much brighter and much more gifted than I
am.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
Thank you.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
You are very welcome. I'll see you tomorrow and have a
great day.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Bye. Thank you.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
You are welcome.
((Evie Hurst))
May I please say goodbye to the couch.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Yes. All right. Turn around. Get your cane.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Future expectations. We try not to have too many
expectations. That's where we’ve, kind of, put our lives. We
know Ellie will live with us forever. She will never be
independent. And so, we are trying to secure a future for her
that is secure. For Simon, we just continue to hope and pray
that there is a cure for his condition. There's a lot of good
gene therapy on the horizon and we keep our eyes on that.
And we're hopeful that by the time he's an adult, that's a real
possibility.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
Brush, brush is going to go.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Evie is still…..we are figuring her out.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Katie Hurst))
((Popup Banner: A video of Evie singing during a brain
scan at the hospital went viral on social media.))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Suddenly, we were hitting millions of views and I didn't even
know who was viewing it. I was still in the hospital with Evie.
We would get phone calls from back home, “Mom, it hit 10
million views.” And I went, “What? That's just crazy.” So,
yeah, she just became a little star overnight, which I've
always said, she has some sort of diva gene in her.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Many of us believe Evie is going to go far. She's going to
have a lovely future, probably in music. I suspect she will
continue to sing for the world.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
This is who I’m meant to be. This is me. Look out 'cause
here I come. And I'm marching on to the beat I drum.
((NATS))
((Banner: Michigan Family Story))
((Reporter/Camera: Ailin Li))
((Map: Midland, Michigan))
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
I think the world needs to see them. I think the world needs
to see that, yes, you function, and you function fine. Being
different is just that: it's different. But it's okay to be different.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
My name is Katie Hurst and we have six children. Three of
them are biological children and three are from China that
we've adopted.
When I was seven years old, I read a book about China and
it was called “These Are My People.” It just made me fall in
love with the culture of China.
When my husband and I started dating, it was something
that I knew I wanted to do was go to China, adopt from
China. He was open to the idea, so I kept him.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Little did I know how serious she was. Three adoptions
later…..
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
We started adopting Simon and he came home about six
years ago now. He had Thalassemia Beta Major [a blood
disorder]. We knew he couldn't get the treatment and the
medicine that he needed to sustain his life in China. When
we were adopting Simon, we saw a picture of a little girl,
super cute, chubby cheeks, and it turns out it was Ellie. So,
a year after Simon came home, we did get all the paperwork
together and start the process for Ellie. We were well into
that process when we discovered Evie. She had the same
condition. Born without eyes. Same age. We decided to go
ahead and bring her home along with Ellie.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Katie Hurst))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
All of our kids are great kids. They get along really well.
They have all accepted each other which is a really key
reason we've been able to make this work. We got Evie and
she was very small. She was four and a half years old at
the time and she was 11 pounds [5 kg.]. ‘Failing to thrive’ is
what the doctors called it. We had to be very careful about
what we fed her.
((Courtesy: Katie Hurst))
((Evie Hurst))
How to make a perfect snowball? The three elements of a
perfect snowball are material, size…..
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
By the time we came home a month later, she had gained
six pounds [2.7 kg. She actually ate like a champ that first
week or two. We were all very happy with that.
((Evie Hurst))
Excellent.
((NATS))
((Faith Hurst))
Evie, get up.
((Evie Hurst))
Faith.
((Faith Hurst))
Yeah.
((Evie Hurst))
May I please listen to your “Lead Me To The Cross” by
Hillsong?
((Faith Hurst))
You have to go to school. Come on.
((Evie Hurst))
Is Ellie awake?
((Faith Hurst))
Yeah. Ellie is awake.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Their condition is actually called Anophthalmia. It's
extremely rare. I think it's one in every 250,000. However,
even that number, they are more rare because they were
born without both eyes. I have seen it in a number of cases
of kids waiting to be adopted in China. So, I don't know if
that's more prevalent or if it's just simply the concentration of
the kids being abandoned that need homes.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Just normalizing it and getting them out in the world and
letting people see who they are and enjoy who they are. I
think that cuts down on the fear. I'm proud of who they are
and I think they're genuinely beautiful girls. And I think the
world needs to start to see that.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Say cheese for me.
((Evie Hurst))
Cheese.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Teeth together. Teeth.
((Evie Hurst))
Teeth.
((Popup Banner: Ellie has severe autism and Evie is still
being diagnosed for the disorder.))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Good job, Ellie.
((Ellie Hurst))
Want shoes.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Want shoes next. Okay. Thank you for telling me. Nice job.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Ellie and Evie we both have intensive therapy, whether or
not it's done at school and through the school or outside
organizations. We have speech therapy, occupational
therapy, physical therapy, and we have music therapy, which
is a new addition, and that one has been really, just opened
doors into their mind.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
Daddy doesn’t like the word “thought.”
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Brush your hair.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
All right. Zip.
((Evie Hurst))
I get to go on the bus?
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Yep. Find the door. Step down. One. Two. One. Two. Pick
up your feet.
((Evie Hurst))
I’m going to go all the way down to the driveway.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Here comes the bus.
((Evie Hurst))
Good morning.
((Teacher))
And then, you are going to wait till it comes on.
((Evie Hurst))
Welcome Evie.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Ellie and Evie are both learning Braille. Evie is, she knows
her whole alphabet and she's beginning reading with those.
Ellie is learning Braille. She's a little bit slower on learning it,
so she doesn't know her letters yet, but we are working
towards that.
((Teacher))
Can you do number seven?
((NATS))
((Paul Schroll, Principal, Siebert Elementary School))
Free and appropriate education for all, right? It’s called
FAPE, is something that is mandated by law. And so,
students arrive with needs and we do our best to meet those
needs. Right now, Evie and Ellie are in first grade. So,
there's a first-grade cohort. In Michigan and in United
States, it's recognized that there's a lot of value for having
students that have disabilities learning alongside those
students who do not have disabilities. And there's actually
studies that show that both parts of that equation benefit
from that.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Ellie goes to 33 hours of therapy every single week, and
Evie has multiple hours on top of her schooling that she
does as well. It’s a lot of running around for us, but we've
just seen huge improvements through the therapies that they
do.
((NATS))
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Did you do Braille today?
((Evie Hurst))
Yeah.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Did you do math?
((Evie Hurst))
Yeah. May I please count to jiushi [90 in Mandarin]?
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Go ahead.
((Evie Hurst))
[in Mandarin] One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.
Eight. Nine. Ten.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
How do you say “hi” in Chinese?
((Evie Hurst))
Hi, Chinese.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Evie, say “nihao.”
((Evie Hurst))
Nihao.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
There you go.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
A little faster. Pick up the feet. There you go. Say hello.
((Evie Hurst))
Hello.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Can you find her?
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Ta-da. You found me.
((Evie Hurst))
Find that knob.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
You found it. It's a heavy door. Pull hard and I'll help. All
right. Here we go.
((Evie Hurst))
Well, it's time to start. Evie is playing on the piano, today.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Well, it's time to start. Won’t you play on the piano, today.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Music therapy is helping individuals with special need of one
kind or another to develop and function to their greatest
potential.
((NATS))
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
We're working on motor skills, both fine and gross motor
skills. We're working on communication skills. We're
working on social skills. Turn taking. We're working on
ability to self-regulate, to be able to engage in social problem
solving.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
I don’t like it!
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Well, then, think one second.
((Evie Hurst))
I can’t say “well!”
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Think one second and figure out how you need to tell me
what it is you want.
((Evie Hurst))
May I please have a paddle drum?
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
Yes, here is the paddle drum. Where do you want to put it?
((Evie Hurst))
On Ms. Denise’s lap.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
That’s better. Nice job.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
There is unfortunately a misconception, and the way a lot of
people often unconsciously treat individuals with autism, is
that they're not competent. I find this not to be the case.
The individuals I work with, often, depending on the topic, in
many ways, are much brighter and much more gifted than I
am.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
Thank you.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
You are very welcome. I'll see you tomorrow and have a
great day.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Bye. Thank you.
((Denise Travis, Music therapist))
You are welcome.
((Evie Hurst))
May I please say goodbye to the couch.
((Craig Hurst, Father))
Yes. All right. Turn around. Get your cane.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Future expectations. We try not to have too many
expectations. That's where we’ve, kind of, put our lives. We
know Ellie will live with us forever. She will never be
independent. And so, we are trying to secure a future for her
that is secure. For Simon, we just continue to hope and pray
that there is a cure for his condition. There's a lot of good
gene therapy on the horizon and we keep our eyes on that.
And we're hopeful that by the time he's an adult, that's a real
possibility.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
Brush, brush is going to go.
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Evie is still…..we are figuring her out.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Katie Hurst))
((Popup Banner: A video of Evie singing during a brain
scan at the hospital went viral on social media.))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Suddenly, we were hitting millions of views and I didn't even
know who was viewing it. I was still in the hospital with Evie.
We would get phone calls from back home, “Mom, it hit 10
million views.” And I went, “What? That's just crazy.” So,
yeah, she just became a little star overnight, which I've
always said, she has some sort of diva gene in her.
((NATS))
((Katie Hurst, Mother))
Many of us believe Evie is going to go far. She's going to
have a lovely future, probably in music. I suspect she will
continue to sing for the world.
((NATS))
((Evie Hurst))
This is who I’m meant to be. This is me. Look out 'cause
here I come. And I'm marching on to the beat I drum.
((NATS))
