OUR STORY

We are Ian and Sara Lemin.  Ian is a critical care RN and Sara is an OB/GYN.  We are also arthrogryposis parents. 

In 2015, we were married and blended our family of four teenagers.  Then in 2017, we learned we were expecting our fifth little blessing, Caelan.  The first half of the pregnancy was smooth and uncomplicated.  At our 20 week ultrasound, Caelan was diagnosed with bilateral club foot deformities.  Two weeks later, in consultation with our Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist, it was discovered that although Caelan moved his head and trunk, his arms and legs were fixed in flexed positions.  The word "arthrogryposis" was mentioned, but neither of us remembered from our training exactly what that was.  In the coming months we would come to learn much more about AMC, but we were also disappointed with the lack of literature available to us and our care team about what to expect and what we could/should be doing during the remainder of the pregnancy.  Since each child with AMC is so unique, there were no guidelines to help us figure out the safest way to prepare for Caelan's delivery and early life.  

In November 2017, our little warrior made a surprise entrance into the world at 27 weeks, weighing just one pound thirteen ounces!  He spent the 78 days of his NICU stay amazing us with his strength and perseverance.  We gave him the nickname "Sweet Feet", and his curved little legs and feet and folded up arms and hands were just perfect to us.  As he grows,  he learns  new ways to adapt to his challenges and teaches us patience.

Then in 2019, was saw a Facebook profile of a little boy in Ukraine who needed to be adopted by a family that could give him access to the medical care that was not available in his country.  After many months of prayer and endless stacks of paperwork, we traveled to Ukraine and adopted Yurii (now Connor) and another little boy named Bohdan (now Cole).  Since coming home in 2021, Connor and Cole have enriched our lives and completed our family.  There have been countless doctor visits, several surgeries and therapy sessions, and they are both healthy and thriving.

We started Take TIME for AMC, Inc in honor of Caelan, Connor, and other AMC children and their families.  We have met many families who did not learn of their child's AMC before birth..  We feel called to use our unique position at the intersection of obstetrics and AMC parenting to raise awareness of the prenatal aspects of the AMC journey.