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Over in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Caleb and Ruchala Bone always knew they wanted a big family. How that family would ultimately look, however, changed after their first son, Griffin, was born with a heart condition in 2022. At only 3 months old, Griffin needed open heart surgery at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, where the couple learned how children with complex medical issues often end up in the foster care system. It was around this time that they decided to adopt Maurice, another young child in need of a kidney transplant.
Ever since, the Bones have dedicated themselves to caring for children with medical conditions like Griffin’s and Maurice’s. In addition to Maurice, who has already received his transplant and is now healthy, the family has either fostered or adopted four such children, a commitment that Suzanne Jones of Youth Villages commends.
“We have a lot of children who end up coming to us out of hospitals,” Jones said in an interview with News Channel 5. “Foster parents have to go through training at the hospital, so sometimes that can be daunting. They have to know how to care for their medically needy child.”
Just a few weeks ago, the Bones adopted yet another child, Isabella, who came to live with the family at 5 months old, shortly after having open heart surgery. Like Griffin, much of her early life was spent in a hospital.
“There are hard days, and sometimes, at the beginning, it can seem overwhelming,” Ruchala says. “However, the joy and privilege of knowing our kids and getting to walk with them through their hardest days has made it all worth it.”
According to Youth Villages, children with complex medical situations are covered by TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program, and remain eligible for such funds even after adoption. A foster parent stipend and additional assistance are also available for children with more involved or unique needs.
“[The Bones] are absolutely angels on earth,” Jones added. “They are just the best kinds of people.”
In Kentucky, Anne and Jeff Staley have embarked upon a similar journey as the Bones. Since 2017, the couple has fostered eight children and, last year, adopted Cassidy, a 14-year-old with spinal deformity called spina bifida.
“We feel as though we’re called to the sort of mission field with foster care,” Anne told WKMS. “We just felt like we’ve been blessed with a lot of things in our life, and that we have a responsibility to give back and to care for those in need.”
Though fostering and ultimately adopting medically complex children isn’t nearly as common as it should be, families such as the Bones and Staleys are clearly leading the charge.
To learn more about Caleb and Ruchala Bone’s story, watch the video below from WSMV 4 Nashville below, and head over to News Channel 5’s website for a new update on the family.
Caleb and Ruchala Bone have dedicated themselves to fostering and adopting medically complex children in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Ruchala Bone: Ruchala Bone
Sources: ‘They are absolutely angels on Earth’; Family fosters and adopts medically complex children; How 2 Kentucky families navigate medically complex foster care
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