The Enberg Family's Journey
When Tammy and Eric Enberg traveled from Minnesota to Ukraine in 2009 to adopt their five-year-old daughter Sophie, they did not imagine that they were starting a journey that would double the size of their family.
The Enbergs had found Sophie, who was born with Arthrogryposis, through a special needs adoption service, and just knew she was for them. “I happened to cross her listing on the web one day,” says Tammy. “I looked outside and saw my daughter Maia running with her pony tail flopping in the wind and I knew that I had to go get this little blonde girl or she would never have the chance to run like that. “ Sophie’s Arthrogryposis, which is a rare congenital disorder that results in multiple joint contractures, meant that she was unable to walk.
After arriving in Ukraine, the Enbergs met Ben. Two years older than Sophie, Ben was in her group at the orphanage. “He had the same condition and they were confined together,” Tammy says. “They were like siblings and we thought it would be cruel to separate them, so we decided to bring them both home together.” While at the orphanage, the Enbergs bonded with several other special-needs children. “We knew when we left that we needed to come back and adopt them,” Tammy says, and in August of 2010 they brought home four more children in need of a family: Jaeger, Natasha, Diana, and Andre.
The Enbergs always knew they wanted to adopt. “We had a heart for orphans,” Tammy says. After having their first two children – Cody, now 16, and Chrysta, now 14 –they decided to try for a third. “We tried and tried,” says Tammy, before deciding they would try to adopt. The family looked to Russia for their first adoption. “We started to adopt Ethan, and then I got pregnant with Maia. When Maia was eight weeks old we went to Russia to bring Ethan home.”
Today, the Enbergs have a total of ten children, ranging from age five to sixteen. While six of their children have special needs, Sophie and Ben require the most specialized care, which led them to Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia. “We couldn’t find anyone in Minnesota. We found Dr. Van Bosse at Shriners Hospital and he gave us hope that Sophie could walk one day,” Tammy says.
In September, Sophie and Ben came with Tammy for the first of many visits to Shriners Hospital. Both Sophie and Ben are going through serial castings for their club feet, and Sophie will require many years of surgeries to gain the ability to walk and usage of her hands. So far, the Enbergs have stayed at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House at Front & Erie four times during their trips to Philadelphia.
Tammy comes with Sophie and Ben while her husband Eric – a doctor with a rural family practice – stays home with their other children, and has found the House to be a large source of support. “I would be lost without the House, just the financial aspect of coming here every few weeks. If we had to pay a $100 per night, we couldn’t do it,” says Tammy. She also appreciates the support she gets from other families at the House. “We’ve made a lot of friends coming here - other families with children with Arthrogyposis,” Tammy says. “It is wonderful to have other people who understand.”
Sophie and Ben enjoy their stays at the Front & Erie House as well. “They love the playroom and the food,” Tammy says. “They love to scoot around and play. The big theatre downstairs is a hit. Every time we come they ask, ‘Can we watch a movie?’” Sophie especially looks forward to the visits from the two therapy dogs, Stella and Brutus, who visit the House with their owner Steven Kramer on a regular basis. “I really miss them when they’re not here,” Sophie says.
Overall, Tammy says the House is more than just somewhere to stay for them. “It is great to have a place to stay and a place to have dinner, but the emotional support I would say has been the greatest for me - just to hear a friendly voice saying dinner is waiting for you, or to listen if we have a hard day.”
Back in Minnesota, the Enbergs are still adjusting to adding six new family members in less than a year. “Life is very busy and I had to learn to cook for an army,” Tammy says with a laugh. They’ve also invested in many sets of bunk beds. Still, the possibility of growing their family even more is not out of the question “I don’t know if we will adopt more children,” Tammy says. “I would say never say never.”
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The Heart of the House is our Volunteer program. The volunteers serve in many ways, helping to make the House a comfortable and supportive place for our families. The caring volunteers of the PRMH make this House a home.
