HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — A mom and her daughter are sharing their experience with adoption and special needs through writing, hoping to inspire others to overcome their own obstacles.
Kelsey Norris is a 16-year-old high school freshman, living in Houston County, and she's already been through a lot.
"I was born in Russia, in an orphanage. My mom adopted me. I was 14-months-old," she said.
Kelsey's mother, Carol Norris, was a 42-year-old single mother who decided to adopt a special needs child. She did the research, went to Russia, and matched with Kelsey.
"The doctors at the orphanage had told that me they didn't know if she'd ever walk or talk, but I told them I didn't care. They thought at the time that she had a serious heart condition, but I told them that I didn't care, that it was my responsibility to make sure she had the best medical care possible," Carol said.
When she brought Kelsey home to Georgia, she was diagnosed with autism and intellectual disabilities.
"My job as her parent is to help her understand that anything is possible. It may not end up looking like you originally thought it would, but you can overcome just about anything," she said.
Kelsey defied the odds, being a straight-A student athlete, beauty queen, community service volunteer, and a nationally recognized advocate for autism.
"It's exciting to see Kelsey grow and thrive and be able to help people on her own," Carol said.
They share everything they've gone through in their third book titled "You Can Move Mountains."
"We faced a lot of challenges. It hasn't always been sunshine and lollipops in terms of bullying incidents at schools, in terms of her medical challenges, in terms of her own neighborhood, people who don't like to see a developmentally-disabled child so visible, riding her bike," Carol said.
Through it all, Kelsey hopes to inspire people with the most important message in her book.
"I never gave up," she said.
STAY ALERT | Download our FREE app now to receive breaking news and weather alerts. You can find the app on the Apple Store and Google Play.
STAY UPDATED | Click here to subscribe to our Midday Minute newsletter and receive the latest headlines and information in your inbox every day.
Have a news tip? Email news@13wmaz.com, or visit our Facebook page.