Not that long ago, Molly Schultz was just your average 25-year-old. In fact, she was incredibly lucky! A few years ago, Molly married the love of her life, Tim. Furthermore, she had recently welcomed two infant twins, taking to motherhood naturally. Then, in March of 2016, her entire life changed in just a couple of minutes. First, she found out that her father’s wife, and mother to her half-brother, had died. Then, tragedy struck again…
Schultz’s once-normal life became much more dramatic as she found herself in a family tragedy more incredible than any movie. Through a truly monumental series of challenges, Schultz and her family found their entire world turned upside down. What happened next is sure to have you in tears…
1. Getting To Know Molly Schultz
Schultz was just your average stay at home mother from Spokane, Washington. Molly met Tim on Match.com in 2013, and it really was a match made in heaven. The two fell in love and began a beautiful relationship. After three weeks together, Schultz found out she was pregnant, and the two decided it was only right to move in together.
Only eight months after their first child was born, the couple found out they were pregnant yet again! Before the birth of their second daughter, the couple eloped. Soon, they also had a pair of twins! But, this beautiful family of five was about to have their whole lives turned upside down.
2. Horrible News And More Horrible News
Molly Schultz was very close to her father. He raised her to be the best person she could possibly be and believed in her greatly. Molly even had him in the delivery room when she gave birth to her first daughter. Also, even though Molly lived on the west coast and her father in Michigan, they stayed in touch and were always present in each other’s lives.
Then, life handed her a horrifying one-two punch, within the span of just a couple of months: Not only did Molly’s father’s wife pass away suddenly but her father was now suffering from a rare, terminal condition. Knowing that her father only had weeks left, Molly did the only logical thing and booked herself a flight. Molly had to take her twins along, as they were still breastfeeding. Unfortunately, she had to fly alone since her husband needed to stay with their two other daughters. Molly knew it would be quite the journey from Spokane to Detroit.
3. Flying To Minneapolis
To make matters worse, Molly could not get a direct flight. She needed to fly through Minneapolis to reach Detroit. Everyone knows airport connections are difficult. Often you run the length of an entire airport just to find your next flight delayed. Or worse, you’ve got to figure out how to kill hours in a boring terminal!
Now, imagine doing this grueling process with two babies, all by yourself! This is what Molly Schultz had to do when flying from her home to her dad’s. The three-hour flight to Minneapolis was OK, as Molly and her twins braved the situation and did their very best. Now, Molly needed to make it to Michigan…
4. Schedule Is Off
When she’s home, Molly Schultz and her children follow a pretty strict schedule. There is a specific time for eating, playing, and sleeping. Suddenly, Molly couldn’t do all of her normal activities. The problem was that her twins were with her and also affected by this change. Being only seven months old, they were susceptible to change.
If Molly didn’t feed them or put them to sleep on schedule, problems always arose. Now, Molly was heading into unfamiliar territory. What would her schedule be like? Would she have time to feed her babies as they were accustomed to? How would they adjust? All these questions were burning in young Molly’s mind…
5. Longest Layover Ever
After the three hour flight, Molly and her twins landed in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, this was not going to be a quick connection. Instead, they suffered a very long layover. Molly describes: “…resulted in me laying blankets on the airport floor for them to roll around. We spent a long time in that layover, and towards the end of it, everything started to go downhill.”
Both Molly and her twins began to feel fatigued. While Molly could manage, her infant girls could not. As they became more and more agitated, so did Molly. “I felt like a ticking time bomb of emotions, while juggling the care of cranky twins. My heart was breaking.”
6. Finally Boarding The Flight To Detroit
After what seemed like forever, the three of them finally boarded the flight to Detroit. Unfortunately, the agitated twins were hard to remedy. The two were crying non-stop, and Molly was at her breaking point. This was the very first time these two youngsters were flying on a plane, and it wasn’t the way Molly pictured it would be.
Luckily, the flight was just under two hours. Molly needed to hang tight and brave through just 100 minutes of stress, and it would be over. However, sometimes 100 minutes can seem like forever.
7. It Was A Rough Flight
The first twenty minutes of the flight turned out OK, Molly had a row all to herself with her babies, and the two were smiley and fun. All the passengers walking past them were smiling back, and all seemed perfect.
Take off was when things started to go a little bit off. The babies began crying and just wouldn’t stop. “they became irritable and uncomfortable. I knew they wanted to nurse, I just didn’t know how to do that on a plane with no pillows to help support us.” Everything Molly attempted wouldn’t console them, and the crying just didn’t stop.
8. The Stress Was All Too Much For Molly
The way things were going on the flight began to affect Molly herself. “I was so mentally broken and emotionally tired… just wanted off of this plane and in his arms. I needed help but there was no one to turn to. The flight attendants were very sweet, but they had things they needed to be doing.”
All seemed lost on the flight, even though it was a short flight. Anyone with children knows that once they begin crying uncontrollably, it is almost impossible to calm them down, especially if the parent themselves is stressed. Thankfully, Molly finally got the break she needed during the flight…
9. A Lone Angel In The Adjacent Seat
Suddenly, “a woman got up from behind us, sat in the open seat next to me, and grabbed the baby I was bouncing in my lap. She didn’t even ask, but she didn’t need to. She knew I needed her. I handed her a bottle and she cradled my daughter in her arms as she swayed back and forth, singing sweet lullabies to her.”
This amazing show of selflessness was what made the flight bearable for Molly Schultz. This kind woman saved the day and Molly could slowly recover and get things in order. Molly’s only regret is not taking a photo with her so she would forever cherish this woman with a tangible memory. Wherever you are Airplane Angel, thank you!
10. Driving To Dad’s House
After what seemed like forever, the plane landed. It was finally time to disembark and for Molly to see her father. But, as if the long day wasn’t enough, now young Molly and her twins needed to drive to her dad’s house.
We can only imagine the whole way was filled with thoughts and memories of the past, trying to remember as much as possible about her father. Molly didn’t have very long to be with her father, she didn’t know exactly how much time she had left, but knew he was approaching his death. Molly was trying to recuperate from the flight and prepare herself for her ill and grief-stricken father who would welcome her at his home.
11. Finally Seeing Her Father
After so long Molly Schultz finally arrived at her father’s home. There, what she found left her “complete and utter heartbroken.” Once upon a time, her father had lifted her up in his arms and spun her around. Now, he was a shell of a man, far too thin and barely hanging on.
Still, regardless of his appearance, her dad was still her dad. “I laid my head on his bony chest and none of it mattered. My best friend, the man I held so dear to my heart was dying,” she wrote of the experience in a blog post. However, Molly had no idea that her father’s disease was just the beginning. Soon, she would learn there were many reasons why she had needed to fly out so quickly…
12. Learning About His Disease
After hours of flying and driving, Molly had finally arrived at her father’s house. After her inital shock and heartbreak, she began to learn about his condition and just how much time he had left. Molly’s father had stage-4 pancreatic cancer. This meant he was terminally ill and had virtually no chance of recovery. Doctors said he only had months to live. This news would be shocking in any situation, but her father was young for the diagnosis, merely 50-years-old.
After learning more about his illness, Molly knew the road ahead would be emotionally intense. Not only for herself, but also for her young, half-brother Easton, who she rarely ever saw…
13. Dad’s Final Days
From the day Molly arrived in Detroit, her father lasted only 12 more days. Molly now views each of them as a blessing, but at the time it must have been nerve-racking.
Those days were strange and sad for Molly. “During one of our last hugs, I laid my head on his bony chest to feel his heart beat more slowly than mine did. It was a surreal moment. That body was so foreign to me. It wasn’t my chubby dad’s chest I had known my whole life. This one was cold and unfamiliar.” What Molly felt was definitely something familiar to millions of people who have to deal with cancer in their family.
14. Dad Kept His Dignity
Surprisingly, during his last few weeks, Molly’s father seemed as sharp as ever. Although he looked quite grim, her father kept his dignity the entire time, as he had all his life. As they talked, however, Molly did seem to notice something wrong. It was as though her father wanted to tell her something, but could not. As though every time he tried, he could not find the words.
Molly heartbreakingly described her father’s final days: “His eyes were starting to turn yellow, meaning his liver was starting to fail. But he sat there with his mind as sharp as ever…The heartbreak, yet fulfillment of that moment had my heart in a thousand pieces on the floor.” Then, after some time, he finally told Molly about the responsibility he wanted her to take on…
15. Easton Schultz
Molly’s father began by telling her stories of her half-brother, Easton. You see, in 2013, Molly’s father and his new wife gave birth to their son, Easton Schultz. Easton was a happy and healthy baby, and his first two years were filled with joy and happiness, as he lived with his loving parents.
Though he was her half-brother, Molly didn’t really know Easton very well because he lived in Detroit, Michigan and she in Spokane, Washington. The cross-country journey meant that Molly only met him once when he was very young. However, this was about to change quite drastically…
16. Making The Most Important Decision
One of the most critical things Molly and her father decided on was what to do with Easton. Poor little Easton had to watch his father wither away when he was just two-years-old. That’s when Molly’s father told her his dying wish: he wanted her to adopt Easton. He didn’t want his son to be left to the adoption system or, worse, sent to an orphanage. He could not pass peacefully not knowing what would happen to his son.
Without hesitation, Molly agreed to take full legal custody of Easton, because he had no one left other than her. “Easton’s future needed to be figured out and it needed to be done quickly. We considered different options, talked about the pros and cons of different scenarios, but collectively as a family decided that I would raise him,” she said. We cannot imagine how hard this decision was for Molly and her father. Unfortunately, the entire process would be even harder…
17. Meeting A Lawyer
Molly explains that since her father’s days were numbered, everything needed to be done very quickly. The swiftness of the process was necessary not just due to their lack of time, but also for Molly’s father’s dignity. Having it take only several days allowed for him to be as sharp as possible and be as present as he possibly could while discussing complex legal matters. Soon enough, they met with a lawyer, signing a flurry of documents along the way.
In a matter of hours, Easton was in Molly’s custody and their father was no longer Easton’s dad, but rather his grandfather. “We left the lawyer’s office on Friday night, March 11th, 2016, and had to wait until Monday for the judge to sign the documents, which she ended up doing. These documents gave me full legal guardianship of Easton.”
18. His Final Words
After the judge signed the documents, Molly became Easton’s full and sole guardian. Molly was both sad and happy at this moment and couldn’t wait to tell her father. “I told my dad the great news and he said to me, ‘Oh Molly, that makes me so happy. I love you so much.’”
These beautiful words would turn out to be her father’s last words. That night, he went to bed knowing his son was taken care and could finally move on in peace. Molly definitely understood how her father hung on for so long, he put his son’s life before his own and only when everything was ready legally, did he pass away.
19. Easton’s Life Changed
Easton’s father’s passing meant that, in the space of only two weeks, he attended the two most important funerals of his life. Both his parents passed away when he was so young and unable to truly understand what was going on. Luckily for him, both Tim and Molly were there for him to help him navigate those moments. Even though Molly went to Detroit alone, Tim met her there with their other children, to attend her father’s funeral.
Molly describes these harrowing days, “He became an orphan, unexpectedly, in only twelve days. Nobody saw this coming. I think we all kept going through the motions, unable to process what exactly was happening.”
20. Easton Meets His New Family
A few days after the funeral, it was time to head back west. This time, Molly was not only flying with her beloved husband and four daughters, but also with Easton.
Molly and Tim were worrying the entire flight. How would Easton take it? He was raised as an only child and he now had to share a house with four sisters! How would their daughters adjust? They didn’t really know Easton that well, and now they lived with him. While Molly and Tim wanted to be strong for their babies and Easton, they were still two young people dealing with grief and significant changes.
21. A Seamless Transition
Thankfully, the initial transition into the family went very smoothly. This was a major relief to Tim and Molly Schultz. Their daughters welcomed their new brother into their home and Easton was happy to assimilate into the Schultz household. The first and critical days of living under the same roof went by relatively OK.
Later on, the family struggled to find some balance and common ground, but the most important days, where the children had to accept each other went well and you could tell the girls and Easton were connecting on a deeper level. Unfortunately, something was coming that would cast a shadow on the happy new family…
22. Legal Issues
After Easton arrived in Spokane, an unexpected legal battle began. Since Easton is a Michigan native, it is a complicated process to have him adopted in a different state. This meant Molly Schultz and her half-brother, Easton, needed to fly back and forth from Washington state to Michigan several times. Each time, they arrived though, something went wrong and the court date was pushed back.
Finally, after almost a year, a Michigan judge allowed the case to be transferred to Washington. This was a major relief for the Schultz couple as they no longer had to separate on such crucial days.
23. Adoption Day Set
After what seemed like forever, Tim and Molly Schultz received the most wonderful news. They could finally set an adoption date! This meant that, after more than a year, Easton could finally become a legal member of the family and Tim and Molly would officially become his parents.
The family became more and more excited as the big day finally began approaching. The date was not that far away, thanks to the swift processing of the case in Washington after it was released from the courts of Michigan. Molly, Tim, and Easton were definitely lucky in the way things turned out in the Washington court system.
24. It Finally Arrived
The longest wait in the world was over and June 16th, 2017 finally arrived. The two parents and their five children couldn’t be happier. Although they were already a strong family, the official stamp of approval was still a monumental moment for them all.
Molly described the day: “I walked into that courthouse desperate for it to be a done deal, but staying guarded in my hopes. Isn’t it funny how the mind can play such tricks on you, even when the reality is so blatantly obvious? His parents were no longer here and he needed a family. Why would I wholeheartedly fear the judge would deny that?”
25. North Pacific Weather
Living in the northwest of the United States means the weather is never quite what you want it to be. On adoption day, the Schultz family dressed for a warm spring day, with shorts, skirts, and dresses. They booked a photographer and prepared for a sunny celebration. They were, of course, met with rain. Molly Schultz, ever the optimist, saw the shower as her father’s tears, blessing them on this magical and special day.
They were so happy, they didn’t let the north pacific weather “rain” on their parade. The family photo shoot, taken throughout the day, came out just perfect and shows how blissful they all were. But photos were not the only highlight of the day!
26. The Lovely Judge
When the Schultz family finally appeared in court, they could not help but hope it would be the final time. What started off as an easy process had turned into a year-long ordeal.
Molly recalls how silent and shy Easton was, understanding this was a significant moment in his life. Luckily for the family, they were met with a wonderful and supportive judge. She finally approved the adoption and thus ended the long and dreadful wait.
Molly and Tim asked after the hearing to go back to the judge’s chamber and take a photo with her. This was to commemorate the person who made their family whole.
27. 458 Days Of Love
Easton lived with Tim and Molly Schultz for over a year (458 days) until adoption day finally came. This number may seem high, but unfortunately this is often the case, because adoption is a very long and bureaucratic process.
Although Easton was not officially their son, Tim and Molly loved him unconditionally and cared for his every need long before he legally became part of the family. Easton was lucky to be living with his loving relatives and to have an excellent support system to help him through one of the most challenging experiences any person could go through, let alone a toddler. Molly Schultz looks back at those 458 days as days of love and ones they will cherish forever as a family.
28. The Foreshadowing Details
In hindsight, Molly Schultz realized there were some foreshadowed hints that she was going to be far more involved in Easton’s life than expected. When the boy was born, his parents called Molly and asked her opinion on the names they liked best. Molly chose Easton and that was the name they gave him.
Another sign was that Easton never called Molly by her name, but referred to her as “mama,” even before the death of his birth mother! It is as if the boy knew that Molly was going to be a major part of his life in a very short time. The bond between Molly and Easton was strong from the day he was born, even if they didn’t see each other much.
29. Missing Dad
Of course, adoption day and every day before and after it were not just happy. They were filled with memories of Molly and Easton’s father and, of course, Easton’s mom. The tragic life circumstances Easton went through cannot be erased, nor should they be. Molly and Tim will forever keep their memory alive and help Easton remember his beautiful and loving parents.
Luckily for Easton and Molly, they have a fantastic dad to remember, who loved them both more than anything in the world and wanted only the best for them.
30. New Life As Legal Brother Of Four
After Easton was officially a Schultz, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Though Easton was young when this whole life change was happening to him, you can never underestimate the experiences a child can understand.
Easton sure felt a drastic change in his life and environment. While he may have been very young when he lost his parents, he definitely felt their absence. Luckily for Easton, Molly and Tim love him and take care of him as if he were their biological child. Doubly lucky is how well Easton and his four sisters get along!
31. Adjustment Period
Easton, now officially a member of the Schultz family, had some adjusting to do. Though he had lived with the Schultzs for over a year, now that he became a permanent member of the family, he had some new rules apply to him. Now, he needed to follow the strict food and bed schedule and was expected to behave the way his sisters do. Though it took some time and hard work, the family ended up finding a good balance and got into a beautiful rhythm.
This goes to show that all families are beautiful, even if they are never really how you expect them to be. With hard work and dedication, everyone can live a happy and fulfilled life.
32. The Happy Family
Today, the family of seven is happier than ever. Easton is in Pre-K and loving life. Growing up now with four sisters, some older and some younger is having a wonderful influence on the young boy.
After the adjustment period, Easton really did take to his new family and is a true brother to his sisters. Molly and Tim are thrilled to have this wonderful boy in their family and are proud of their little clan. You can now follow their journey here, on Molly’s amazingly adorable blog where she shares her thoughts and many stories.
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