Shepherd Parents: Faith-Based Haven For Children

Haven Faith Shepherd is a Vietnamese-American Paralympic swimmer. Born in Vietnam, she lost her biological parents in a bomb explosion when she was 14 months old. Her legs were amputated as a result of the injuries she sustained, and she was adopted by an American couple, Rob and Shelly Shepherd, when she was 20 months old. Haven learned to swim at the age of three and began swimming competitively at ten. She has since gone on to represent Team USA in the Paralympics, swimming the 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley races.

Haven Faith Shepherd's biological parents died by suicide when she was 14 months old

Haven Faith Shepherd's biological parents died by suicide when she was just 14 months old. Her parents detonated a bomb inside their thatched-roof hut in an attempt to kill their family, including baby Haven. However, 14-month-old Haven survived, although she was badly injured and lost both her legs.

Haven's parents, who were having an affair, believed that if they couldn't be together, they all had to die. According to local media reports, Haven's father was married to someone else and had other children. When Haven's mother discovered this, she threatened to leave him, and he decided to end all their lives. Haven has also been told a different story, passed down by her grandparents, who said that her parents decided together to detonate the bomb because they were desperate to be together but unable to marry.

Haven was found burned with shrapnel embedded in her head and her tiny body. She was rushed to the hospital by her grandmother, where she underwent life-saving treatment, including the amputation of both legs below the knee. She spent more than a month in the hospital, with her grandparents relying on donations from other patients' families to cover the medical bills.

Haven's biological name is Do Thi Thuy Phuong, and she was born in the Quang Nam province of Vietnam on March 9, 2003. After her parents' suicide, she was adopted by an American couple, Rob and Shelly Shepherd, from Carthage, Missouri, who had six older children. Shelly had felt a strong calling to adopt a child, and after much discussion and counselling, Rob agreed. The Shepherds travelled to Vietnam, where they met Haven and immediately felt a connection.

Haven's extraordinary survival and resilience have led her to become an inspirational figure. She learned to swim at age three and began swimming competitively at ten. By the time she was 13, the US Paralympic team began tracking her as a potential candidate based on her impressive times. Haven has represented Team USA in the Paralympic Games, pursuing her dream of becoming a Paralympic athlete.

Shepherd was adopted by the Shepherd family from Carthage, Missouri, at 20 months old

Haven Shepherd was adopted by the Shepherd family from Carthage, Missouri, at 20 months old. She was born in Vietnam and was orphaned at 14 months when her parents died in a bomb explosion. The explosion was a murder-suicide or double suicide, and baby Haven was also intended to die. She survived, but with severe injuries that required the amputation of both her legs below the knee. She was brought to the hospital by her grandmother, who could not afford the medical treatment, so other patients' families donated money to cover the costs.

Shelly and Rob Shepherd, Haven's future parents, had six biological children and ran a flooring business in Missouri. Shelly felt a strong urge to adopt, but it took two years to convince her husband. They were then invited on a trip to Vietnam with another couple, Pam and Randy Copes, who had set up a foundation called Touch a Life to help Vietnamese street children. The Copeses had arranged for another American family to adopt Haven, but when this fell through, the Shepherds stepped in. Shelly and Rob fell in love with Haven and brought her back to the US with them.

Haven joined six siblings in the Shepherd family and fit right in. She was taught to embrace her differences and pursue her dreams. She was given prosthetic legs by a non-profit and tried out running, but she didn't enjoy it. She took up swimming at the age of 10 and immediately loved it. She joined a more serious swimming team at 12 and soon caught the attention of the US Paralympic team. Haven has gone on to represent Team USA at the Paralympics and is pursuing her Paralympic dreams.

She is a Paralympic swimmer and has won several medals

Haven Faith Shepherd is a Paralympic swimmer who has won several medals. She was born in Vietnam and was adopted at 20 months old by an American couple, Rob and Shelly Shepherd, who had six older children. At 14 months old, she lost both her legs in a bomb explosion that killed her birth parents.

Shepherd learned to swim at age 3 and began swimming competitively at age 10. She joined a more serious swimming team at 12, and by 13, the US Paralympic team had begun tracking her as a potential candidate based on her times. She says that swimming makes her feel "completely free" and "completely myself," as it gives her respite from her prosthetic legs, which can be exhausting to wear all day.

Shepherd has represented Team USA in the Paralympic Games, swimming the 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley races. She came fifth in the Women's 200m Individual Medley SM8 at the 2020 Summer Paralympics and won a gold medal at the 2023 Parapan American Games in the same event. She also came second in her event at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru.

In addition to her athletic career, Shepherd works as a motivational speaker, a CrossFit athlete, model, brand ambassador, and dedicated advocate for people with disabilities. She visits amputees in the military, talks at schools, and emphasises the benefits of being different.

Shepherd is a motivational speaker, model, and advocate for people with disabilities

Haven Shepherd is a motivational speaker, model, and advocate for people with disabilities. In addition to her athletic career, she has pursued opportunities in modelling, speaking, and advocating for girls to accept their uniqueness, as well as educating young people about disabilities and diversity. She has visited amputees in the military and spoken at schools, emphasising the benefits of being different.

Shepherd has also had to navigate the challenges of being a double amputee in her daily life, sometimes fielding odd queries from strangers. She has embraced her differences and pursued her goals with determination. She credits her parents and siblings for teaching her to embrace her differences and pursue her dreams. Shepherd wants people, especially young girls, to have faith in themselves and push through challenges.

She has a positive outlook on her disability, choosing to see it as something that makes her unique and special. She uses her platform to inspire and motivate others, sharing her story and encouraging others to embrace their true selves. Shepherd is a role model for people with disabilities, showing that it is possible to overcome obstacles and live a fulfilling life.

Shepherd's work as a motivational speaker and advocate has had a significant impact on others. Her story of survival and resilience has inspired many, and she continues to use her voice to raise awareness and promote inclusion for people with disabilities. She is a powerful example of how individuals can turn their challenges into strengths and make a positive difference in the world.

She has said that she does not resent her biological parents and feels no anger towards them

Haven Faith Shepherd, born Do Thi Thuy Phuong, was just 14 months old when her parents died in a bomb explosion, either as a double suicide or as a murder-suicide perpetrated by her father. Although Shepherd was also intended to die in the explosion, she survived, sustaining damage to her legs that required amputation.

Despite the trauma of her early life, Shepherd has said that she does not resent her biological parents and feels no anger towards them. In fact, she uses her extraordinary story of survival as an inspiration, choosing to view her circumstances as a reason to embrace life and move forward. She has stated that she doesn't carry resentment because she has no memory of the life she had with her biological parents, and therefore, it's a life she "never lived".

Shepherd's biological parents had an affair and, when her mother discovered that her father was married to someone else, she threatened to leave him. It was at this point that her father made the deadly decision to detonate a bomb, killing himself, Shepherd's mother, and unintentionally, another child he had with his wife.

Shepherd was adopted by an American couple, Rob and Shelly Shepherd, who had six older children of their own. She grew up in Carthage, Missouri, and was homeschooled. Shepherd learned to embrace her differences and pursue her destiny, which included sports. She initially tried running but found it uncomfortable due to the sweat and slipping prosthetics. She then discovered swimming, which she took to immediately.

Today, Shepherd is a Paralympic swimmer, qualifying for the 2016 Paralympic Trials and competing in the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. She has also pursued modelling, speaking, and advocating for girls to accept their uniqueness and educating young people about disabilities and diversity.

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