Book Focuses on Redhead by Emily Toman TDT staff

*EDIT* You can read the article and see the pictures at: http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/09/06/60490

Newspaper article about Shepherd that ran in our local paper. There was also 2 pictures of Shepherd (one with me and the KitchenAid) that I can't seem to copy here.

(This is copied from my scanned PDF file, so sorry if it's weird. Some words are misspelled due to the scanning and copying. )

Everywhere Marla Livers goes, people ask about her son Shepherd's
fiery red hair. Now, the 3-year-old Temple boy has a spot in a book seen
around the country.
Shepherd appears in the novelty children's
book "Little Redheads Across
America"" that depicts submitted photos
of redheaded children under age l0 along
with facts about the common traits that
redheads share.
Local photographer Lori Bamidge took
the Livers' family photos in February
2008. When she heard about the book
she thought of Shepherd - the only redhead
in Temple she had photographed.
"I think he's the cutest little redheaded
kid I've ever seen," Ms. Barnidge said. 'I thought he would be perfect.,'
The book's author Nicole Giladi agreed. She separated the pages by state.
Each photo has a short bio, including the children's hometoms and
favorite things.
"Many of these kids come from small towns and might be the only redheads
they know," Ms. Giladi said. "I hope they learn about their traits
instead of feeling awkward."
She wrote the book to give redheaded children a sense ofbelonging but
also to educate people about where the tait originates - how someone
with no apparent history of red hair can give birth to a redhead.
It requires a recessive gene carried by both the mother and father. Mrs.
Livers has two redheaded sisters,
but that has nothing to do
with her son. He's adopted.
The Livers had no children
though they had completed two
firll-term pregnancies. Due to
genes both she and her husband
carry, both babies died within
two months.
ln September 2005, her aunt called and said her friend's sister
in Oklahoma was pregnant but
wanted to give the baby up for
adoption. The Livers lived in
Little Rock Ark.. at the fime.
"I had kind of been opposed to
adoption because it was unusual
... and very expensive," Mrs.
Livers said.
The mother agreed to a closed
adoption, having n0 contact
with Shepherd after delivery.
Oklahoma state law required
Mn. Livers and her husband not
to leave the state with Shepherd
for 10 days. That's how long the
mother has to change her mind.
"l really felt like if she
changed her mind, it would be
another death," Mrs. Livers said.
"I really had a peace that it was
going to be OK."
Shortly after adopting
Shepherd, she successfully gave
birth to her 2-year-old son Owen
and is pregnant again with a girl,
Marley, due Oct. 31.
"We didn't want to have
regrets,' she said. "We didn't
want to go our lives wondering,
'What if we tried again?'"
As noted in Ms. Giladi's booh
Shepherd loves his little brother.
That, and spaghetti. Ms. Giladi
said the best stories came from
Texas - like the 2l-month-old
boy who fought against
leukemia and the little girl who
sleeps with her pet pig.
Mrs. Livers. unsure about how
quickly she would cornect with
an adopted baby, said she bonded
with Shepherd immediately
after he was bom.
"Our heart for adoption has
really changed," Mrs. Livers
said. "What if nobody adopted
Shepherd? Where would he be?
When you've lost children ...
I'm so thankful for the ones we
have even on the chaotic days."
etoman@templetelemgr.com