Katrina Berning
Published: May 9, 2008

DUBUQUE – Five years ago Karen Fox’s worst nightmare became a reality, but one little girl is helping the Fox family put the pieces back together.

“The first time that we met her incredibly sweet,” says Pat Birch, Karen’s mom.

Ella moved in with Karen Fox and her mother ten months ago.

“There was a bond right away, you could just feel it you know and she just like a light came on you know,” says Pat

A light shining on Karen’s very dark past. Rewind five years to February of 2003.

“That’s when he pulled up a knife and started attacking me,” says Karen Fox.

It was the darkest night of her life.

“I just was trying to fight him off and get him to stop,” says Karen.

Karen and her husband were separated it was his night with the kids they never came home; he had murdered the two of them and attempted to do the same to their mother.

“It didn’t hurt even though you know, I know I’m getting stabbed, you know cause you can feel the blood, you can smell it, and you can taste it but I didn’t really feel it,” says Karen.

The numbness continued and Karen found herself in an emotional black hole.

“To get up in the morning, to get out of bed, just ordinary things was such just a struggle for her,” says Pat.

But then a year and a half ago Karen got involved with the foster care program.

“It gave some sense as to what had happened to her, our family has always believed that if God shuts one door he opens another, and it was like this door opened for her and light shown on her and she came alive, completely alive again,” says Pat.

After reuniting eleven families hope came knocking on Karen’s door.

“Well there was always that hope you know that right from the beginning this one could be mine you know she could really be mine,” says Karen.

Mary Ella moved into the Fox’s home and found a place in their hearts.

“Karen just melted, just absolutely melted,” says Pat

On Friday little Ella became a part of her forever family.

She is finally legally my daughter when I go to the doctors I get to you know this is Mary Ella Fox,” says Karen.

A mom with a daughter to call her own, a little girl who finally has a home.

“She’s my source of light,” adds Karen.

Katrina Berning can be contacted at Katrina.Berning@lctv13.com