When Adrianne and Jason Stewart decided to adopt another child two years ago, they never imagined they would welcome a little girl with such unique needs.

But when they saw the bright, happy face of six-month-old Maria, who lived in an orphanage in the Philippines, they knew she was their daughter. Maria was born without arms or legs.

“When we found our daughter, we did not think that we were qualified or prepared enough to parent a child like her, but we knew that we could love her—and that loving her was what mattered most,” Adrianne Stewart wrote on Facebook.

The couple, from West Jordan, Utah, already had three children, including a child adopted from the Philippines, but they knew they wanted another. After contacting an adoption agency, they instantly fell in love with Maria’s photo and traveled to the Philippines to meet her and bring her home.

“We were scared to begin with, not knowing what to expect, but everything has fallen into place,” Stewart told CBS News. “It seems like a big thing when you start out, but everything just works out.”

Maria is described by her mom as “very loving.” She attends physical, speech and occupational sessions and has started preschool.

The family has also found creative ways to help her become more independent.

When Maria wanted to feed herself, the couple visited Home Depot for ideas on making a self-feeder. An employee not only explained how to make one but offered to create it for Maria with help from colleagues.

A dentist also designed a custom mouthpiece that allows different tools to be attached, helping Maria with writing, using a computer and other activities.

“We put limits on her abilities and then we see her doing exactly what we thought she was not capable of,” Stewart wrote.

Maria does not have enough bone structure below her pelvis for leg prosthetics, while arm prosthetics may become an option as she grows. She also has a wheelchair donated by Shriners Hospital, which she is learning to control using her arm nub.

At first, some of Maria’s new siblings wondered how they would play and interact with her. But Joshua, who was four at the time, simply saw Maria as his sister.

“One day I was explaining to Joshua that Maria probably wouldn’t be able to do a lot of the same things he was able to do and asked him if he still wanted her for a sister,” Stewart recalled.

He replied: “She have eyes, she can see. She have ears, she can hear, and she have brains.”

That was enough for him.

Today, the children no longer focus on what makes Maria different. She is simply their little sister.

The family was so inspired by their experience that they later announced plans to adopt another child from the Philippines—a nine-year-old girl born without hands or feet who had learned to walk, run, speak and sing.

As for Maria, she continues to approach each new challenge with joy and determination.

“She has made each of us better,” her mother wrote. “She has taught us to find joy in small things and to realize that we are all so much more capable than we think we are.”

Source: Daily Mail