Susan’s newborn with her hands and the adoptive parent’s hands
Adoption Stories
My early life was chaotic, but that rough start led to my forever family when I was adopted. I struggled with addiction and self-worth issues after high school. That is when I found out I was pregnant. I vowed to be the best mother I could be, and I was succeeding. But then I was shocked to find out I was pregnant again.
I refused to believe I was pregnant even after multiple positive home pregnancy tests. That is when I googled and found Real Options. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by Christi (my patient advocate), who immediately made me feel like she cared. A pregnancy test confirmed I was pregnant. Christi then shared my options with me. I did have some people pressuring me to abort, but knew that I wanted to choose life. When Christi told me about adoption, I felt like that was something I needed to consider. I also got a sonogram and saw my baby for the first time. That just confirmed that no matter what others thought or how difficult it may be, I would choose life.
Christi gave me information about several adoption agencies, and I called Lifetree. Robin (my adoption advocate) was kind and talked to me about what adoption looks like. She also explained “open adoption,” which I hadn’t heard before. A couple of months later, I began looking at profiles for potential adoptive families.
When I looked at a particular profile (which I still have), I KNEW they were the ones. After meeting them, I knew they were not only right for my child but also right for me! The adoptive mother came with me to every doctor’s appointment, and I wanted to include them in this whole journey. We even picked the baby’s name together! I also wanted them in the delivery room because I wanted them to hold their daughter first. I watched them love on their daughter and tenderly care for me (because the delivery was tough), and I knew my baby had the best parents in the world.
That last day in the hospital was full of emotions and extremely difficult for me. I knew the time had come to sign the papers, say, “See you later,” and walk out of the hospital with no baby. But to tell you the truth, I was at peace with it because I knew my baby was going to be in great hands. She was loved, and I had the opportunity to give a priceless gift to a wonderful couple.
Adoption changed my life for the better, and I got to pass that beautiful gift on. My daughter will forever know how loved she is because that day, I did not lose someone; I gained a whole family!
When I found out I was pregnant, my mind went through the gamut of negative emotions: fear, confusion, frustration, sadness, anger. I will be honest that I considered every option, but my heart was heavy with the burden of having to parent a child when, in fact, I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to be a parent.
I finally told my parents, and we discussed the long road ahead. After a lot of tears, self-reflection, and prayer, I decided I wanted to pursue adoption. Even though most people would say, “You’re 28! You have your parents’ support! Everything is in your favor!” I knew in my heart that adoption was the right choice. While I didn’t want to parent…I wanted everything for this child, including having a mother and a father. So, I decided to visit Real Options. There I found out I’d be having a baby girl. When I shared that I would be pursuing adoption, I was greeted with compassion and encouragement.
After I began my journey with an adoption agency, I searched through families, and I found a couple that seemed wonderful. When we finally met in person, I knew immediately that they would be the most amazing parents and would raise this baby girl to know how loved and important she is. I knew I wanted an “open adoption,” which is when information is exchanged between the birth mother and the adoptive parents, but I didn’t think I wanted much contact. However, as I got to know her parents, I wanted a closer relationship.
I was overwhelmed with love on that incredible day when Emery Olive was born (Emery’s parents named her Olive because that was what I called her in the womb). I was so grateful for this amazing little girl.
Since her birth, I have had the opportunity to spend time with my daughter regularly–I even babysit sometimes! While I’m not her mom, I am her birth mom, and adoption has allowed me to watch her grow, love her, and pursue my dreams of attaining a degree in child development. I’m so thankful that adoption was presented to me as an option, and I was able to choose a great life for me and my daughter.