Susan’s Adoption Story
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!