“I awoke 2 hours later to my cell phone ringing. I had missed several calls from my husband. I picked up the phone, breathing heavily, and my husband was immediately alarmed. He asked me if he should call an ambulance, and I said no, hung up, and went back to sleep. The next thing I knew, he was home and stuffing me into the car.”
‘I was at the library with my 3-year-old daughter when a woman said, ‘Excuse me.’ She waved me over, and thanked me.’: After adoption woman says ‘we aren’t superheroes or saviors’
‘Please,’ I pleaded. ‘He must go to school. He must learn to read and write, or he will shine shoes on the street forever.’: After woman takes in boy, she fights for son’s education
“‘We will not take him here,’ she responded with a nod that made it obvious we had been dismissed. I look out at the 30 pairs of eyes that have been staring in our direction for the past 20 minutes. ‘I KNOW YOU CANNOT DENY A CHILD AN EDUCATION BASED UPON HIS NATIONALITY,’ I wanted to yell out. I could see the tears shining in his eyes. ‘Don’t worry, buddy, we aren’t done.’ I held my head high.”
‘She’d text us, ‘I need more money.’ She saw me not as a woman to love her unborn child, but as a target. Our hearts and wallets were drained.’: Couple suffers adoption scam, ‘She broke us’
“She would make comments about finding a new family for her son if we didn’t give her the extra money, dangling her baby boy in front of us like a carrot. I truly lost my faith in humanity. She pretended to be a lot of things, but a decent human being was, by far, her greatest act. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.”
‘Would you be willing to adopt a baby girl?’ The day we matched, we saw two blue lines of our own. We were terrified.’: Woman surprised with pregnancy during adoption, becomes first-time mom to 2 newborns
“Here I was, a young 20-something female who thought I had control over my life. I nervously dialed the number, terrified she’d pick a new family to parent her unborn baby. After all, I was no longer ‘childless.’ 3 weeks later, we got a call back. ‘She wants YOU.’ Humbling is the only word. Of all the people in this world, she chose me. At 4:04 p.m., we stepped outside of our room to hear the most beautiful first cry.”
‘She adopted 2 kids and NOW she’s pregnant.’ After explaining we happily adopted, the doctor replied, ‘So they’re not yours.’: Mom adopts 2 children, gets rude comments for being pregnant with biological child
“To the person from my hometown who started a rumor that I was on fertility drugs. To my youngest child’s doctor who asked the question I had been asked a million times. ‘First child?’ ‘Nope! 3rd child, first pregnancy!’ then had the gall to say, ‘but having your own is different, isn’t it?’”
‘It’s a call I’ll never forget. Her biological mom wanted her back. Never to be held by us again.’: Mom reflects on her tumultuous journey into Motherhood
“The phone rang. All I heard was, ‘He’s yours.’ Even as I type this, I get goosebumps all over again just hearing those two simple words. I don’t remember what else was said after that. Less than 18 hours later, we were on a flight to Florida to meet our sweet son.”
‘Mom! We’ve been in an accident! They can’t get Daddy to wake up.’ I asked if the airbags deployed.’: Woman loses husband in tragic accident, marries fellow widow, ‘My heart began to beat again’
“Eleven days later, I got a message from Todd. I had never met him in person. We began very innocent conversation about being ‘only parents’ to our children. We sat in that booth for 3 hours…. talking, laughing, crying. After we finally left, I sent a text. ‘I know I should be playing it cool, but I had a really great time. I’d like to do it again soon.’”
‘He’s selfish. My husband is feet up, on the couch, quietly sipping his favorite beer, that I bought for him.’: Wife says despite her husband’s faults, she definitely ‘married up’
“When my husband and I sat down with our pastor for our first session of pre-marital counseling, my mind was a flurry of white noise, punctuated by red-hot panic. The one thing I do remember our pastor saying was, ‘The best marriages happen when both people think they married up.’ Damn, was he right.”
‘Am I adopted?’ I asked, tears down my face. She denied it. I was a teenager when I learned the truth.’: Woman finds biological father after adopted father passes, ‘I was a nervous wreck’
“My results were in. I was shocked at what I found. There was my biological father’s name. It was a parent/child match. I couldn’t believe it was true. ‘How did you find me?,’ he asked. My first question was, ‘Did you know I existed?’ He did not. I never believed this day would come.”
‘I took a chance. I got a response. Y’all, I did it! I found them! I met my biological dad.’: Woman meets birth father she never knew, ‘I finally found the puzzle piece I didn’t know was missing’
“I never knew my biological father. My momma was dating a man, got pregnant, and they parted ways. She had me by herself. I was not told about any of this until I was 12 years old. That was the beginning of my downward spiral. I was acting out, angry at everyone. It ripped us apart. Then I took a chance and sent them each a message.”
