“Once Noah was born, the whole room was creepily quiet. Finally, one of the doctors said, ‘It looks like the baby may have a disability.’ Suddenly, the family I thought would love him didn’t even want him because he wasn’t ‘perfect.’ Neither did the next. Then, we found Jerene. ‘Are you interested in a special needs adoption? We have a baby boy who needs a family like, yesterday!’ Already 5 children of her own, her response was, ‘Why not?’ I was bawling.”
‘The family stopped answering. ‘They’ve backed out of the adoption.’ They wanted a healthy baby, not my son with a disability.’: Mom of 5 adopts special needs child after rejections, now in beautiful open adoption with birth mom
‘300 plus families passed on a baby boy.’ What would happen to my son? ‘Are you interested in special needs adoption?’: Moms discuss open adoption journeys, ‘We really are a family’
“MOM is in there nursing the baby.’ What? I WAS the mom! I just wanted to know how my son was. I was so angry at her ex-husband for leaving. My trust had been rocked. When Noah’s first birthday was coming up, we decided to meet.”
‘We met the birth mom. ‘Come to the hospital to greet your daughter.’ Days later, I got an email: ‘Your birth mother has been located.’: Adoptee adopts child from birth mom and foster care, becomes birth mother
“My birth mother abandoned me. Months later, my new parents were given a picture. ‘This is your daughter now.’ When I met Danny, we both had this deep longing. ‘Let’s adopt!’ I opened my search for my biological family. 3 weeks after the adoption agency told us ‘it will take years for a child,’ we received the call that changed everything. A brave mama was waiting for us.”
‘Get to the hospital now.’ I had a front-row seat to her pain. We opened the nursery door cautiously.’: Couple finally adopts their ‘tiny fighter,’ ‘My heart grew bigger’
“She decided to parent. We closed the nursery door again. My heart was broken and we were exhausted. The baby is not yours until papers are signed.”
‘I was holding my 4th pregnancy test. I know, birth control is a thing. I had to consider another adoption.’: Single mom pursues open adoption twice, ‘I was scared this would define me’
“I felt free. I felt like I was following my inner warrior as she told me how to do the right thing for this child. I had no job, no savings, and was in no place to raise a baby alone. I wanted more for this sweet child.”
‘You did it. He’s here and I am so proud of you,’ I whispered. We cried, loving and hurting at the same time.’: Mom gushes appreciation for birth mother, ‘I wouldn’t be a mom without her’
“As I was falling madly in love with this precious baby, another incredible woman was falling just as hard as I was. His first momma. The one who carried him so lovingly for 9 months and birthed him just moments before.”
‘I’m going to be a daddy!’ That was the last time I saw him in person. I felt so alone. How on earth could I give my child to someone else?’: After partner’s death, woman pursues open adoption for son, ‘There is more love than I ever imagined’
“I heard the words, ‘Kaden passed away this morning.’ The horror of realizing your child will no longer have a father is one I would not wish upon anyone. I did not get out of bed for the next two months. ‘If this child needs to be with another family, you need to get me on board.’ The moment I saw them, I knew they were the family.”
‘She told her daughter, ‘I’m sorry.’ She gave her a kiss and handed her to me. She left without her baby.’: Woman becomes close to birth mom during adoption, ‘There is no love without loss’
“Within a couple of days, she said, ‘If you want to choose me, I want to choose you.’ It became official. I was shaking. I’m not blind to the fact that in order to call her mine, there was a lot of hurt that had to take place.”
‘I’ve had 9 children, by myself. One passed away. I’m expecting, but I have no idea when my ‘due date’ is.’: Single mom fosters multiple children and has open adoption, ‘It’s all on me, baby!’
“I came to foster parenting by accident. Some women dream of having big families and becoming mothers, but not me. In fact, the older I got, the more sure I was that I never wanted children. Then my plot twist arrived. I had never seen a more beautiful baby in my whole life.”
‘Will you take a 2-year-old little girl?’ I didn’t sign up to foster 5 kids under 5!’: Since mom adopts 5 kids from foster care, ‘Once I saw their faces, I couldn’t say no’
“‘First comes love, then comes marriage and then comes a baby in the baby carriage.’ But what if you can’t get to love?! There I was, 38 years old with no man in sight. It was time to stop waiting for Mr. Right. It was time to take action.”
