Our adoption journey began in 2005, after we attended an LFCS adoption workshop. In time, we made a plan to adopt a baby from China and LFCS provided our home study. But as wait times grew to unprecedented lengths to adopt from China, we were inspired by friends who adopted domestically through LFCS.
Sometime after beginning the domestic adoption process, our social worker told us the exciting news. A set of birth parents had reviewed our album and wanted to meet us in person. Although we had hesitations about openness, education and counseling from LFCS helped us prepare for the interview of a lifetime.
We met our son Will on the day he was born in March 2009. The time we spent in the hospital with his birth mother, Annie, was the start of a wonderful relationship. Now, we stay in frequent contact with Annie and share regular visits at each other’s homes. We treasure our relationship with Annie and look forward to having her in our family’s life as Will grows up. LFCS deserves much of the credit for all of this, not only because of the guidance we received, but also because of the support and counseling it provided to Annie.
Meanwhile, our application plodded forward in China until we were matched with a baby boy in the spring of 2012. We took an amazing trip to China in that summer, to bring our new son Adam home. As with virtually all Chinese adoptions, we know almost nothing about Adam’s background. We do know, however, that he wound up where he belongs. Together with Will and Adam, we are authentically and undeniably a family, complete with all the fun, squabbling, tumult, and love you’d expect.
Through our journey, we’ve been shown that for all the challenges life presents – like infertility, unexpected pregnancy, or the unknowable hardships that put children in orphanages – there also are wonderful possibilities if people can open their hearts and do the work it takes to bring them about. That’s what LFCS does. It meets the challenges and works to fulfill the possibilities. In our case, LFCS has made possible wonderful and amazing things. It’s helped us become parents and our boys become brothers. In the process, we know it’s given peace of mind to at least one birth mother and we hope and pray that, in some way we will never fully know or understand, it’s done the same for another birth mother on the other side of the world.
Throughout our winding journey, LFCS provided invaluable guidance and support. For that, we thank LFCS and the people who support its work.
Will and his birth mother Annie