Our Family’s Adoption Story: Guided by Love and Loss

Adoption has always been in our hearts. After having three biological children, we felt called to grow our family through adoption. Our journey ultimately began after the heartbreaking loss of our oldest daughter, Kathleen, in 2023 from complications of a rare genetic disorder. In the months following Kathleen’s passing, we experienced many signs from our angel encouraging us to begin our adoption journey.

Starting the adoption process was both exciting and nerve-wracking. We conducted our home study through the Adoption Center for Family Building. For placement, we worked with Christian Adoption Consultants (CAC). CAC helped us craft our profile book and guided us through their multi-agency/adoption lawyer placement list approach. 

After five months of waiting, an expecting mother reviewed our profile book and requested to speak with us. That same day, our social worker notified us we were officially chosen and matched. We were overjoyed! My husband and I flew to meet the expecting mother the next month. 

We kept our adoption process a secret from our kids, families and friends. On New Year’s Eve, the mother went into labor. We quickly booked flights and packed bags! On New Year’s Day, shortly after the baby was born, we shared the news with our kids and headed to the airport. After 48 hours, the birth mother signed the paperwork, and we were able to meet our daughter — a deeply emotional moment filled with joy, gratitude, and love. Our hearts were heavy for the birth mother knowing it was a heartbreaking decision. We are grateful to her for the gift of our daughter, Alice.

Now nine months, Alice has brought endless joy to our family. We know Kathleen guided us to Alice and watched over us every step of the way. We are in touch with Alice’s birth mother, but communication has become less frequent over time. We are unsure what our future relationship looks like with her, but we’re open and optimistic. 

Our adoption journey that led us to our baby Alice had its ups and downs, but overall, it was a smooth experience. There were moments of excitement and anxious waiting, but through it all we held onto faith, trusting that God had a plan.