This photo was taken at our fourth adoption. My husband Chris and I couldn’t have children, so we turned to foster care, hoping to adopt one day.
Losing the ability to carry a child came early for me, I had a hysterectomy when I was still young.
But I also knew I could still be a mom. Chris was fully supportive. We signed up to be foster parents and started the long process, paperwork, background checks, and lots of training.
That Christmas, Chris asked what I wanted. I told him, “A baby.” He made calls and looked everywhere. That’s when we learned about Abby for the first time.
Abby was born in a toilet. Her mom had a drug addiction but later turned her life around. Abby had kidney problems and needed a transplant. She had both kidneys removed, got a feeding tube, and started dialysis. After a stroke, her foster home couldn’t keep her anymore. That’s when we got the call.
The caseworker listed her many health problems. Chris just said, “She sounds perfect.” Abby was one. I had EMT training and Chris was a paramedic. We learned how to do peritoneal dialysis at home and brought her in. We followed the rules by heart, connecting her to the machines and checking her health every night. The supplies filled our house. She couldn’t pee without kidneys. I didn’t realize how beautiful a wet diaper was until after her transplant. I cried when I saw one.
Before her adoption, Abby almost died a few times. Doctors rushed her to the hospital after her heart suddenly stopped due to too much fluid in her body.
When the court ended her birth parents’ rights, we adopted her on July 28, 2015. She became Abigail Noelle, my Christmas gift.
Later, we adopted David. .He had autism, couldn’t speak, and still needed help with using the bathroom.
He had autism, couldn’t speak, and still needed help with using the bathroom.
I had said no at first, but Chris said yes. David destroyed things, obsessed over strings, and hurt himself. It was hard, but we kept going. He became ours on March 9, 2018.
Then came Karen. She spent the majority of her life shut away in a single room.
She was found after her grandma died in a freezing house. She was scared and underweight. We got her therapy and love. She was adopted on March 31, 2017.
Finally, Sabrina came into our lives at 17. She was nonverbal, with many needs, and aging out of the system. Her caseworker believed someone would love her. That someone was us. We adopted her on June 19, 2018.
These four kids changed our lives. I’m sharing this because there are so many children who need homes. Organ and blood donations save lives too. I’ve learned that being a mom isn’t about giving birth. It’s about showing up, loving deeply, and never giving up. And I’m so thankful we did.
