Moriah and Luke’s first glimpse of baby Charlie ensured he belonged to them. A tiny angel in the NICU gave them a sense of belonging, and their intuition was correct. Last Friday, they finally adopted the baby officially after a grueling process. Moriah expressed how it felt like a dream, as the couple waited a long time to make their baby their son forever. Attachments are scary, but they matter in how the story ends. And for them, God had written a beautiful one.
Taking a quick look at how the story started… at 30 weeks of gestation, the baby weighed only two pounds, and this was when Charlie’s story began. Moriah has been a foster mother to many children to date, and she prefers fostering the ones who were either born premature or needed a lot more care and love. Moriah was already present in the NICU to visit another baby meant to be fostered; however, a call for Charlie was received during the visit. A proof of how things always happen at the right time!
When Moriah was told that the baby that had just been born needed her, she listened to the fearful voice, expecting a positive answer. She could never think of saying no when God had chosen her to love a baby immensely. When Moriah arrived in the NICU, she was surprised by how tiny the baby was. It felt like love, she recalls. How the baby locked eyes with Moriah felt like he had been waiting for her. She states how she can never forget holding Charlie for the first time. He was so small yet so strong. It was an unusual but beautiful experience.
Babies in the NICU are fragile, as you never know when the monitor goes silent and you hear no more beeps indicating loss. Charlie, too, was one of the babies from the NICU facing adverse health issues, and so when she agreed to foster him, it was a rollercoaster ride as his condition varied. He even coded at three weeks old, and Moriah hadn’t been so scared to date. She was sure she did not want to lose this little fighter, which felt like hers. The next ten weeks were hard, but all the emotional and physical drain was gone when it was finally time to take Charlie home at ten weeks.
Moriah and Luke celebrated the moment like the birth of a child and gave Charie immense love. From humming him sweet melodies to celebrating his little milestones and firsts, they were his most amazing parents. It felt like Charlie had been part of the family forever, and there was no better feeling than his presence in the house. Charlie is now the happiest toddler, one full of life who loves playing with trucks and is always busy playing with his five siblings, amongst whom a sister is adopted and spoiled with love. Not just this, his laugh is contagious enough to make anyone’s belly hurt.
Moriah knows things could be different if she hadn’t said yes that day she was asked to foster Charlie; however, it turned out to be the best decision of her life, as he always felt like the couple’s son. Not just this, receiving Charlie’s birth certificate with the names of Moriah and Luke was an incredible moment for them as they finally felt complete. The adoption day was all about overflowing emotion, whether it was about hugs, happy tears, or bright smiles.
All that mattered to them was that Charlie was their son, and the couple was ready to give him a home and a life filled with love and joy. Taking care of him has always felt like a dream come true, and their story is an example of how fostering can lead to a forever family!
