This story is featured in the current issue of Pathway2Family magazine, Winter/Spring 2019. Read the whole issue online!
Michael and I were joyfully married in 2008. Both of us had been married before. I had two children, and Michael had none. We wanted to have children together, but I had a tubal ligation after the birth of my youngest. Hindsight is 20/20!
My Ob’Gyn suggested we consider in vitro fertilization, and after consulting with a reproductive specialist we decided to move forward. Our fresh transfer did not result in a pregnancy, but we decided to try again with two of our frozen embryos and experienced success! We welcomed our daughter, Hope, into our family. We had placed our hope in God, where all hope is born, and were blessed with Hope!
Michael and I decided our family was completed, yet we had 18 embryos remaining in frozen storage and needed to make a decision about them. It took me a few years to emotionally process this decision. We believed the embryos were created to give life and did not want to thaw and discard them or give them to a researcher.
We also did not want to donate our embryos anonymously through our clinic. Instead we learned about the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program and began the process of placing our embryos for adoption.
We really appreciated the fact that Snowflakes evaluated all of their adopting families using an adoption home study and conducting criminal background checks. We like the protections Snowflakes places around the embryos contractually.
As I said, it took a couple years to let go of my selfish nature and come to terms with the fact that someone else would be giving birth to and raising our child.
But, it only took me minutes to say yes to the first couple the Snowflakes team matched us with! Sara and Blake were everything we hope for in an adopting couple.
We began to build a relationship with them. We prayed for successful transfers and after the third transfer—Sara was pregnant! Their son, Carson, was conceived in 2010, along with his biological sister, Hope. Hope was born in 2011 and Carson was born seven years later!
Seeing the way Blake and Sara look at their baby boy, I feel honored and humbled that God chose us to help them become a family. And, I wondered how I would feel holding him for the first time. I can honestly say that as I looked into this precious little eyes, I could only feel joy for them on the birth of their first child. Carson is truly theirs in our eyes and hearts!
To read the rest of the story, visit Pathway2Family.org
Do you have an embryo adoption story? Send your story and photos to us. Post them yourself via Facebook and Twitter or email us your story and we will make it available on our Family Stories page, found on our website.
Email Paige@nightlight.org and help another family build their embryo donation or adoption story. To learn more about embryo adoption and donation, visit EmbryoAdoption.org.
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