The road to parenthood has had many twists and turns for my husband and me. I look back on all the miracles we have witnessed along the way and am amazed at the beautiful story God has woven together.
Kurk and I were married in 2013. He had two children of his own from a previous relationship, and underwent a vasectomy after his second child was born. I went into our marriage knowing that we would need help to grow our family and fulfill my heart’s desire to be a mother. In 2016, we had an unsuccessful reversal surgery that left us devastated. As the years passed, we wondered if we would ever have any future children. Traditional adoption had always been on our hearts. We also pursued IVF for a time. However, when we learned about the miracle of embryo adoption, our hearts lit up again with hope. It was the beautiful merging of both desires of our hearts: adoption and giving birth to our own children. Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program was the first agency we reached out to and we instantly knew they were the right fit.
As a global pandemic was rocking the world in early 2020, we began our adoption journey!
Snowflakes’ staff was incredibly caring and compassionate as they helped us navigate the phases of the adoption process. Eight months in, we reached matching phase – the part I was most anxious about. Who would this family be? What would they look like? Would it feel right? All these questions swirled around in my head, but I trusted knowing how much prayer went into the matches that Snowflakes makes.
In November 2020, the words “We have a Match” popped up in my inbox. With butterflies in our stomachs, we read that a family had chosen us for their eight remaining embryos! I was so nervous to look at their profile that I asked my husband to read it first. I will never forget the look on his face after he read their letter.
“I know them!” he said.
I was in disbelief as Kurk explained that he knew this wonderful couple from years ago. As an added curveball, they lived one town over from us! Worlds were colliding.
Out of all the families across the U.S., this was the family we were matched with. We knew in our hearts this was God-orchestrated, one that we could have never made ourselves but only by His divine plan. The placing mom said it best, “It must be God!”
We officially became adoptive parents to our eight little embryos in December 2020. Soon after, we had the opportunity to meet our placing family in person! They welcomed us into their lovely home with open arms, as if we had been a part of their family for years. We hugged, we cried, and we all shared in the awe of what God was doing in all our lives. I got to hold their little boy who was just turning one. His little face gave me a glimpse of what my future children might look like. My heart was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.
Then came the time to schedule our first transfer! It felt surreal to finally get the chance to become pregnant after all these years of waiting. We were hopeful, nervous and everything in-between. In February 2021, our first try was successful, and our embryo attached! However, this little one was only with us for eight short weeks before Jesus chose to take him home. We gave him the name Kaleb, meaning “wholehearted devotion to God.” Our placing family surrounded us with prayers and support. They even made a plaque for him in our flower garden where he is buried. We took the time to grieve and celebrate his beautiful life.
In October 2021, we were ready to try for a second transfer. This try was also successful and in June 2022, we welcomed our darling daughter, Kaydance Liberty. She is the answer to so many prayers! Our placing family came to meet her at the hospital when she arrived. It was an incredible moment seeing them hold her for the first time. Through all the years of heartache, disappointments, failed surgeries/transfers, and losses for both families, we all now get to hold the promised children God gave us. He is faithful.
Our story was always meant to be bigger than just ‘us.’
Do you have an embryo adoption or donation 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 about embryo donation and adoption, visit EmbryoAdoption.org.
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