This story was originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer. It has been edited for length and clarity.
In November 2021, Hannah and Adam’s future children—their “beans,” as they affectionately called them—were on the way. Six frozen embryos, created by another couple during IVF, were traveling from a West Coast fertility clinic in a refrigerated truck.
After nearly a decade in deep freeze, these embryos represented the couple’s hope for starting a family. They were adopting the embryos, praying that one or more, once transferred to Hannah’s uterus, would become the children they had long dreamed.
Hannah and Adam’s story began when they were children themselves, meeting at just 10 and 11 years old while playing outside Grace Church at Willow Valley. “Everything started with a friendship,” Adam recalls. “By the time we were 17, 18, we were in love.”
For Adam, Hannah’s kindness and wisdom drew him in. Her friends often sought her out for advice, and her lacrosse teammates affectionately called her “Mama.” For Hannah, it was hard to resist Adam’s charm—especially with a guitar in hand. “What I grew to appreciate was his wisdom, his patience, and how easygoing and funny he was,” she says.
Their relationship grew even stronger despite the distance. Hannah attended college in Virginia while Adam stayed home for Lancaster Bible College. The summer before Hannah’s senior year, after the loss of her mother, Adam organized a special scavenger hunt near Willow Valley Duck Pond. Each stop along the way represented a card marking the 10 years they had known each other. At the final stop, Adam proposed with a ring crafted from the diamond in Hannah’s mother’s ring. Overcome with emotion, Hannah broke down in tears.
They were married at Grace Church, where Adam now serves as pastor. “A lot of people, when they say ‘I do,’ are saying it to a stranger,” Adam reflects. “For us, it was: I know this person.” The newlyweds started their life together on tight finances, relying on wedding gifts to cover rent and their honeymoon at Adam’s family cabin near Penn State.
From early on, they knew they wanted children. However, after a year of trying with no success, they sought help from a fertility clinic. Hannah became pregnant after one intrauterine insemination (IUI), only to miscarry at three weeks. That was in late 2019, right before the pandemic hit.
During lockdown, Adam found solace in prayer, often going for early morning walks as he tried to process their loss. They attempted four more rounds of IUI without success. “It was a rollercoaster of hope and disappointment,” Hannah recalls, describing the toll of medications, tests, and dashed expectations.
One day, a nurse casually mentioned embryo adoption during an appointment. That same day, Adam read an article on the Gospel Coalition’s website about the process. He was intrigued, but Hannah was immediately convinced. “I thought: Yes, that’s what we’re going to do,” she says. They both saw embryo adoption as a way to start their family and align with their values, as it involved giving life to embryos that might otherwise remain frozen or be destroyed.
They connected with Snowflakes, a program by Nightlight Christian Adoptions. Similar to open adoption, Snowflakes allows embryo donors to choose the adoptive parents. A fertility clinic evaluates the embryos and reviews the biological parents’ medical history to maximize the chances of success.
Hannah and Adam underwent a home study, medical exams, and background checks, and they created a profile book to introduce themselves to potential placing families. They appreciated that they could learn about their future child’s genetic history and even meet the biological parents if everyone was comfortable with it.
In August 2021, they were matched with a set of embryos. The next step was drafting a legal agreement outlining their communication with the biological parents, which would include annual photos and updates. “But if everyone’s open to it, we’d be happy to have a phone call, video chat, or even meet,” says Hannah.
Explaining their decision to adopt embryos to friends and family was challenging. Adam’s mom commented, “This is like sci-fi,” while others were puzzled by the idea of adoption and pregnancy being part of the same process.
In January 2022, the first embryo transfer took place. After the procedure, Adam and Hannah took a spontaneous trip to IKEA to distract themselves. Adam reassured himself aloud the whole time: “We’re just going to walk around; she’s going to be fine.”
Ten days later, a blood test confirmed Hannah was pregnant. The next nine months went smoothly, with minimal morning sickness and early ultrasounds revealing the heartbeat. “It sounded like a train,” Hannah recalls.
Hannah’s due date was October 13, but on the 6th, a non-stress test showed the baby was in distress. At the hospital, doctors discovered Hannah had preeclampsia and induced labor that evening. After two hours of pushing, a doctor warned that one more push with the help of an obstetric vacuum was the final option before a C-section. That was all the motivation Hannah needed.
At 5:12 p.m., Canaan was born—the 960th Snowflakes baby. The significance of his name, Canaan, representing the Promised Land from the Old Testament, was not lost on the couple. “It came as the blessing after a time of barrenness and emptiness,” Adam says.
The moment Canaan arrived, all the pain and waiting faded. “All that loss, all that disappointment—it’s done,” Adam reflects. “The reward for persevering through all of that is now in our arms. It’s incredible.”
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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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