Shortly after our wedding, we began trying to conceive. Due to Jennifer’s chronic health issues, we started early, knowing our journey might take time. By May 2023, after many months without success, we sought help from her OBGYN. When initial tests came back inconclusive, we were referred to a fertility specialist. In August 2023, we moved forward with intrauterine inseminations (IUIs). Sadly, each one failed. Even before the results of our first IUI, we felt a pull toward fostering. In May 2024, shortly after our final IUI failed, we became licensed foster parents.
In August 2024, we were placed with our first foster children, siblings, 2 weeks and 12 months old. We poured our hearts into caring for them and supporting their biological parents in their reunification plan. However, when we noticed signs of ongoing instability and voiced our concerns to DHR, they were dismissed. The children were returned home too quickly, and heartbreakingly, they re-entered care just a few months later for the exact same reasons, domestic violence and alcohol abuse. That experience was deeply traumatic, but it strengthened our desire to provide a safe, permanent home to a child in need.
After much prayer and reflection, we began pursuing private adoption. Our home study was approved in January 2025, and in February, we matched with a wonderful birth mom. We built a deeply meaningful relationship with her and were thrilled to welcome her baby into our lives. Tragically, the week the baby was born, the birth mother disappeared. The baby was left in the hospital, awaiting a plan from Child Protective Services to enter the foster care system. We were devastated.
This experience left us emotionally shattered and in debt. This adversity through tragedy has brought us unique strength and maturity. We’ve walked through tremendous grief and trauma, but we’ve never lost sight of our calling to love and raise a child as our own.
The Katelyn’s Fund Adoption Grant has played a pivotal role in our adoption journey, and we are incredibly grateful for their support. The grant we were awarded will help alleviate some of the financial burden that often comes with adoption. It allows us to focus more on the emotional aspects of our adoption process, rather than being overwhelmed by the expenses. It gives us a sense of relief and encouragement, knowing that there are organizations like Katelyn’s Fund that care about the success of adoptive families. The financial assistance they are providing doesn’t just contribute to our adoption, but it also reinforces our belief in the kindness and generosity of others who support families like ours in this beautiful, life-changing journey. Overall, Katelyn’s Fund is an integral part of making our dream of becoming a family with our adopted child a reality. We will forever be grateful for their role in our story.
Through this journey, we’ve seen God uniquely at work in ways we never expected. From the beginning, as we faced infertility, we felt God gently guiding us toward fostering as an alternative path to grow our family. Even though our first experience with foster children was heartbreaking, God used that pain to strengthen our desire to provide a safe, loving home to a child in need. We learned to lean on Him for courage and wisdom, trusting that He had a purpose for us in this process.
When we pursued adoption and faced the heartbreak of our failed match with the birth mother, it was difficult to understand why we had to go through such grief, but in that moment, we felt God’s presence reminding us that His timing is perfect. Even though we couldn’t see the full picture, we had peace knowing that adoption was still His plan for us. Through this, we learned that God’s love for His children is unshakable and that even in the darkest moments, He is working toward a greater purpose.
This journey has deepened our faith and helped us understand that God’s plan for us and for the child He has planned for us goes beyond what we can see. We’ve also learned the importance of community, seeing how God works through the kindness of others like Katelyn’s Fund. Their support has been a tangible reminder that God provides for our needs in unexpected ways, often through people who share in our journey.
Ultimately, this experience has opened our hearts to the beauty of open adoption, teaching us that love is never wasted. Through everything, we’ve learned that God is always at work, even when we don’t fully understand the path. We would not change anything about our journey because growing our faith was absolutely worth the heartache.
