Over 40 years ago, there was a woman who was in great trouble. The trouble with her abusive relationship, trouble with dependency, trouble with the law, and trouble with another pregnancy from a different man.
Thankfully she was directed to a family who wanted to adopt a child. This couple put her up in a home for women just like her and were paying her expenses as they would adopt the baby when it arrived.
Sadly, this woman fled, and nobody knew where she was. The couple was absolutely heartbroken and just knew they'd never get to meet their baby.
The woman ended up going back to her grandmother’s house, where her grandmother was already raising her son, while she was in and out doing who knows what. Months passed, and she gave birth to a baby girl.
Thankfully, her grandmother finally told her that she was too old to care for her son and this new infant alone, as the woman was most likely going to jail. The grandmother told her to do the right thing and give her baby back to the family who paid her expenses, put her up, and planned to adopt her child.
Finally, after the baby girl was 6 weeks old, the woman decided to continue with the original plan and contacted the adoption attorney in the middle of the night. He told her to come to drop the baby off, and she did. Soon after, he called the couple to let them know that woman had come to drop the baby off and for them to come to pick her up as their own, to complete their family.
Today is National Adoption Day, and while adoption isn’t always the best option for every person or situation, I am thankful that my parents adopted me 6 weeks after my birth. While my life is sure as heck hasn’t been a walk in the park, I can only imagine my fate if that grandmother had tried to raise me on her own, with my half-brother. I am thankful that my parents adopted me, who truly love me and did the best they could to give me a good life full of love.
Sadly I have had many major health issues and conditions throughout my life that stems from the poor prenatal health I received or lack thereof. I’m thankful to my doctor, who encouraged me to take 23andMe to discover some of my medical & DNA history. And that combined with the help of my birth parents’ bits and pieces of what happened plus what we’ve discovered from DNA relatives on 23andMe, I could discover some of my back stories.
While it wasn't the happiest start of my story, we have all definitely worked very hard to make it a happy ending when that time comes MANY, MANY, MANY years from now!