November 25, 2014

Adoption News Roundup

When their newborn son was born and diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, they were told they didn’t have to go through with the adoption. But these dads thought, “If not us, then who?” And have spent every day since spreading awareness about Grayson’s rare condition and protecting their son from harm. This story is incredibly heartwarming, and shows what an injustice it is to deny anyone with the capacity to love the opportunity to parent and raise a child.

How many of these incredibly awkward questions have you been asked about your adoption? “How much was she?” “Her birth mother was a teenager, right?” “Who’s her real mother?” Probably more than you’d prefer. The Adoptions from the Heart blog shares some great ways to answer these questions that don’t involve expletives (as compelling as it may seem to go down that road).

The newest piece from Portrait of an Adoption’s 30 Adoption Portraits in 30 Days series is from the perspective of a hospital employee, who says, “Who am I, as a hospital employee, and especially as a member of support staff, to say that any of these responses are right, or wrong, or too hard, or cold, and indifferent? My job is to be there no matter what that Mom needs. To walk alongside her during those fleeting hours that will change her life forever, to remind her to listen to her heart as she decides, whether to say goodbye to the role of Mom in this child’s life, or to support her if she decides she cannot go through with the adoption.” Compassion, compassion, compassion. It never hurt anyone.

10 things adoptees want you to know. Did any of these surprise you?

Not only can you place your child for adoption, but you can place your embryos for adoption! Here, a woman who donated her embryos talks about that experience, her own ups and downs with adoption, fertility and pregnancy, and the advocacy role she took on after losing her 6 year old daughter to pediatric cancer.

And now meet the woman who adopted that embryo and became a mama!

Love this: “6 things my ‘adoptive’ parents did right.” “More than 30 years ago, my parents decided to adopt after several unsuccessful attempts to have a third child. I use the loose term “adoptive” parents in that my parents adopted me, but they are just my parents – my real parents, the only ones I have ever known.”