GOD ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS
This love filled testimony was written by Donna. Names, states, and a few details have been changed to protect the privacy of everyone involved in this adoption.
(Another successful adoption associated with Christian Adoption.)
I'd like to share our "champagne" story of the adoption of our daughter. Brad and I have been married for 23 years and he is older than I am by 21 years. When I first tried to get pregnant I was 28 years old. I of course thought it would happen right away. No one in my family ever dealt with infertility. After nearly two years of trying I never became pregnant. One day we were phoned by an O.B. physician I worked with at the hospital. Someone we knew was placing her baby for adoption. She had picked us. Were we interested? Yes! She came over to our house that day. Six weeks later, on our 9th wedding anniversary I was present for the birth of our daughter Laura. By then I would turn 30 two months later and Bill would be 51 three months later. We both felt God had His hand in our adoption. Everything went smoothly. There was not one problem. We lived in Colorado at that time. Any adoption was not final until you went before the judge. Laura was born in April and it was not final until that December. We were secure knowing the birthmother would not change her mind. Laura's birth story was so wonderful that I wanted the same thing to happen with any subsequent adoptions. From the time Laura was 3 years old I wanted her to have a sibling. All of you that are traveling down the road of adoption know what agencies want. Money and couples in their 30's. I always held out for that day I would become pregnant. I felt that was our only option. In 1997 I began searching for a infertility doctor that could help me get pregnant. Now I'm 42 years old--definitely over the prime fertility years. The chances are slim but I try in-vitro. That November, after the third try and all of the drugs I was like the girl from The Exorcist. Brad and I were on shaky ground. It was never his idea to try in-vitro knowing what it could do to me. I love Christmas. The one in 1997 I could do without. I hated myself for cheating Laura out of the holidays. I was so depressed. I write all of this in the hope that you won't make the same mistakes I did. Don't get so caught up in your grief that you take control. When 1998 arrived I'd been searching to no avail for an agency that would accept us. We could go out of the country--Russia was almost our only option, possibly adopt a one year old boy. We paid $200 for the paper work. At that same time Russia and the USA were having problems. Russia did not want Americans to adopt because of bad press concerning the abuse of a Russian orphan by an American couple. We prayed and did not feel led to pursue Russia. In February 1998 something had come in the mail from a facilitator in California. Boy was she a used car salesman or what? I fell hook, line, and sinker for her pitch. Three days later $7,500 was on it's way to California. She said we would have a baby in a few months. She didn't care that Brad was 63 at that time. What she failed to tell us was where she was getting all of these babies. We did ask. She lied. I think she knows how desperate couples are to have a baby. She 'preys' upon that maternal desire. In October 1998 we were told about a birthmother that was due shortly. Two days later I'm flying to California from our home state. Gee, she neglected to tell us the woman had lots of maternal medical problems and some problems in the pregnancy. Oh, and by the way, she's in prison--really. Two days later I'm flying back home from California. (I did help the girl sitting next to me on the plane put things in perspective. She realized her crisis of whether or not her bridesmaid's dress would fit was small potatoes.) The blessing in all of this was that we were supposed to pay another $5000 to obtain the medical information that I saw. It was a mistake the worker made as we were driving to pick up the birthmother to take her to the hospital. We had sent additional money to a Texas agency in February 1998. They worked with the facilitator in Calif. for any out of state couples. The total would be around $20,000 for a baby. The medical problems that the mother and fetus had was not my reason for turning the adoption down, nor the fact she was in prison. When I saw the birthfather and found out about his abuse of the birthmother and their two other boys, I knew he was not someone that I wanted to have a lifelong relationship with.
NOW, onto the good news! In January 1999, I was given Deborah Hill's phone number. We had already invested $10,000 in adoption fees without a baby to show for it. Plus all of the money spent trying to get pregnant. We really didn't want to spend anymore money that Laura can use for college. I left a message on Deborah's machine. When she called back we talked for 2 hours. She could relate to our story. My husband and I prayed and we decided to join the Christian Adoption family at the end of January. (I cried and whined like everyone else does to Deborah.) It's so hard to be in the adoption process with that strong desire for a baby. You really lose perspective about God's plan. I wish more than anything I could save the tears those of you reading this are shedding daily. I cried enough over the last 11 years to float a battleship. Satan wins when that happens. God is love and only wants what it best for us. I know now how true that statement is. I could quote many scriptures but it isn't necessary. A believer knows it's true. When May 1999 rolled around I had no idea what was going to happen. Deborah and a birthmother, Sally, in another state near to us talked on the phone. Sally needed someone close to where she lived because she had no car for transportation to the doctor or hospital. She did not have a job nor insurance or welfare. The adoptive couple would assume all financial responsibility. Sally also wanted minimal dealings with the birthfather. When Deborah told her about us she was interested. I was in shock when Deborah called me on May 19th. I called Sally right away. She wasn't home. Sally called later that night. We then met on the 25th for her O.B. ultrasound. I took her to the hospital to find out her gestational date. I was nervous. What if she didn't like me? But we hit it off when we met. I also met her mother the same day. I didn't know at that time her mother and I are the same age. Sally and I went out to lunch before the O.B. appt. Someone next to us at the restaurant was having a baby shower. I was surprised by the way Sally seemed detached from her pregnancy--the shower didn't even bother her. All went well at the hospital. No visual on a boy or a girl baby. Now she needed to meet Brad and Laura. I was concerned Brad's age would be a factor in her picking us to adopt her baby--well she could have cared less. Brad retired from the fire dept. in Colorado. Sally's grandfather was a volunteer fireman. I'm a nurse. She wants to be a nurse. She lives in the country like we do. She fell in love with Laura and has similar likes and dislikes. Laura promised her no FOO-FOO dresses if it's a girl! Yes, it's a match! Now the waiting, her due date was July 4th. She was sure she would deliver before then. We went to the hospital for two false alarms in June. She has hidden her pregnancy from friends and all but her immediate family. Sally has another child that wants a baby brother or sister that has not been told about the pregnancy. We change doctors and hospitals. It's 96 miles one way from her house to the doctor. For 2 1/2 weeks Sally had been contracting. She was at her wit's end. She had not seen her child for 2 weeks. Time was running out. If she didn't have the baby soon she was going to tell her child the truth. Then everyone will know and there wouldn't be any reason not to keep the baby. Now I'm worried. Even when I got upset I knew better. God had sent Sally to us. She never questioned anything. We always told her the truth. So many things I would have asked an adoptive mother she never asked. I realized how self-absorbed she was and how a baby would interfere with her present life. She knew her feelings would not be the same for this baby because she wanted nothing to do with the birthfather. God intervened in those last days. Her family was going out of town the weekend of June 18th. That day I picked up Sally and brought her to the city in our state where she would deliver. We lived 40 minutes away from the hospital so I made arrangements with a motel for the weekend. The doctor checked her at the hospital. It was too early. We returned later that night. Sally had contracted off and on all day. At 10 p.m. the doctor broke her water (amniotic sac) and an active labor pattern began. On June 19th one month from our first phone call, Sarah Faith was born at 2:33 a.m. The three of us ended up sharing a room that night. The nursing staff told us that we would not be able to complete the adoption until Monday, it was Saturday. We all wanted to leave ASAP. Our attorney was totally on the ball. All of his ducks were in a row. He found the only notary in the town where he met the birthfather to sign the legal papers. All six notaries for the hospital were unavailable. He found the only notary in the town where Sally delivered that was willing to come to the hospital to observe the signatures. We later found out her son had adopted a baby. 12 hours after delivery the baby was ours! Brad took Sally home at 9:30 p.m. on her delivery day. There were no complications. Later that night on Saturday our attorney had the county clerk open the courthouse to file the temporary custody papers so we could take Sarah home Sunday. The doctor told me she would keep Sarah if she had jaundice because she was 3 weeks early and only weighed 5# 13.6 oz. I stayed awake all night and fed her every two hours around the clock. In the morning she had gained weight and her bilirubin level was low. On Father's Day June 20th the baby was released home with the three of us! Our attorney could leave with his Boy Scout troop as planned. Our baby was here to stay and my birthday was the next day. So those of you that have not yet been blessed--if a 44 year old woman and a 65 year old man are able to adopt a baby--God surely has one in store for you! Turn your will over to Him. Pray for patience! Have faith that God knows what is best for you. Sarah Faith is an example for all believers. God does give you the desire of your heart. Psalm 37.
Trust in Him and you will not disappointed,
Brad, Donna, Laura & Sarah Faith
For more information please read Can and Cast. We encourage you to prayerfully consider registering with our service, and/or writing to us.
adoption@christianadoption.com
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service ministry. We're helping others in the adoption
process.
1.800.277.7006 620.251.4405
Eddie & Deborah S. Hill P.O. Box 243 Coffeyville, KS 67337
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