In the last episode of ADOPTION NOW, Laura, an incredible birth mother, shared her story of honesty and open communication in her adoption experience.
In this episode, host April Fallon and her husband Noah are joined by the adoptive parents, Jen and Alan. They tell us their side of the story on this seemingly perfect adoption. Although the story starts with grief and a very difficult first marriage, ultimately, it ends in the happiest of ways!
To start this interview, April asked Jen to share the events that led her to meet Alan. Jen experienced a lot of grief through a pregnancy that ended in emergency surgery. She was emotionally distraught and decided to attend a healing arts school and understand the grieving process on a deeper level.
“I learned a lot about what it means to be a human being...The things that we are subjected to, and also all the love that we have available to us all the time.” - Jen
It was only a year and a half later, after going through a whirlwind of changes and emotions, that she met her future husband Alan.
After being invited by her roommate to an Irish bar, the wheels were in motion for Jen to meet Alan. Although it was love at first sight, the stars were not quite aligned for the couple just yet, as both would live apart from each other for a couple of years.
Being a younger guy, Alan had wanted to travel, so he did so around the world for two years. During his adventures, he and Jen kept in contact the whole time. And once they reconnected, it was only about a month before they were married and trying for kids!
After April asked them how long they had tried before they considered adoption, they both estimated it around 3-5 years of trying. Jen and Alan had also tried to get pregnant through IVF before deciding that adoption was right for them. But, it wasn’t until they had matched with the perfect birth mother (Laura) that adoption came to touch their lives so powerfully.
Jen and Alan got their profile book up and ready, finished their home study, and were matched with a child in just eight months!
As April stresses though, it is very difficult if you aren’t matched. It’s not your fault and there’s nothing wrong with YOU. There are so many factors that go into the decision, so if you weren’t picked, your baby is still out there and you will be matched soon!
With that in mind, Jen and Alan were matched with their perfect child. This was made crystal clear after the best first meeting ever with the birth parents. They describe it as their first ‘perfect date,’ and how their story was meant to be.
Alan and Jen invited birth parents Laura and Jerome over to their house by the beach. They took a scenic stroll next to the ocean, and after that meeting, they were all in agreement that it was a match made in heaven!
Soon, all would be made official and the date of birth grew closer. When April asked what the birth experience was like, Jen and Alan both agreed that it was a magical moment.
Instead of having a hospital birth, Laura had wanted one in a birth center, which only added to the magic of the picture-perfect experience. When Noah asked Alan his experience with this whole moment, he said that he’d never forget it because of how special it was. He and Jen actually made it to the hospital just in the nick of time, which meant that they arrived about 30 minutes before Ava’s birth!
To this day, Ava is healthy and a continual blessing for everyone. Jen and Alan had such a great experience with adoption that they’re looking to adopt again! Every adoption story is different, and Jen and Alan are proof of that. Their journey has been filled with hope, positivity, and lots of love.
For more of this episode, listen along for Jen and Alan further elaborate on the research that went into finding their birth mother, the shared Filipino roots that Jen and little Ava have, the strong relationship that Laura still has with the family, and more heartfelt moments.