She was devastated to learn she was pregnant her senior year of high school. Plans to go away to college in the fall were in jeopardy, and she felt no support from the birth father. He questioned whether or not the child was really his, which was a strong indicator to her that he would not be supportive or involved. Her parents were divorced, and neither of them was in a position to be of much help.
Options were clear, and the decision didn’t take too long. She considered parenting but struggled giving up hopes of college. She knew that the lack of support and involvement from the birth father and her own parents would make raising a child very difficult. Abortion was also on the list. It was an option that would allow her to pursue her education and keep her previously made plans. She also considered adoption.
Very early in her pregnancy, she fell down a flight of stairs. Following the fall, she was checked by her doctor, who did an ultrasound to make sure the baby looked okay. Watching the ultrasound screen, she noticed a small blinking light, which she learned was the baby’s heartbeat. Suddenly the pregnancy became very real. She writes, “The heartbeat made it clear to me, this was life. At that moment, I made my decision to choose life–for myself and for my child. At that moment, I chose adoption.”
Circumstances with her family changed unexpectedly and she moved in with her dad, who, along with her siblings, became a tremendous support to her. She credits them for helping her through the hard times and praising her for the choice she was making for her baby.
With certain criteria in mind, she began to search for the adoptive couple that would be just right for her son. She found a couple and, after meeting them, determined that they were indeed the right parents for her son.
The birth and placement were emotional. She said goodbye to her son, but “not for long.” She has been able to keep in contact with the adoptive family and watch her son grow and develop through letters and visits. She is comforted knowing that he has the life that she would have loved to give him, but couldn’t.
Adoption gave her son a family and made her a birth mom, something which has given her a voice and a future.
Read more about this tremendous young lady at iChooseAdoption.org
