Fortunately for me I was no stranger to adoption. I was adopted and my mother, my sister and my aunt have all placed a baby for adoption. It didn’t make my decision any easier, I was just more familiar with the process. I knew a lot more clearly than some, that placing your baby for adoption doesn’t mean giving up on your baby, it just means you want a better life for your baby.
In 2003 I found out I was pregnant with my third child. I was already going through so much, the thought of having another child was so scary. I knew almost immediately I was going to place the baby for adoption. I began searching for an agency. I knew this adoption was going to go my way or it wasn’t going to go at all. I fired 4 adoption agencies and was beginning to lose hope when I found Adoption Choices. I met Christy and she was simply amazing. She was really the only person I had at that point in my life and without her I would have been so lost. I told her what I was looking for in a family and she heard me very clearly. I found my adoptive family in the first stack of profiles she brought me and I was so eager to meet them. Of course, there was a process but I was ready to get the ball rolling. I knew that I wouldn’t change my mind, there was no going back. All of my children deserved so much better and I was determined to make that happen. I wanted my adoptive parents to feel as comfortable with me as possible and I wanted them to trust me. I wanted them to know there was no changing my mind and that their dream of becoming parents was so very real.
It was a great feeling knowing he was going to get the life he deserved and knowing two people were making their dreams become a reality.
There has never been a day that I wish I had done something different. I have zero regrets in placing my son for adoption. It has been wonderful to see the little man he’s become and I am so proud of the parents they are. He is so blessed and lucky to have them. They thank me all the time for the gift of a child but I thank them for the gifts they’ve given my child. I could have never given him the life he has and I know that. It may not always be an easy thing to accept, it’s a pride issue, I guess. But sometimes swallowing your pride for the sake of someone else and making selfless decisions, is just part of life. They can often be some of the hardest decisions you’ll ever make but if it’s to the greater good of someone or something else then how can that be wrong?
I have no doubt that some of you may feel like placing your baby for adoption is giving up on them. I think it’s the exact opposite. For one, you’re giving your baby a chance at life. You have either decided against abortion or are simply evaluating ALL of your options. Any way you go, it is a life long decision you MUST be sure about and NONE of them are easy choices. You have such a short time to decide the fate of your baby. It’s not easy. Trust me! I know each one of you are going through something so personal that no one can know EXACTLY what you are going through. It can be a lonely, scary and desperate feeling but you are NOT alone.
I remember so many people trying to tell me what I should or shouldn’t be doing. What I should or shouldn’t be feeling. But, NONE of these people had been through what I’ve been through. It’s frustrating when someone is trying to tell you they know what you’re going through when they have no idea. All I ask for you, as a birth mom, is to consider what is best for you and your baby. Picture your life, and is it something you want to bring a baby into? Ask yourself and be honest, do you have the financial means to raise a child comfortably? No, it’s not about money but don’t you want your baby to have the best life possible?
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!