Every year, we get excited for November because it’s National Adoption Month — a month devoted to advocating for children who are waiting for permanent, loving families, and raising awareness about the continuing need for and issues surrounding adoption!
But it’s not just agencies and organizations that raise awareness during this special time of year. Any person impacted by adoption has a story to share, and, no matter their role, every voice and perspective is valuable.
Adoption Choices of Colorado is here to share their stories! Let us take you on a journey through the complexities and joys of building a family through adoption. This week, we had the joyous opportunity to interview Mary Anna. Her and her husband, Thomas, have been married for eleven years and have one adopted child, named Dominic! Here’s a deeper look into their adoption story.
PB: How did you decide to adopt?
MA: Adoption, for us, was always something we had talked about doing. We were planning to adopt in addition to having biological family. But, once we realized we couldn’t have children, we turned to adoption even more.
PB: How long ago did you adopt?
MA: We first met Dominic, our son, on March 9, 2017, less than two days after he was born. His adoption was finalized September 8, 2017. We celebrate both his birthday and his Gotcha Day!
PB: What type of adoption did you choose?
MA: We originally had a semi-open adoption. However, while Dominic’s birth mother was in the hospital, preparing for labor, she requested an open adoption. We gladly accepted!
PB: How has that worked out?
MA: It’s been great! We haven’t had any issues. Since Dominic’s birth mother requested the open adoption, we haven’t had much interaction, though. We’re waiting for her to take the lead!
PB: What was the highlight of your adoption experience?
MA: I think the thing that stands out most is how rapid the adoption process was. We were on the registry for about a month before we were matched, and then Dominic arrived a little over one month after that! We really had to be ready in every sense of the word. It was super wild because, at that time, I was working full time, and my husband was in school full time. There’s not a moment that we take for granted, though. It all worked out beautifully.
PB: What was the biggest challenge?
MA: I’d say the biggest challenge was the emotional part of the process! There’s a lot of control that you have to let go of. You have to trust that the pieces will fall into place. Thomas and I had gone through so much with our infertility. So, for us, it was tough to let go and trust in the adoption process. We really had to put ourselves out there.
PB: What would you have done differently?
MA: The only thing that I would like to have done differently is to have had more time with Dominic’s birth mother. I wanted to get to know her more, to make sure that, as Dominic grows, Thomas and I would be able to raise him in a way that she approved of. But it all happened so fast! We didn’t have enough time.
PB: Would you adopt again?
MA: Yes! That’s actually a very funny question. When Thomas graduated from school, we planned a trip to celebrate. On this trip we wanted to take photos with Dominic, to build our adoption profile book, you know? But we made a handful of rookie mistakes traveling with a toddler, and the trip rapidly fell apart! So, we balked at that time. But now, we’re in discussion about getting back on the registry. We’d love for Dominic to become a big brother one day. He’ll be great at it.
PB: How has adoption impacted your life?
MA: For us, adoption was the missing link. We needed this avenue to fall into line. It’s opened up our world in a way we never expected, and we wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
PB: Do you have any advice for other adoptive parents who are looking to adopt?
MA: The thing that was most helpful for me, once I made the decision to adopt, was having discussions with informed people. My family and friends tried their best to comfort me, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t always relate to my situation. There were certain individuals that I met along the way, though, who really understood what I was going through!
Mary Anna’s Adoption Story
It’s fitting that this year’s National Adoption Month focuses on why family matters. As you can tell, family is the epitome of happiness for Mary Anna and Thomas. Without Dominic, their lives wouldn’t be the same. Adoption was a gift that allowed them the opportunity to grow their family, to make it whole.
Adoption Choices of Colorado
For more information on adoption please contact Adoption Choices of Colorado. We can be reached via our website or phone 303-670-4401.
Support Adoption Choices
Adoption Choices, Inc. is partnering with Crowdrise, a fundraising website for nonprofits, to help our adoptive parents and birth parents with much needed financial assistance. We understand that expenses keep clients from fulfilling their dreams. Both with birth parents making a plan for adoption, and with adoptive parents growing their family. It is our mission to provide financial assistance through grants and scholarships, awarded annually in November, in honor of National Adoption Month. Funds assist adoptive parents with matching and placements, adoption finalization and helping birth mothers improve their lives through higher education — and much more.
However, we can’t do it alone. Please read up on our programs and donate money where you are able. Your donation will make a huge impact.
About the Author
Patience Bramlett, a University of Southern Mississippi news editorial graduate, is a seasoned and award-winning freelance writer. She is also a passionate reader, whose only wish is to live life without fear of the unknown. Her motivation and inspiration to live her best life stems from the words of John Lennon:
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
This year, she’s officially joining Adoption Choices Inc. as a Content Writer. Fueled by her love of family, she hopes to educate those looking to grow their families through adoption.
When Patience is not exploring Colorado with her husband, she’s drinking coffee, forever figuring out how to tame her hair, growing her library, and trying to break into the publishing career.
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!