Caitlin's Mother sent us this article from Caitlin's school paper, The Warrior Ledger. It is written by Mikee Ferran and is titled, "Adoption is an Option".
A lot of people think that adoption is bad, that it means giving up your baby. But adoption is helping. You are not only helping your baby by providing a better life, but you are also helping a family who needs a baby.
Caitlin faced a life-changing decision that would make most want to run and hide. She found out she was just over four months pregnant. Because she found out so late in the pregnancy she was unable to consider abortion as an option for herself and her unborn baby. Keeping the baby was not an option because she was unable to raise the baby by herself; the father would not stay around to help her raise it. Her age also factored in her decision, and she knew she was too young and felt that, "it takes something special to be a mom, and I don't think I have that special quality yet." She chose to give her baby up for adoption, to provide it with a better life than she could.
The decision was not made right away. In fact, she said she kept putting it off because of the difficulty. But she got with an agency - LDS Family Services - and began to browse profiles of the future parents on the internet. She made a list of possible parents; first with seven, then three and finally she came to a decision on her chosen family. After meeting with the family and talking with them, she said they are soome of her "favorite people". Members of the family were telling her they loved her because of her decision to give her baby to them.
Caitlin has decided to have an open adoption - meaning that she can receive pictures and cards and can visit a couple times a year. She chose this type of adoption for the physical reassurance that her baby is well taken care of, and that she made the right choice of parents. The adoptive family will keep her updated and her baby will know who she is, nothing will be a mystery. She doesn't consider herself a co-parent, but more of a second mom.
Adoption is not a choice she regrets and thinks she never will. "The regret lies more so with getting pregnant. Choosing adoption helped an entire family. It affected so many more lives then just my baby's." Because of this, she thinks people should consider adoption if they are pregnant and not think of it as abandoning their child, but as helping a family and baby by providing it with a better life than is available.
Caitlin, we love you!
4 comments:
It's still all a miracle isn't it. To think that she had seven families and narrowed it down to you makes it so much more special and gives you confidence that you were meant to be together.
How special that Caitlin chooses to use her experience to help others who might find themselves in the same situation.
Not only has she blessed all of our lives, but she will bless other lives by being so open. I think that is what the Lord wants us to do with our challenges. Resolve them, and then bless others with the experience and the compassiom we have accumulated along the way.
I think you and Sarah have made her decision and the outcome a blessing to Caitlin as well as our family.
Thanks again Caitlin. We love you.
Her one unselfish act will snow ball thru the generations for a lot of families in many different situations.
We are grateful to her, her family and for you both for being there to accept her gift.
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