Our Adoption StoryDuran & Shunda

How did you decide to adopt a baby?

We had been dreaming of becoming parents for some time when we began trying to conceive. After struggling with infertility and other medical issues, we decided we needed to explore some other options. We began talking about adoption and ultimately felt that this would be the best way to grow our family.

Why did you choose to work with Angel Adoption?

Angel Adoption was one of the first agencies we came across. We are so glad we stopped there and decided to work with them. We felt a connection with Angel Adoption and loved that they had a high success rate and a shorter contract time. Knowing that we would be entering one of the most vulnerable and emotional times of our lives, we felt less apprehensive knowing that Angel Adoption was behind us.

What were your feelings as you began your adoption journey?

When we began our adoption journey, we were filled with so many different emotions. We felt so nervous and had no idea what to expect. Not knowing what the future held was exciting, yet scary. We had heard many different adoption stories, some good and some not so good. Not knowing how long it would take to place, what the birthmother would be like, or if we would experience a failed adoption, were all things that weighed on our minds and hearts.

How did your friends and family react to your decision to adopt?

When we made the decision to move forward with adoption and grow our family, our family was elated. They were all so happy and very supportive of our decision. When we started our adoption journey we had been married 13 years, so the news of a baby had everyone beyond excited. Knowing that our family was 100% behind us and supportive of our choices truly made this process easier.

What was it like meeting the birthmother for the first time?

One week after we completed our home study, Angel Adoption called us with an opportunity to talk to an expectant mother. After speaking only once, she decided she wanted to move forward with us and chose us as the adoptive parents. Unfortunately, we never met face to face but did connect using FaceTime. Talking with her for the first time was incredibly overwhelming and exciting. For our adoption journey, things happened rather quickly. From the day we signed our contract with Angel Adoption to the moment we had a baby in our arms, it was a total of three months. We were so thankful to be able to connect with our birthmother and create a bond before she gave birth.

Describe receiving the call that your baby was being born and traveling to meet him.

When we were told about this opportunity, we knew right away that we would be moving forward quickly because her due date was in two weeks. We hurried to finish our classes and started shopping for all the baby essentials almost immediately. When we received the call that she had given birth, we were ecstatic and overwhelmed! It was so nerve wracking and exciting all at the same time. We were still so scared that things would fall through and the thought of that happening left us feeling very nervous. Traveling to the hospital to meet not only our potential child, but possibly the birthmother who held the key to our dreams in her hands, had us on edge the entire way there.

Describe the experience of finally meeting your baby.

Walking into the nursery to meet our baby boy for the first time was one of the most surreal and exciting moments of our lives. The amount of joy and love that filled our hearts in that moment is something we truly don’t have words for. We had met our child. We had our baby boy in our arms and we didn’t want to put him down. Zalyn has blessed our lives in so many ways and made our family complete. He stole our hearts the moment we met him.

What is your relationship like with your baby’s birthmother?

We feel so blessed that we were able to connect with her and come up with a plan of communication moving forward. We shared a lot of stories during our talks and got to know each other better. Those memories are something we will always cherish and someday pass on to Zalyn. We take things one day at a time and know that Zalyn’s birthmother gave us a gift we could never possibly thank her enough for. Zalyn is now a year old and we still remain in contact with her. Regardless of the time that has passed between our interactions, we will always happily accept her with open arms.

What were the biggest challenges of the adoption process?

The adoption journey has so many ups and downs and unknowns. Being able to let go of the lack of control and just trust the process was extremely challenging. Not knowing how things would end up coming together, or if they would even come together at all, was something we struggled with. Along with the nerves, the amount of paperwork was a bit daunting at times, and though it did keep us busy, it was a challenge to get through.

Adoption can be a lengthy process — how did you get through the wait?

For us, we experienced a rather short waiting time. We were able to adopt within three months of signing our contract. We know and understand that this is not a typical journey and we feel truly blessed that it did work out the way it did. We know that many families do not experience a short waiting period and we can’t even begin to comprehend how difficult it would be during an already emotional journey.

Would you adopt again?

We had a great experience working with Angel Adoption and feel so grateful for our adoption journey. At this time we feel in our hearts that our family is complete.

What advice do you have to share with other adoptive parents?

Though our journey went by fast and we placed rather quickly, we still feel that regardless of waiting time our advice can apply to all adoption journeys. We would advise other adoptive parents to take it all one day at a time, and not think too far ahead. We would tell them to have faith in the process and trust in knowing that all things will fall into place at the right time. Lastly, in times when you are struggling, to pray and turn it over to God.