$3,165 raised
·12 donations
Davis Family Adoption
Donation protected
Before I can share the story of Blake and I, I have to share my story.
On November 7, 1991, I was born, and within hours, doctors discovered that I had a very serious, life-threatening heart defect. Now that I’m older, I can’t imagine how my parents, who were 21 and 17, felt in those moments. The doctor basically told them that my heart was half-developed and without undergoing major surgeries, I would not survive. What made the situation even scarier was that the major surgery that would save me was very new, and they honestly didn’t know how well it worked. All they could tell my parents was that with this surgery, I would make it to at least age 5, but they weren’t sure after that. So at a few days old, I had my first operation. I had another at age 3 and my last one at age 14. The surgeries that they weren’t sure would work, did. I am so thankful for the power of prayer, God, and medical doctors and technology because without those three, I do not think I would be here today.
Even though I have a major heart defect, I’ve had a very normal life. I honestly think that two things made me the person I am today. One is my incredible family that let me do almost anything I set my mind to. I was always told to know my limitations, but there is always a way. So I did what most kids did; I went to school, cheered, played piano, had art lessons, sleepovers, vacations, swam, and played. I always knew I was different, but was okay with that. The second thing that impacted me was Camp Boggy Creek. This camp came into my life at age 9. It is a non-profit camp for kids with serious illnesses, but the great thing about it is they don’t let you remember you have one. It’s there that I was encouraged to try new things, and I also met many amazing kids just like me. I really grew with my confidence at camp. I kept going back until I aged out of being a camper. I then volunteered and eventually worked there. Although my life started out different and scary, it has been so worth it. Without my illness, I wouldn’t be the strong and compassionate woman I am today.
So now, the story of us: Blake and Devon. I met Blake in November of 2015 in Jacksonville, Florida, and as cliche as it sounds, when you know, you know. I knew that Blake was the one really early on, but I never admitted this until years later. People often ask, “how did you know?” It was during a conversation we had early on in our relationship about dating. He said, “I don’t believe in just dating to date. I am dating with the full intention of finding my future wife. I don’t understand why guys will date a girl for years and years and then always respond with, ‘I don’t know if she’s the one.’ I believe that within two years, you know.” That conversation was when I knew 100% that he was it. During the five years of our relationship, we have done so many amazing things and really built a life together. In 2017, we got our first home together, and he asked me to marry him (he really stuck to that two year rule). This was the year we also decided that traveling was important to us. It was something we honestly hadn’t done much of, and we both regret not studying abroad or going to more places during college. So we made a promise to travel. Our first trip was to New York City, and then in 2018, we got married and bought our first home in Jacksonville. We decided that instead of a wedding, we wanted a house and an amazing honeymoon. So on New Years Eve of 2018, we decided to book a three-week trip to Italy. (You will notice that New Years Eve life decisions are a pattern for us.) We both had never been out of the country, but we decided to plan this whole trip by ourselves. Was it the smoothest trip? No. Was it one of the best decisions we ever made? Yes. I honestly think all newlyweds should backpack in a foreign country for three weeks. We grew so much as a couple and had the most amazing time.
Fast forward to New Years Eve of 2019. Blake and I had been praying and talking about our future and where we wanted to truly build a life together. We kept coming back to North Georgia. That's where Blake is from, and as a teacher, I was excited that they had amazing school systems. So once again, on New Years Eve, we made a big life decision and decided to put our house on the market, just to see what would happen. It sold within four days and by February, we packed up our whole life and drove six hours north. Then 2020 really hit. I can say that in the Spring of 2020, I started to question if we made the right choice. We were living with family, the shutdown affected Blake’s business, and the school systems were frozen and didn’t seem to be hiring. I prayed and cried almost daily. We honestly moved with full intentions of living in the suburbs of Atlanta, but after months of no job offers, I decided to apply to the school district in Blake’s small hometown of Calhoun. Within three days, I had two job offers, and a week later, we put an offer on a house that already had an offer, but the sellers chose us. 2020 started to make us realize that sometimes God’s full plan isn’t revealed all at once, and that’s okay. Where we ended up is not where we thought, but we are so happy we are here.
As we settled into our new house, we started to have more conversations about starting a family. We had purchased our dream home, Blake’s business had grown and become so much more than we ever hoped, and I was teaching at a school that I loved. We decided that when we met my new cardiologist in September, we would bring up the idea of growing our family. I have always been really open with Blake about my heart condition, and he has spent the last five years learning and understanding as much as he can. I told him that when I was moved to adult congenital cardiology at age 18, they mentioned that pregnancy was risky, but when I was ready, I could have the conversation with my doctor. For about a year, Blake had wanted us to have this conversation, but I was scared. In my head, the answer was a “maybe,” but if I asked, I was so scared it would be a “no.” So my September appointment came along and sitting in the office, we asked. After a long conversation where my doctor explained statistics and risk factors, he came to the following conclusion. With my heart condition, there is a 50/50 chance that one of four things will happen: 1. Our baby will have complications or be underdeveloped. 2. After giving birth, I will have complications and possibly have irreversible damage to my heart. 3. My baby or myself will die. 4. We both will die. To say I was crushed is an understatement. The “maybe” I had always had in my head turned into my worst fears… A “no.” It hit me hard on the long drive home, I just sobbed the whole way. I was so crushed, but when Blake held my hand and I looked over to see him crying, it just hurt so much more. In my head, I had ruined his chance of being a father, and I hated that more than me not being able to be a mother.
I’m not comparing the grief I felt to the loss of a baby. I can’t imagine how that must feel, but in a way, we had lost the hope of having a child, and that grief stuck with me for months. The only thing that really got me through it was Blake, and after time to heal, we started to have a real discussion of what this meant for our family. We prayed a lot, talked about all the possibilities, and made pros and cons lists. No matter what scenario we talked about, we always came back to the same conclusion: we wanted to be parents. I have always had a love in my heart for kids. It started at a young age caring for my sisters, working at Camp Boggy Creek, and then becoming a teacher. I also knew Blake would be an amazing father. He would be the kind that makes the mother think she has two kids, and I also knew that he would always be there for them. So we came to the conclusion that we would be parents and that adoption would make this happen.
Once we came to this conclusion, I started to research adoption. It is something I’ve always had on my heart because my father and aunt were adopted. I have also known people to adopt through teaching, but as I started to research private adoption through an agency, we discovered that the number one reason couples never adopt is due to the cost. Adoption can cost anywhere between $30,000 and $60,000 with the average cost being around $40,000. Once again, I felt like my hopes of being a mother had been crushed. Yes, I know that Blake and I have financial freedom where we would be able to raise a child, but we couldn’t find a way to come up with all that money at once. Adoption isn’t only expensive, but you need all the money up front. What we would need is a down payment on a house. Something we had done, but took years and years to save for. Again, I found myself grieving the possibility of a child, but then Blake started researching how people afford adoption. The only conclusion he came to was that they asked for help. This was something I wasn’t on board with right away. I’m very independent and have always made things happen on my own, but the reality is that the only way we can make this happen is with help. So on New Years Eve, once again, we find ourselves making this huge life decision. Taking the first step to parenthood and asking for help.
We really need four things from you:
1. Pray for us! Adoption can be a long and scary process. There is the possibility of a failed adoption and the possibility it will take longer than we hoped. So I ask you to pray for us. Pray that we have peace and understanding during all of this and know that it is God’s timing.
2. Pray for the birth mother. We know that somewhere in the world is a woman that will eventually make the tough decision to give up her child and pick us to be his or her parents. Pray for her because this is something that I couldn’t imagine doing, but I’m so grateful that she will.
3. Share our story. The more people that read and know our story, the faster we will reach our goal.
4. Donate, your donations will be tax-deductible.
We also want you to know that we have opened a separate bank account for our adoption fund. All money raised through the various platforms will go directly into that account and only be used for our adoption-related expenses. Here is the breakdown of all the expenses that come with adoption. The low end is around $35,000 and the high is $55,000, which is why we set our goal at $40,000.
Home Study Fee: $1,500 - $2,500
Documentation Preparation & Authentication: $1,000
Adoption Agency Application & Program Fees: $5,000 - $20,000
Adoption Consultant Fees: $1,000 - $3,000
Attorney Fees: $4,200 - $15,000
Advertising & Networking: $500 - $2,500
Birth Family Counseling: $500 - $1,000
Birth Mother Expenses: $3,000 - $5,000
Foster Care: $100 - $400
Travel Expenses: $1,000 - $3,000
Post-Placement Expenses: $500 - $2,000
Miscellaneous Expenses: $1,000 - $3,000
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read our story. We can never truly thank you for what you are doing. Just know that you will forever be a part of our journey to parenthood and the village that helped us raise our child.
Love, Blake and Devon Davis
On November 7, 1991, I was born, and within hours, doctors discovered that I had a very serious, life-threatening heart defect. Now that I’m older, I can’t imagine how my parents, who were 21 and 17, felt in those moments. The doctor basically told them that my heart was half-developed and without undergoing major surgeries, I would not survive. What made the situation even scarier was that the major surgery that would save me was very new, and they honestly didn’t know how well it worked. All they could tell my parents was that with this surgery, I would make it to at least age 5, but they weren’t sure after that. So at a few days old, I had my first operation. I had another at age 3 and my last one at age 14. The surgeries that they weren’t sure would work, did. I am so thankful for the power of prayer, God, and medical doctors and technology because without those three, I do not think I would be here today.
Even though I have a major heart defect, I’ve had a very normal life. I honestly think that two things made me the person I am today. One is my incredible family that let me do almost anything I set my mind to. I was always told to know my limitations, but there is always a way. So I did what most kids did; I went to school, cheered, played piano, had art lessons, sleepovers, vacations, swam, and played. I always knew I was different, but was okay with that. The second thing that impacted me was Camp Boggy Creek. This camp came into my life at age 9. It is a non-profit camp for kids with serious illnesses, but the great thing about it is they don’t let you remember you have one. It’s there that I was encouraged to try new things, and I also met many amazing kids just like me. I really grew with my confidence at camp. I kept going back until I aged out of being a camper. I then volunteered and eventually worked there. Although my life started out different and scary, it has been so worth it. Without my illness, I wouldn’t be the strong and compassionate woman I am today.
So now, the story of us: Blake and Devon. I met Blake in November of 2015 in Jacksonville, Florida, and as cliche as it sounds, when you know, you know. I knew that Blake was the one really early on, but I never admitted this until years later. People often ask, “how did you know?” It was during a conversation we had early on in our relationship about dating. He said, “I don’t believe in just dating to date. I am dating with the full intention of finding my future wife. I don’t understand why guys will date a girl for years and years and then always respond with, ‘I don’t know if she’s the one.’ I believe that within two years, you know.” That conversation was when I knew 100% that he was it. During the five years of our relationship, we have done so many amazing things and really built a life together. In 2017, we got our first home together, and he asked me to marry him (he really stuck to that two year rule). This was the year we also decided that traveling was important to us. It was something we honestly hadn’t done much of, and we both regret not studying abroad or going to more places during college. So we made a promise to travel. Our first trip was to New York City, and then in 2018, we got married and bought our first home in Jacksonville. We decided that instead of a wedding, we wanted a house and an amazing honeymoon. So on New Years Eve of 2018, we decided to book a three-week trip to Italy. (You will notice that New Years Eve life decisions are a pattern for us.) We both had never been out of the country, but we decided to plan this whole trip by ourselves. Was it the smoothest trip? No. Was it one of the best decisions we ever made? Yes. I honestly think all newlyweds should backpack in a foreign country for three weeks. We grew so much as a couple and had the most amazing time.
Fast forward to New Years Eve of 2019. Blake and I had been praying and talking about our future and where we wanted to truly build a life together. We kept coming back to North Georgia. That's where Blake is from, and as a teacher, I was excited that they had amazing school systems. So once again, on New Years Eve, we made a big life decision and decided to put our house on the market, just to see what would happen. It sold within four days and by February, we packed up our whole life and drove six hours north. Then 2020 really hit. I can say that in the Spring of 2020, I started to question if we made the right choice. We were living with family, the shutdown affected Blake’s business, and the school systems were frozen and didn’t seem to be hiring. I prayed and cried almost daily. We honestly moved with full intentions of living in the suburbs of Atlanta, but after months of no job offers, I decided to apply to the school district in Blake’s small hometown of Calhoun. Within three days, I had two job offers, and a week later, we put an offer on a house that already had an offer, but the sellers chose us. 2020 started to make us realize that sometimes God’s full plan isn’t revealed all at once, and that’s okay. Where we ended up is not where we thought, but we are so happy we are here.
As we settled into our new house, we started to have more conversations about starting a family. We had purchased our dream home, Blake’s business had grown and become so much more than we ever hoped, and I was teaching at a school that I loved. We decided that when we met my new cardiologist in September, we would bring up the idea of growing our family. I have always been really open with Blake about my heart condition, and he has spent the last five years learning and understanding as much as he can. I told him that when I was moved to adult congenital cardiology at age 18, they mentioned that pregnancy was risky, but when I was ready, I could have the conversation with my doctor. For about a year, Blake had wanted us to have this conversation, but I was scared. In my head, the answer was a “maybe,” but if I asked, I was so scared it would be a “no.” So my September appointment came along and sitting in the office, we asked. After a long conversation where my doctor explained statistics and risk factors, he came to the following conclusion. With my heart condition, there is a 50/50 chance that one of four things will happen: 1. Our baby will have complications or be underdeveloped. 2. After giving birth, I will have complications and possibly have irreversible damage to my heart. 3. My baby or myself will die. 4. We both will die. To say I was crushed is an understatement. The “maybe” I had always had in my head turned into my worst fears… A “no.” It hit me hard on the long drive home, I just sobbed the whole way. I was so crushed, but when Blake held my hand and I looked over to see him crying, it just hurt so much more. In my head, I had ruined his chance of being a father, and I hated that more than me not being able to be a mother.
I’m not comparing the grief I felt to the loss of a baby. I can’t imagine how that must feel, but in a way, we had lost the hope of having a child, and that grief stuck with me for months. The only thing that really got me through it was Blake, and after time to heal, we started to have a real discussion of what this meant for our family. We prayed a lot, talked about all the possibilities, and made pros and cons lists. No matter what scenario we talked about, we always came back to the same conclusion: we wanted to be parents. I have always had a love in my heart for kids. It started at a young age caring for my sisters, working at Camp Boggy Creek, and then becoming a teacher. I also knew Blake would be an amazing father. He would be the kind that makes the mother think she has two kids, and I also knew that he would always be there for them. So we came to the conclusion that we would be parents and that adoption would make this happen.
Once we came to this conclusion, I started to research adoption. It is something I’ve always had on my heart because my father and aunt were adopted. I have also known people to adopt through teaching, but as I started to research private adoption through an agency, we discovered that the number one reason couples never adopt is due to the cost. Adoption can cost anywhere between $30,000 and $60,000 with the average cost being around $40,000. Once again, I felt like my hopes of being a mother had been crushed. Yes, I know that Blake and I have financial freedom where we would be able to raise a child, but we couldn’t find a way to come up with all that money at once. Adoption isn’t only expensive, but you need all the money up front. What we would need is a down payment on a house. Something we had done, but took years and years to save for. Again, I found myself grieving the possibility of a child, but then Blake started researching how people afford adoption. The only conclusion he came to was that they asked for help. This was something I wasn’t on board with right away. I’m very independent and have always made things happen on my own, but the reality is that the only way we can make this happen is with help. So on New Years Eve, once again, we find ourselves making this huge life decision. Taking the first step to parenthood and asking for help.
We really need four things from you:
1. Pray for us! Adoption can be a long and scary process. There is the possibility of a failed adoption and the possibility it will take longer than we hoped. So I ask you to pray for us. Pray that we have peace and understanding during all of this and know that it is God’s timing.
2. Pray for the birth mother. We know that somewhere in the world is a woman that will eventually make the tough decision to give up her child and pick us to be his or her parents. Pray for her because this is something that I couldn’t imagine doing, but I’m so grateful that she will.
3. Share our story. The more people that read and know our story, the faster we will reach our goal.
4. Donate, your donations will be tax-deductible.
We also want you to know that we have opened a separate bank account for our adoption fund. All money raised through the various platforms will go directly into that account and only be used for our adoption-related expenses. Here is the breakdown of all the expenses that come with adoption. The low end is around $35,000 and the high is $55,000, which is why we set our goal at $40,000.
Home Study Fee: $1,500 - $2,500
Documentation Preparation & Authentication: $1,000
Adoption Agency Application & Program Fees: $5,000 - $20,000
Adoption Consultant Fees: $1,000 - $3,000
Attorney Fees: $4,200 - $15,000
Advertising & Networking: $500 - $2,500
Birth Family Counseling: $500 - $1,000
Birth Mother Expenses: $3,000 - $5,000
Foster Care: $100 - $400
Travel Expenses: $1,000 - $3,000
Post-Placement Expenses: $500 - $2,000
Miscellaneous Expenses: $1,000 - $3,000
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read our story. We can never truly thank you for what you are doing. Just know that you will forever be a part of our journey to parenthood and the village that helped us raise our child.
Love, Blake and Devon Davis
Donations
Organizer
Devon Davis
Organizer
Calhoun, GA