Steve & Christine Oldknow Adopt!
Donation protected
My name is Megan, I am a friend of Christine & Steve's, and I set up this GoFundMe account for them.
Steve & Christine have been married for 11 years (Soon to be 12 in May of this year). They have been trying to have a baby for 10 years. Not only did they go through the horrific routine of fertility treatments, tracking cycles & levels, while watching that line on the pregnancy test turn negative month after month after month for 10 years, they also experienced so much loss.
Not only did they lose a child through miscarriage, they also lost a child through adoption. A few years ago, Steve & Christine decided to pursue adoption. They went through all of the necessary steps through a local agency to adopt a child. Since they chose private adoption, the cost was not covered by the state. Soon after going through the homestudy and the classes, and soon after putting up about $11,000 towards their adoption, they were matched with a birth mom!! They were so incredibly excited! However, the birthmom soon changed her mind and decided to parent her child. Due to the adoption laws in Arizona and the situation at hand, Christine and Steve lost all of their investment.
While continuing the journey to becoming parents and without losing faith that God had a child out there for them, Christine and Steve began looking into the state funded foster to adopt program. Then, JUST before their foster license was about to be approved, God had a miraculous plan that no one saw coming, and Christine received a call from her mom in Michigan about a birth mother who was interested in placing her child with Christine & Steve for adoption.
Anyone who has ever adopted can tell you about the moment they received "the call." Receiving a call that a birth mother would like to potentially place their child with you for adoption is just like seeing that pregnancy test blink "POSTIVE" - the call, like the test, is not a guarantee, but it makes your heart beat a little bit faster as you let it sink in, sometimes for the first time in 11 years, that you are going to be a mom!
Well, the Oldknows (living in Arizona) received this call back in December and have since met with the birth mother (located in Michigan) and signed papers. Everything is all said and done, all that is left to do is wait for their SON!
Here is where the story gets even more wild! This birth mother, like many placing their children, has not had much prenatal care. The doctors estimated her due date at February 26th, 2015. This woman has 2 other miracle babies and both of those kiddos came almost 4 weeks early!! Since Christine & Steve are still recooping from their lost savings, they had no choice but to drive to Michigan. When she called them having contractions, they started their FMLA and drove to Michigan!! That was on February 18th .... it is now March 12th and the baby still has not arrived. Even the doctors are shocked, and because of this birth mother's lack of prenatal care, the doctors are not positive about her due date and are now estimating it at March 17th!
All of that said, they are still adopting this baby, and the birth mom's contractions are about 30 minutes apart and she is 2cm dilated as I write this so their son will be born very very soon! All the papers have been processed, this child is theirs... but:
Steve's PTO ran out last week as they anticipated being home already and Steve returning to work. Also, Christine's final pay check ends next week.
Assuming the child is born March 17th, Christine and Steve will have to make the drive home with their son and make it through the entire month of April with only 1 paycheck instead of the normal 4 paychecks. Christine, an elementary school teacher, goes back to work to finish her school year on April 20th.
THEY NEED OUR HELP!
Total Cost of this Adoption: $8,400
Total Christine & Steve have personally put forward out of their savings & tax return: $5,400
Remaining Adoption Filing Fees: $3,000
Rent Due for April: $800 -- Landlord gave them one month FREE!!! Praise God! We updated the total amount needed to reflect this generous gift!
Utilities Due for April: $307
Car Payment for April: $191
Car/Life Insurance for April: $166
Student Loan 1 for April: $150
Student Loan 2 for April: $515
Estimated Formula for Baby: $100
Estimated Medical Costs for Baby: $271
I would love for you to give generally, anything helps... even $5 helps... but if you would like to sponsor one of their bills, they are listed above for the month of April. Come on guys, let's help bring Baby Oldknow HOME!!
Steve & Christine have been married for 11 years (Soon to be 12 in May of this year). They have been trying to have a baby for 10 years. Not only did they go through the horrific routine of fertility treatments, tracking cycles & levels, while watching that line on the pregnancy test turn negative month after month after month for 10 years, they also experienced so much loss.
Not only did they lose a child through miscarriage, they also lost a child through adoption. A few years ago, Steve & Christine decided to pursue adoption. They went through all of the necessary steps through a local agency to adopt a child. Since they chose private adoption, the cost was not covered by the state. Soon after going through the homestudy and the classes, and soon after putting up about $11,000 towards their adoption, they were matched with a birth mom!! They were so incredibly excited! However, the birthmom soon changed her mind and decided to parent her child. Due to the adoption laws in Arizona and the situation at hand, Christine and Steve lost all of their investment.
While continuing the journey to becoming parents and without losing faith that God had a child out there for them, Christine and Steve began looking into the state funded foster to adopt program. Then, JUST before their foster license was about to be approved, God had a miraculous plan that no one saw coming, and Christine received a call from her mom in Michigan about a birth mother who was interested in placing her child with Christine & Steve for adoption.
Anyone who has ever adopted can tell you about the moment they received "the call." Receiving a call that a birth mother would like to potentially place their child with you for adoption is just like seeing that pregnancy test blink "POSTIVE" - the call, like the test, is not a guarantee, but it makes your heart beat a little bit faster as you let it sink in, sometimes for the first time in 11 years, that you are going to be a mom!
Well, the Oldknows (living in Arizona) received this call back in December and have since met with the birth mother (located in Michigan) and signed papers. Everything is all said and done, all that is left to do is wait for their SON!
Here is where the story gets even more wild! This birth mother, like many placing their children, has not had much prenatal care. The doctors estimated her due date at February 26th, 2015. This woman has 2 other miracle babies and both of those kiddos came almost 4 weeks early!! Since Christine & Steve are still recooping from their lost savings, they had no choice but to drive to Michigan. When she called them having contractions, they started their FMLA and drove to Michigan!! That was on February 18th .... it is now March 12th and the baby still has not arrived. Even the doctors are shocked, and because of this birth mother's lack of prenatal care, the doctors are not positive about her due date and are now estimating it at March 17th!
All of that said, they are still adopting this baby, and the birth mom's contractions are about 30 minutes apart and she is 2cm dilated as I write this so their son will be born very very soon! All the papers have been processed, this child is theirs... but:
Steve's PTO ran out last week as they anticipated being home already and Steve returning to work. Also, Christine's final pay check ends next week.
Assuming the child is born March 17th, Christine and Steve will have to make the drive home with their son and make it through the entire month of April with only 1 paycheck instead of the normal 4 paychecks. Christine, an elementary school teacher, goes back to work to finish her school year on April 20th.
THEY NEED OUR HELP!
Total Cost of this Adoption: $8,400
Total Christine & Steve have personally put forward out of their savings & tax return: $5,400
Remaining Adoption Filing Fees: $3,000
Rent Due for April: $800 -- Landlord gave them one month FREE!!! Praise God! We updated the total amount needed to reflect this generous gift!
Utilities Due for April: $307
Car Payment for April: $191
Car/Life Insurance for April: $166
Student Loan 1 for April: $150
Student Loan 2 for April: $515
Estimated Formula for Baby: $100
Estimated Medical Costs for Baby: $271
I would love for you to give generally, anything helps... even $5 helps... but if you would like to sponsor one of their bills, they are listed above for the month of April. Come on guys, let's help bring Baby Oldknow HOME!!
Organizer and beneficiary
Megan Milem
Organizer
Peoria, AZ
Christine Oldknow
Beneficiary