Shane and Angie's adoption journey
Donation protected
I’ve known Shane since we were in High School. He has always been the person who knew everyone.
When we were growing up we had grand plans of what the future would hold for us. Among those plans were coaching our kid’s soccer or football games, and getting a Lake Tahoe Cabin together so our families could vacation on the water together among many other things.
Sadly, the dreams with the kids have hit one snag after another. He and Angie tried for years to get pregnant to no avail. Eventually they decided to refinance their house, pulling money out to pay for IVF, which costs tens of thousands of dollars, but ultimately it didn’t result in a pregnancy. After accepting that pregnancy might not be in the cards for them, they started to look elsewhere, specifically adoption.
They created their profile, website, went through interview after interview, got recommendation letters from anyone and everyone they asked including my parents. Finally, they were accepted as prospective parents and now were just waiting for a birth mother to pick them based on their profile. This entire ordeal took over a year and again the costs ran into the tens of thousands, but it was worth it to them. There was never any question.
A few weeks ago, they received news that the adoption agency that they had worked with for so long was declaring bankruptcy . There is little chance that they will be able to recoup any of the money they gave to the agency.
Shane and Angie have given me, and everyone else around them, more love and support throughout the twenty-plus years that we have been friends, then most people could give in a lifetime. I am honored that one of their many Godchildren is my son.
There are no people in the world more deserving to have children then Shane and Angie. He and Angie take my little ones camping on his church youth campout. They have chaperoned this trip before since before my kids were old enough to go and now that they are old enough to camp, they have taken them every year.
If there was ever two people who deserved to be parents its Shane and Angie. Unfortunately, after IVF and giving money to the now defunct adoption agency, they are no longer in a position financially to be able to pursue this dream of theirs and I know they are heartbroken about it.
Please help them make their dream a reality and be the blessing in one lucky child’s life as they will be getting the greatest parents they could dream of.
Below is part of their lives in their own words, taken from their adoption flyer.
Our Story
We met while attending college in 2003 and instantly became friends. After developing a strong friendship, we realized it was growing into something more and fell deeply in love. After dating for 8 years, we were married in 2011. Our dedication to each other is our top priority and we strive to grow in communication, love and understanding. We share a sense of adventure and enjoy spending quality time together.
With our home being located in the East Bay of San Francisco there are many wonderful choices for weekend trips. One of our favorite weekend getaways is to Monterey Bay located along California’s Central Coast. We enjoy visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium to discover all the wonders of the ocean; riding our bikes along Cannery Row to spot sea otters in their natural habitat; and finding tide pools to watch living sea creatures like sea stars and sea urchins. We are looking forward to our future trips with our children and we’re excited to watch them explore all that Monterey has to offer.
Where we call home
We live in Livermore, California – just one block away from the elementary school, and we are looking forward to walking our children to school. Livermore is a historic town with many family friendly activities. We enjoy visiting the many beautiful parks and walking our dog, Ryko.
We are truly blessed that our family, friends and church community are incredibly supportive of us and are excited about welcoming a new member of the family.
Our Traditions and Loved Ones
Fall is our favorite time of the year and we are looking forward to bringing our child to Livermore’s pumpkin patches to hunt for pumpkins, find our way through the twists and turns of the corn mazes, and attend the local Halloween carnival filled with games and fun surprises.
Thanksgiving is a huge event for us and we are lucky that both of our families spend it together. We spend the day cooking (two turkeys and a prime rib roast), watching football, and playing games with all of our family dogs running around the table.
Both of our parents and siblings live near us and are very excited to welcome a child into the family. They are all looking forward to being a large part of our child’s upbringing. The grandparents can’t wait to go to the zoo, beaches, parks, and Disneyland with our little ones.
Our Promise to You
Our child will be raised in and environment surrounded by unconditional love, guidance and support, so that s/he may aspire to ne true to themselves and kind to others. We are looking forward to expanding our family through open adoption and find it important the s/he knows and understands their adoption story. Our child will know how loved they are by us, family, friends, and by you.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. Please reach out anytime as we would love to hear from you.
Angie, by Shane
What drew me to Angie were her values and kind soul. She is a quiet but strong person who stands up for what she believes in. The kids at church and all of our godchildren always want to be around Angie; she plans neat activities and listens to each of them. She is a phenominal baker. If there’s a special occasion, you can count on Angie to bring the best cake or cupcakes. Angie loves the holidays and being with family. She decorates our house for all the holidays, but especially enjoys Halloween and wants to make our house the go-to house for the entire neighborhood. Family is important to Angie. Even though her gfamily is spread across the United States, she still keeps in close contact with all of them. I am a better man because I net Angie.
Shane, by Angie
Bob Marley once said, “The greatness of a man is not how much wealth he acquires, but in his ability to affect those around him positively.” This statement defines Shane. He is the most genuine and kind-hearted person. He has always been supportive and loving, not only to me but to our family, friends, and community members. Shane is always putting his own needs aside to care for others. In his spare time, Shane volunteers with the Livermore Homeless Refuge and Kids Against Hunger.
Shane is passionate about sports and one of our favorite pastimes is attending San Francisco Giants games. Children love Shane and he attracts them like magnets as he is a true kid at heart. I can’t wait to see our own child’s face light up when Shane interacts with him/her.
When we were growing up we had grand plans of what the future would hold for us. Among those plans were coaching our kid’s soccer or football games, and getting a Lake Tahoe Cabin together so our families could vacation on the water together among many other things.
Sadly, the dreams with the kids have hit one snag after another. He and Angie tried for years to get pregnant to no avail. Eventually they decided to refinance their house, pulling money out to pay for IVF, which costs tens of thousands of dollars, but ultimately it didn’t result in a pregnancy. After accepting that pregnancy might not be in the cards for them, they started to look elsewhere, specifically adoption.
They created their profile, website, went through interview after interview, got recommendation letters from anyone and everyone they asked including my parents. Finally, they were accepted as prospective parents and now were just waiting for a birth mother to pick them based on their profile. This entire ordeal took over a year and again the costs ran into the tens of thousands, but it was worth it to them. There was never any question.
A few weeks ago, they received news that the adoption agency that they had worked with for so long was declaring bankruptcy . There is little chance that they will be able to recoup any of the money they gave to the agency.
Shane and Angie have given me, and everyone else around them, more love and support throughout the twenty-plus years that we have been friends, then most people could give in a lifetime. I am honored that one of their many Godchildren is my son.
There are no people in the world more deserving to have children then Shane and Angie. He and Angie take my little ones camping on his church youth campout. They have chaperoned this trip before since before my kids were old enough to go and now that they are old enough to camp, they have taken them every year.
If there was ever two people who deserved to be parents its Shane and Angie. Unfortunately, after IVF and giving money to the now defunct adoption agency, they are no longer in a position financially to be able to pursue this dream of theirs and I know they are heartbroken about it.
Please help them make their dream a reality and be the blessing in one lucky child’s life as they will be getting the greatest parents they could dream of.
Below is part of their lives in their own words, taken from their adoption flyer.
Our Story
We met while attending college in 2003 and instantly became friends. After developing a strong friendship, we realized it was growing into something more and fell deeply in love. After dating for 8 years, we were married in 2011. Our dedication to each other is our top priority and we strive to grow in communication, love and understanding. We share a sense of adventure and enjoy spending quality time together.
With our home being located in the East Bay of San Francisco there are many wonderful choices for weekend trips. One of our favorite weekend getaways is to Monterey Bay located along California’s Central Coast. We enjoy visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium to discover all the wonders of the ocean; riding our bikes along Cannery Row to spot sea otters in their natural habitat; and finding tide pools to watch living sea creatures like sea stars and sea urchins. We are looking forward to our future trips with our children and we’re excited to watch them explore all that Monterey has to offer.
Where we call home
We live in Livermore, California – just one block away from the elementary school, and we are looking forward to walking our children to school. Livermore is a historic town with many family friendly activities. We enjoy visiting the many beautiful parks and walking our dog, Ryko.
We are truly blessed that our family, friends and church community are incredibly supportive of us and are excited about welcoming a new member of the family.
Our Traditions and Loved Ones
Fall is our favorite time of the year and we are looking forward to bringing our child to Livermore’s pumpkin patches to hunt for pumpkins, find our way through the twists and turns of the corn mazes, and attend the local Halloween carnival filled with games and fun surprises.
Thanksgiving is a huge event for us and we are lucky that both of our families spend it together. We spend the day cooking (two turkeys and a prime rib roast), watching football, and playing games with all of our family dogs running around the table.
Both of our parents and siblings live near us and are very excited to welcome a child into the family. They are all looking forward to being a large part of our child’s upbringing. The grandparents can’t wait to go to the zoo, beaches, parks, and Disneyland with our little ones.
Our Promise to You
Our child will be raised in and environment surrounded by unconditional love, guidance and support, so that s/he may aspire to ne true to themselves and kind to others. We are looking forward to expanding our family through open adoption and find it important the s/he knows and understands their adoption story. Our child will know how loved they are by us, family, friends, and by you.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. Please reach out anytime as we would love to hear from you.
Angie, by Shane
What drew me to Angie were her values and kind soul. She is a quiet but strong person who stands up for what she believes in. The kids at church and all of our godchildren always want to be around Angie; she plans neat activities and listens to each of them. She is a phenominal baker. If there’s a special occasion, you can count on Angie to bring the best cake or cupcakes. Angie loves the holidays and being with family. She decorates our house for all the holidays, but especially enjoys Halloween and wants to make our house the go-to house for the entire neighborhood. Family is important to Angie. Even though her gfamily is spread across the United States, she still keeps in close contact with all of them. I am a better man because I net Angie.
Shane, by Angie
Bob Marley once said, “The greatness of a man is not how much wealth he acquires, but in his ability to affect those around him positively.” This statement defines Shane. He is the most genuine and kind-hearted person. He has always been supportive and loving, not only to me but to our family, friends, and community members. Shane is always putting his own needs aside to care for others. In his spare time, Shane volunteers with the Livermore Homeless Refuge and Kids Against Hunger.
Shane is passionate about sports and one of our favorite pastimes is attending San Francisco Giants games. Children love Shane and he attracts them like magnets as he is a true kid at heart. I can’t wait to see our own child’s face light up when Shane interacts with him/her.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jonathan Emrich
Organizer
Livermore, CA
Shane Stevens
Beneficiary