Adoption Fundraiser

Hello from the Wakefields

Our family has some big news to share! During our journey of infertility, foster care, and adoption, our family makeup has shifted many times. Jonathan and I always knew we wanted a family and when cancer and infertility closed the door to do that in the way we had expected, our plans and expectations shifted.

Our Journey

In 2015 we became certified as a foster/resource home. Our desire to start a family had prepared our hearts to come alongside children and families in need of temporary placement.

Over the last 7 years we have had 11 little ones in our home for varying lengths of time. We’ve had lots of celebrations and many hard goodbyes. We’ve had the incredible honor of not only bonding with and caring for these little souls but also in many cases we’ve been able to build a close, meaningful relationship with their families. It has taught us both so much and our extended family continues to grow!

The sweetest milestone by far we’ve celebrated as a family was the adoption of our son Oliver, who came to us through foster care when he was 2 days old. His adoption was finalized in September 2020. Oliver is full of joy, he is the light of our lives and has been a spectacular older brother to several of our foster babies. Most recently Oliver had a little foster brother for two years and the joyous reunion of that little one with his mama meant a big, painful shift for us. We had been resting and grieving, and settling into being a family of 3 again, but the silence of what once was tiny, swift footsteps following Oliver’s and the lack of extra giggles had us all feeling like a piece was missing. Foster care and adoption is full of glaring dichotomies, where there is love, growth and celebration there is also grief, pain, and loss. They coexist in our hearts and in our experience. It’s something the three of us have come to know well.

The Big Twist!

In February 2022 we received an unexpected call from a close family friend looking to reconnect. It had been a few years since we had seen one another but the age of social media has allowed us to watch one another’s lives from afar. Our friend Lauren came to us with a humbling request, one that will mark the direction of our family story forever. Lauren told us she had become pregnant and after months of considering what the future would hold for her and her unborn child, she felt over and over again that what was very best for him was to be a part of our family. She has asked us to adopt her baby boy! Our family should be used to curveballs by now, but this one was BIG, the most important, the most consequential one yet!

Lauren’s heart for her unborn child was evident from the first time we spoke. She told us she wanted him to be raised with two parents, to have stability and security, she believes this will greatly impact his emotional and psychological well being. This is also why we are all committed to an open adoption. Her intentions and reasons to carry and choose adoption are admirable and so full of love. When we asked Lauren, “Why us?” She stated she had watched us fall in love, get married, start a family and she wanted her son to grow up knowing that was possible. She said she saw how happy and joyful Ollie is and believes he will be the best big brother (we of course agree)! It did not take us long to dive into this incredible journey of open adoption with Lauren. We are humbled by the immense blessing she is choosing to bestow upon our family. Her deep sacrifice will be one of the most beautiful parts of our story. The depth and the complexity of it all is something we are fully committed to. This has been a whirlwind of a ride the past two months and baby boy is due July 5th! It all feels overwhelming and so different than anything we’ve experienced before but we believe God is holding us all close in his hands as we navigate this uncharted territory together.

Our Ask

Our purpose in sharing our story and asking for help is to highlight all the ways God is going before us, we don’t know how this will all unfold but we are trusting He will honor Lauren’s choice. We’ve seen our community, our village move mountains before. There are many legal fees and expenses with private infant adoption that we were ill prepared for. We are praying and hoping that this little one will see one day how he was loved, cared for, and provided for even before he was born. We count it our greatest honor to raise him alongside Oliver and hopefully spend a lifetime sharing the legacies of love that helped bring him into the world.

Together with Lauren we have chosen an agency and will be starting the home study and adoption planning process with them this week. We are excited about the supports and resources this agency provides for birth parents and adoptive families before and after placement. Our fundraising goal has been set to cover the cost of these agency fees which are quoted at $11,700. We have already received an overwhelmingly generous donation of $4,000, our fundraising goal has been adjusted to reflect that.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

If you made it this far thank you for taking the time to invest in our family, I’m not talking primarily of finances, although that is what the fund is for. We know there is so much more that goes into raising a family and the intentional work of adoption and foster care. We’ve been overwhelmed by love and support each step of our journey and we are continually stopped in our tracks with gratitude for the ways in which our family and friends show up for us and all the kids we’ve loved. Thank you for being here and being a part of our story. ❤️

With Love and Deepest Graditude,

Jonathan, Reena, and Oliver Wakefield (and Penny too )!