Our Adoption

My husband Byrne and I are working very hard to start a family.  We began the process in 2008 when we started trying to conceive.  Despite suffering from Endometriosis since junior high we were hopeful that we would be able to conceive naturally.   By 2012 my health had deteriorated and I was not sure of the cause.  After meeting with an OBGYN that specialized in reproductive issues I was informed that all of my health issues were related to the Endometriosis.  A surgery was performed to help alleviate the symptoms, followed by a procedure to verify my ability to conceive.  Unfortunately, the procedure confirmed that both of by fallopian tubes had been scarred over due to the untreated Endometriosis.  Despite repeatedly seeking treatment for the condition my primary physicians had failed to treat the disease.  This failure left me infertile.  The bad news was devastating, but our doctor was hopeful that in vitro would be successful for us.  With that we began the difficult process early in 2013.  Our in vitro story was unfortunately unsuccessful ending in a very early miscarriage.  The process was extremely expensive and emotionally devastating.  Our insurance only covered one attempt and with its failure went our last hope of conceiving.  After the miscarriage we looked into adoption, but the cost was beyond our means.  The pain and health issues soon returned and were followed by a total hysterectomy in early 2014.  Since that time Byrne and I have focused on being the best aunt and uncle we can be.  Earlier this year a family member offered to help us finance an adoption.  With this generous offer we once again began looking into adoption.  To my shock we discovered that the average US adoption costs $34,000 with the average range being between $30,000 and $45,000.  The generous offer given to us will not cover the costs we will incur during this process.  We are hopeful that with generous support and applying for every grant I can that our dream is still achievable.  A piece of both of us died the day we knew for sure that we would not be parents due to infertility and the inability to finance an adoption.  I have struggled with a variety of family events due to this loss.  I have not been able to enjoy baby showers, birthday parties, and even simple family gatherings.  Every were I look there is a reminder that I am not a mom, and that everything I dreamed of teaching my children will not be shared.  Your support means the world to both of us, and hopefully to a child who needs a family.