Gerard and Lauren Adoption Fund
Donation protected
Obviously, if you're reading this, it's likely that you know at least one of us somewhat well, and many of you know us both very well. We met while teaching at St. Paul's in Princeton, and we have known we wanted to be parents together from the moment we became a couple. We certainly have acquired a lot of experience over the years: Lauren spent 10 years as an elementary school teacher and is still co-director of the St. Paul's children's and teen choirs, and Gerard has been a middle school English teacher for almost 10 years.
Like many other adoptive parents, ours has not been an easy journey. When we were first married, we went for a couple rounds of extremely expensive (uncovered by insurance) infertility treatments, a process that was as taxing emotionally as it was physically. We finally decided to adopt.
Many people might think that adoption is a plan B, a last resort for a couple to have children. We, like so many other people for whom adoption has been a central part of life, can attest that the "plan B" assumption is a false one. We are glad to be adopting; waiting adoptive parents learn so much about themselves and each other as the process unfolds, and we can say with genuine confidence that we are glad to be on this path.
So we planned, seeming to be doing everything right. We partnered with a credible agency, IAC, a national agency with with loads of resources and experience placing tens of thousands children over its 30 years in business. However, completely out of the blue, we were recently informed that IAC, to whom we had paid over $20,000 in fees, has declared bankruptcy. Not only did we lose a substantial amount of money, we lost three years, as we will have to start anew with another agency.
We are still very hopeful about our adoption prospects, but we will have to come up with a large sum of money quickly (for a new agency) to get ourselves back on the "path." Any financial support would be so greatly appreciated. If money is tight for you, too, we would be grateful for your prayers and positive vibes!
Help spread the word!
Like many other adoptive parents, ours has not been an easy journey. When we were first married, we went for a couple rounds of extremely expensive (uncovered by insurance) infertility treatments, a process that was as taxing emotionally as it was physically. We finally decided to adopt.
Many people might think that adoption is a plan B, a last resort for a couple to have children. We, like so many other people for whom adoption has been a central part of life, can attest that the "plan B" assumption is a false one. We are glad to be adopting; waiting adoptive parents learn so much about themselves and each other as the process unfolds, and we can say with genuine confidence that we are glad to be on this path.
So we planned, seeming to be doing everything right. We partnered with a credible agency, IAC, a national agency with with loads of resources and experience placing tens of thousands children over its 30 years in business. However, completely out of the blue, we were recently informed that IAC, to whom we had paid over $20,000 in fees, has declared bankruptcy. Not only did we lose a substantial amount of money, we lost three years, as we will have to start anew with another agency.
We are still very hopeful about our adoption prospects, but we will have to come up with a large sum of money quickly (for a new agency) to get ourselves back on the "path." Any financial support would be so greatly appreciated. If money is tight for you, too, we would be grateful for your prayers and positive vibes!
Help spread the word!
Organizer
Lauren Ketterer Allen
Organizer
Trenton, NJ
