A New Beginning - Through Embryo Adoption (Part 2)

(The following was written by an embryo adoptive parent and was published in a Nightlight Christian Adoptions newsletter.)

By Dara
Edited by the Embryo Adoption Awareness Center

In Part one of this two-part story, Kevin and Dara were considering the possibility of adopting embryos available through the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption program.

The next month was a whirlwind of phone calls and paperwork, but soon we learned that we were to be the parents of these embryos! Months of preparation and planning with the doctor went on and then our transfer day had finally arrived. Two of the embryos survived to be transferred into my uterus, and then the long two-week wait began.

We were overjoyed to receive the news that, yes, we were pregnant! Nine wonderful months later, we went to the hospital for the birth.

We were asked if we would allow a nursing class to attend our labor and delivery. We also had a friend, the wife of the man who taught the class, attending. They all asked question after question about embryo adoption.

They were very interested and it was a great discussion. Then I finally started labor for real and we had our baby! The nursing students were crying and the nurse on staff was laughing as Kevin had told them all exactly how the labor would go and it did go just as he said. Then, while everyone was so emotional, our friend walked over to the nurse tending the baby and said to all the room.

“That, that baby, is what they are talking about when they say scientific research, when they say trash what is left from IVF, when they say these are embryos no one wants anyway. That baby, she was an embryo, she was potential trash or science, except her parents, both sets, valued life. I want you nurses to look at her, hear her cry and remember it isn’t just junk science can use. It is people, real people. This is pre-birth adoption of real little people.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room including the doctor and while our friend was firm and forceful her voice was awe-filled and they were all deeply moved and not the least bit offended.

Throughout the day and into the next we had nurses stopping in, saying they wished they had known about this before for themselves or someone in their family.

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