Vol. 4, No. 2 • Spring 2000

An Adoption Story
by Renee Schrom

My husband and I were blessed with two wonderful boys
of our own, but I felt that I was missing something. I always
know that I wanted three or four children in my life, but that
did not seem possible after our second son Joseph was born.
There were too many complications and too many risks for
me to have another child.

Not long after our second son, Joseph, was born I went back to school to become a social worker. My husband and I started talking about adoption. Our discussions lasted for about two years. We went to social services and talked to the adoption worker during those two years but never made a commitment.

A couple of years later at a meeting with other social workers, one of the workers suggested that my husband and I become foster parents. I wasn't sure of her sincerity, but I took her advice. At first, my husband was hesitant. (He had been in favor early on, but time had passed and he wasn't sure anymore.) We began our MAPP classes with this deal--if he didn't like the classes after three tries, we were "out."

He loved the classes! We were "in" and I was the happiest person in the world!

In June I learned about a baby girl named Emily that needed a home. My husband and I decided to go a legal risk placement. This meant that the child would remain in our home as a foster child until it was available for adoption, if the child was ever cleared. It was a risk that we were willing to take.

We visited Emily for about a month and know that the plans were to place her with us (as foster parents), but it was not easy.

Our first obstacle was a foster mother who did not want to see her leave. The night before I was supposed to go get Emily the foster mother called and said that she was too attached and that she wasn't ready to let go. I cried all night and didn't sleep. (We are now good friends and I understand why she felt so attached.)

When I fell in love with her, Emily would not have been attractive to most people. Even today my husband looks at her pictures and states that she was anything but cute and pretty. (My father says that my brother and I were pretty ugly babies!) ALL I SAW WAS PERFECTION! Her broad nose, her crossed eyes, her hair that was finally growing back, and her inability to do things other kids her age could do did not stop us.

We have had a lot of ups and downs. Relatives have stepped forward. We have had to deal with the fact that she has two older siblings that we cannot take in because of risk to our children. But we have always known that whatever happened, we did what was best for Emily, and she will take that with her for the rest of her life.

Emily has been with us for two and a half years now. We could not imagine our lives without her. She has medical problems, but we don't care! She hugs us and tells us that she loves us, and we melt! Emily is by far the best hugger that you will ever meet. She is now three and has the most beautiful strawberry blond hair you can imagine.

She will soon carry our last name. She is our MIRACLE!

Renee Schrom is a new Board Member of the North Carolina Foster Parent Association. She represents Region IV.

Copyright � 2000 Jordan Institute for Families