Kristen is a birth mom from Pittsburgh, PA who had an unexpected pregnancy in 2017. Not knowing what approach to take she was worried about how to provide the best for her child.
One day, Kristen’s father heard an ad on the radio for Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH). He came to Kristen’s with information about AFTH and open adoption, so she researched it further. After careful consideration, Kristen knew that AFTH would have her and her child’s best interest in mind.
When she reached out to AFTH, she connected with her caseworker Taylor. Kristen expressed how Taylor made the experience a lot easier for her by traveling to her instead of having her commute. They talked about options with choosing a family and Kristen was able to choose how involved she wanted Taylor to be.
After some searching, Kristen was uncertain if she would find the perfect family for her baby. She wasn’t sure if her preferences were too specific and she thought she would have to compromise. However, she explained how Taylor reassured her with genuine care.
“I thought I was going to have to settle, and Taylor said absolutely not. We will look until we find you a family that is absolutely perfect.”
And just like that, Kristen found the perfect family. They held many of the same beliefs and practices that she was looking for and were overall a loving family for her daughter.
On the first day they met, the family took a picture with Kristen and framed it for the nursery. From the start, they wanted to let Kristen know that she was valued and loved. When the baby was born, her adoptive family chose to name her Joy for all the joy she brought into their world. They even kept Kristen’s middle name Elizabeth.
Kristen wants expecting mothers in similar situations to know they aren’t in this alone. She wants her story to reflect how open adoption was the best decision for her to make, despite doubts others have had. She wanted to share her story to help others who feel isolated or uncertain in making this decision.
“There are options out there and you’re not alone. That was the most important, knowing that I wasn’t alone in this.”
Kristen remains close with Joy and her adoptive family. They recently celebrated Joy’s second birthday with a Toy Story theme, Kristen’s favorite movie. She appreciates how much effort Joy’s adoptive family puts into “The fact that they go out of their way to make sure that my family and I feel welcome — it’s just a really good relationship.”
You can check out Kristen’s open adoption story on Instagram!
To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart services to Expecting and Birth parents check out our website.
