Expecting A Baby
Se’Ayra Greene joins us in this heartfelt interview to share her journey as an expecting mom with Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH). We met Se’Ayra in 2016 when she and her spouse began exploring plans after a surprise pregnancy. Twenty-four weeks along, Se’Ayra found out she was pregnant. Their daughter was only 2 years old then, and they were at risk for eviction. Se’Ayra, now faced with a tough decision, knew she wanted the best for her children. As she pondered a plan for her son, our jingle came on the radio and she decided to see what we had to offer.
Soon after reaching out, Amanda Aliberti — District Supervisor and Birth Parent Services Manager — came to her home and they explored all of Se’Ayra’s options. Amanda made it clear the choice was Se’Ayra’s and we would be here for her regardless. No pressure. After taking some time to deliberate with her son’s father and her best friend, Se’Ayra decided open adoption aligned best with her plan. One month before her due date, Se’Ayra found her match in an adoptive family and the journey officially began.
Quickly forming a close bond, Se’Ayra insisted her care team treat her son’s adoptive family the same as they would treat her. Se’Ayra and her chosen family had built a strong relationship to ease them through the remaining process. Both parties felt ready. In December 2016, her son was born and placed with his adoptive family whom Se’Ayra now considered an extension of her parenting team. Se’Ayra shares a beaming smile as she says:
“It’s so nice feeling that love from him, knowing he’s being raised by other people and they still let him know about me and the meaning of ‘I’m still his mom.’ His tummy mommy, that’s what he calls me, his tummy mom.”
Thankfully, our Expecting and Birth Parent Support Fund assisted Se’Ayra and her spouse before eviction. From here, the couple got back on their feet financially and knew both their children had everything a parent hopes to provide.
Life As A Birth Mom
Today, her son is 8 years old and has a close relationship with his big sister. Se’Ayra and her parenting team keep in touch and now facilitate the siblings’ FaceTime sessions. Se’Ayra serves as a board member at AFTH and a mentor for expecting and birth parents. Using her experience as an expecting mom and birth mom, Se’Ayra helps educate parents and leads their respective support groups. Support groups are open to all, there’s no affiliation with AFTH required. The birthparent support group is held virtually on the first Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM. The next meeting will be on March 4th. RSVP with Amanda Aliberti at Am*****@af**.org or text 516-316-2825.
Se’Ayra will share more of her knowledge at our upcoming Heart-to-Heart fundraiser. We will also hear from Maxine Chalker — an adoptee, former closed-adoption social worker, and the founder of AFTH. Registration is free, however, all donations will go to the Expecting and Birth Parent Support Fund. Every $5 donated at registration will enter your name into the event’s raffle one time. The fundraiser will be held virtually on March 26th, 6:30 – 8:00 PM. Register here: Heart-to-Heart: Women in Adoption (constantcontactpages.com).
