My name is Terren Jackson,(pictured far left corner) and I am an intern in the PR and Marketing department at Adoptions From The Heart. Recently, I attended a birth parent support group, which is a session where birth parents, social workers, and different Adoptions From The Heart staff meet and catch up with birth parents.
At this session, the women discussed their struggles, their feelings, and their goals. The women I met had a different type of strength; they had to make one of the hardest decisions a parent could make, but they still found the strength to face each day with a smile.
They focused on talking about how they had improved in their lives, and how they intended to keep improving. They also discussed how their families felt about them placing their children and how it affected their relationships.
The session had moments of somberness and then non-stop laughter. Before attending the birth parent support group, I hadn’t realized the immense strength it takes to be a birth parent. I don’t think many people understand what it takes.
Although there were not any men present, birth fathers are welcome to attend the sessions. Their story is just as important as a birth mother’s story.
I was inspired by their strength. I had stumbled upon this beautiful community of women, who supported and uplifted one another. Every birth parent has a different relationship with their child, and with their child’s family. I learned that these parents may go through the same steps in an adoption process, but every journey is unique.
