LETTER: One student’s adoption story

Dear Editor,

As you know, November is National Adoption Awareness Month. I am writing you because I am a birth mother and wanted to share my story.

I had a little girl in July and placed her for adoption. I decided to place her because she needed a mother and a father.

I went through LDS Family Services and was able to look at five couples in a packet and found the couple I knew in my heart was the right one for her.

We had our face to face in May. I knew when I saw them and was able to hug them, this was the right family for my baby and that they were now a part of mine. It seemed like a family reunion. We shared photos and stories.

We had so much fun at our face to face we did not want to leave. My parents have been a very big support throughout this whole thing. My family has been supportive also. We took four- and five-generation pictures while in the hospital.

On the day I placed her in her mother’s arms it was such a day of joy and sorrow. We had such a time being able to talk and take pictures before I placed her with her mother. The look on their faces was enough to reassure me that I had made the right choice.

Since then I try to go to group when I can get the time off of work. I have started dating again and have been hanging out with my friends. I have good days and I have bad days. I wake up every morning and see her picture hanging on my wall. I look across my room and see the picture of her with her mom, dad and big sister.

I am surviving one day at a time. I know that I’ll be OK because she is OK. It does get a little better every day.

N.P.