We’re honored to be sharing Justin and Jen’s beautiful domestic adoption story today as a part of our blog series “Then and Now.” Adoptive mom Jen says, “We are so blessed and thankful to God and Harper’s birth parents for placing her in our lives. She is our greatest joy!”
Keep reading to hear Justin and Jen’s cherished adoption journey to their baby girl!
“We’re shocked at how short our wait was in the grand scheme of things! Because of Justin’s blindness, we had prepared ourselves to wait for more than two years. We knew that some birth mothers might be hesitant to place with someone who had a ‘disability.’
But we did our best through our web page, adoption video, and profile book to help them see what an amazing man Justin is, and what a wonderful father he would be. God did such a work because Harper came into our lives just under a year after we signed up with Lifetime!
When I got the call from Linda that there was a child for us, it took everything I had not to begin sobbing on the phone! I knew we were going to have a lot to do in a short amount of time, and I couldn’t let myself break down. Like a whirlwind, we were on a plane headed to the birth mother’s state within a few hours of getting the call. Of course, a major snow storm hit the area that we were traveling to! So I had to drive in whiteout conditions from the airport to the hospital, which was about a two hour drive…”
Here’s a quick video of Jen telling Justin the exciting news!
“I know that we would not have made it to the hospital if the Holy Spirit hadn’t given me peace and kept me calm, and I’m sure there were angels all around that rental car! When we got to the hospital, I drove the car into a ditch thinking I was pulling into a driveway! But thank God we were right outside the hospital and were able to leave the car there and head inside to meet our precious baby girl!
We met Harper when she was 28 hours old. I didn’t know what to expect. Would I feel like just a caregiver? Would I feel connected to her right away? Would she connect with me? But the minute they wheeled in her bassinet and I looked into her face, all my fears melted away and I knew I was her mother and she was my girl.
I’ve always heard about this intense love that parents have for their children. But you never really understand it until you’ve experienced it. That night, exhausted and overwhelmed with how much life had changed in an instant, I looked into her eyes and I knew I would do anything, even give my life, to protect this child and give her the best life possible. I have never felt so much love for another person as I felt in that moment, and still feel, for this precious girl. And I know that Justin feels the same.
We are so thankful that God lead us to Lifetime. Everyone there, especially Linda and the staff, have been amazing, helpful, and supportive. Thank you!”
We’d love to help you create your own beautiful adoption story!
Call Lifetime Adoption at 1-800-923-6784 to learn how to get started, and fill out our free online application to adopt.
Heidi Keefer is a Content Creator for Lifetime Adoption and has over 15 years of experience in the field of adoption. An author of thousands of articles and social media posts over the years, Heidi enjoys finding new ways to educate and captivate Lifetime’s ever-growing list of subscribers.
Heidi has a keen eye for misplaced apostrophes, comma splices, and well-turned sentences, which she has put to good use as a contributor to Lifetime’s award-winning blogs. She has written and published hundreds of adoption articles which explore the various facets of domestic infant adoption today.
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