“I got pregnant when I was 17 through date rape by a guy I barely knew. At the time, I didn’t know that what he’d done was actually criminal sexual assault and against the law. I was ashamed to be pregnant and didn’t tell anyone I was raped. I was raised in a very strict, religious household. My mom and dad were so disappointed in me. Pretty soon after I found out I was pregnant, they kicked me out of the house for good. To put it plainly, I was pregnant, homeless, jobless, poor, and alone.
Everyone I knew was telling me and pressuring me to go get an abortion. They said stuff like, “You know what you need to do.” Some people even offered me money to “get rid of it.” There were times when I felt like I was drowning in darkness. I had absolutely no support.
Then one day I saw a billboard about choosing adoption for an unplanned pregnancy. I’d never thought about adoption before. So I decided I’d just get info and called the number I saw on the billboard.
Even though I was young, homeless, and alone, I still had it in my power to give my unborn baby girl the life I wanted to give her. That life included two loving parents, who were financially stable enough for the wife to be a stay-at-home mom. My Adoption Coordinator at Lifetime was such a good listener and so kind to me. She gave me info on my choices and rights in open adoption. She also sent me profile booklets of couples hoping to adopt.
Becoming pregnant by rape was one of the hardest events in my life, but creating an adoption plan for my daughter gave me a thread of hope and I began to heal. After I gave birth to my sweet baby girl with brown eyes and dark hair, I knew she was a sacred gift to be loved and cherished. My daughter has touched many lives, including my own. She’s five years old now, and I keep in touch with her and the adoptive couple I chose through emails, Facebook, and yearly visits. I am so grateful I chose adoption for her; I have no regrets.”
If you find yourself in a similar situation and are thinking about adoption, contact us at Lifetime. You can talk with a caring Adoption Coordinator about how adoption works, and get more info. Just call or text Lifetime Adoption anytime at
1-800-923-6784.
Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P., is nationally recognized as an expert on open adoption. A Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P.), Caldwell is the founder of Lifetime Adoption Center, established in 1986. She has assisted in over 2,000 successful adoptions and was one of the first adoption professionals on the Internet.
Caldwell’s life work is dedicated to educating and helping birth parents find the right adoptive parents for their child. She spreads the word about modern adoption through speaking appearances, webinars, online resources, and as a podcast show host.
She has written several award-winning books, including So I Was Thinking About Adoption, the first book of its kind. There are many reasons women choose adoption, and this short book is a comprehensive resource to make the best plan for you and your baby. Caldwell wrote So I Was Thinking About Adoption as a handy guide to the details of the adoption process.
Caldwell has made over 150 media appearances, including ABC News, CBS News, Larry King Live, CNN Headline News, NBC’s The Today Show, CNN’s The Campbell Brown Show, NBC News, KGO Newstalk Radio, CNN’s Black in America II, MSNBC, Fox, PBS, BBC, and Dr. Laura.
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