Lauren and Kathy

Lauren was still early in her unplanned pregnancy when she came to tell us that she was pregnant. We were surprised and shocked, and suddenly found ourselves dealing with a set of decisions regarding Lauren and the baby’s future. At 18 years old, Lauren was living at home and just starting college.

She had been dating the birth father for about two years when she became pregnant. We believed that adoption was the right choice and wanted to be supportive, but still wanted Lauren to make her own decision. Sometimes it was difficult not to give unsolicited advice or get over-involved, but we tried to encourage her with support. We had confidence that Lauren would make the right decision.

We all began to think about the baby’s future. We knew that we could provide a home for the baby and also provide for her physical needs, but felt that just wasn’t enough. We saw the value of a stable two parent home where a child would be loved, cherished, and could be raised by a family involved in their church. Adoption could provide this, as well as many other opportunities for the child that would be difficult for Lauren and our family to provide. We also wanted the best for Lauren. We wanted her to be able to continue to grow and mature as an individual, go to college, experience the typical life of an 18 year old, and reach the goals she had set for herself.

When Lauren decided that adoption was the best plan for the baby, she contacted Adoption Associates, Inc. The birth father still had some concerns about adoption. As they worked with the agency, Lauren grew more confident in her adoption plan and eventually the birth father came to realize too that adoption was the best choice for the baby’s future. They selected and met the adoptive parents which gave them an opportunity to feel confident that this family would love and cherish this child. It was very helpful and reassuring to Lauren and our family to know the people who would be raising their child and grandchild.

As her extended family, we knew that we would have been able to love the baby, but did not feel prepared to take on the responsibility of raising another child ourselves. We also knew that we would not be able to offer her the future we felt she deserved. As much as we knew that adoption was right for Lauren and the baby, there were times that we had to deal with our own guilt over not offering to help or not encouraging Lauren to raise the baby. In my heart, though, I knew that adoption could provide a better future.

Today, Lauren is 22 years old and well on her way to earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She is a successful student with outside interests in dance and martial arts. She is considering a career in OB nursing. She is a caring, compassionate, talented, and mature young woman. She is following the path towards reaching the goals she had set and has a bright future in front of her.