Lisa's story is an amazing one. Her moms saw her on our website and never having even met her, decided she was their daughter. They became certified as adoptive parents and one year later, they legally became her parents. Below are photos and a shortened version of Lisa's beautiful adoption story. We're so happy for you and your family, Lisa! You deserve everything life has to offer you and we're so honored to be a part of your story.
Check out the family's blog here; it's awesome!
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| Nicole, Lisa & Karen |
Karen and Nicole
both felt that foster care adoption was something that was very important to
them but being a same sex couple in Florida, they never really looked into the
possibility. But in 2010, when Martin Gill vs. Florida overturned the ban on
gay adoptions, they began to talk about becoming adoptive parents.
At the time of their
conversations, Karen was working as a pediatric nurse in a home where many of
the children in the home were adopted. When sharing her dreams of adopting from
foster care with one of the adoptive mothers, she was told, “When you see your
child, you will just know.” She was skeptical, but always kept that advice in
the back of her mind.
A few weeks later, Karen
and Nicole decided to search “foster care adoption” on the internet and came
across the Children Awaiting Parents’ website. They began looking at all the
children’s photos but a certain photo kept catching their attention. As Nicole
read through the profile, she began to cry. She looked at Karen and said,
“That’s our daughter.”
Because
the laws for same sex adoption had just changed in Florida, Karen and Nicole
had a lot to learn along the way. It was then that they turned back to Children
Awaiting Parents.
“We
were really grateful for the support of Ilona. She was emotionally supportive, sent us tons of information, steered us
in the right direction, encouraged us and generously gave us of her expertise
and enthusiasm. Many times I sent her an
email, frustrated and discouraged only to be right back on track within hours
because she had just the right advice or information to get us where we needed
to go.”
After
months of being proactive and tenacious, and learning how to navigate the
foster care system, Karen and Nicole we finally able to conference call with
the selection staff and answer their questions about Lisa. The questions were few, but important, and
the answers came easily. After the last
question, one of the supervisors said, “Congratulations! It’s a girl!”
Lisa
was seventeen years old when Karen and Nicole finalized the adoption. They have
been living and learning for the past year and the advice they have is
invaluable.
“Be
patient, polite and respectful. Throw away your expectations and meet the kids
for who they are…there are going to be days when you ask yourself, “What have I
done?!” It’s okay, we all have
those. Just take a step back and take a
deep breath. It will all be okay. REALLY.
And it will all be worth it.
Because one day, that kid will look at you and you will see it in their
eyes that they get it…that they belong.
That’s the pay off. And it’ll
knock your socks off!
The
road was a long one but Lisa is finally home and happy - a well-adjusted young
woman who now believes herself when she says she’s smart and beautiful. And although
she admits to sometimes not fully appreciating everything her moms do for her,
she strongly believes that being adopted has changed who she is “on the
inside.” “What makes my relationship good with my parents is that they parent
me. They aren’t there just to be my
friend and that is something that I am starting to learn. I just love my Moms because I know that they
love me.”
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| Lisa at her highschool graduation! Click here for video posted in a previous post. |
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