Kayla - Disruptive Hope Support Network

We'd like you to meet one of the families in our Disruptive Hope Support Network. Kayla wrote to let you know about what it's like to be part of it and share their powerful adoption journey. Thank you to all who have agreed to lend a listening ear to these families!

To Friends of Disruptive Hope -

Our adoption journey began at the end of 2020. We couldn’t wait to grow our family and for our son to have a sibling. After almost a year of paperwork, screenings, and letters to expectant moms, we were finally matched with a mom who was due in June of 2022. Over the next 6 months, we developed a relationship with her and texted a couple of times a week. June finally arrived. As far as we knew everything was going according to plan, and she seemed committed to adoption. Just before the birth, we flew out to Utah with our four-year-old son, my husband, my husband’s parents, stroller, car seat, and a suitcase of baby items. Bringing a new baby into your life is never something you can truly prepare for, but we were ready! Unfortunately for us, on the day this mom was scheduled to be induced she changed her mind.

We were floored, heartbroken, and far from home. We bought one-way tickets to Utah because we didn’t know when all the adoption’s legal requirements would be complete. Quickly flying back with all the baby things and no baby was absolutely excruciating - one of the most painful experiences of my life. I asked our adoption agency if there was anyone I could talk with who could listen and understand. One of the people they pointed me to was Katie, who told me about the Disruptive Hope Support Network.

I was relieved to have someone I could share our story with who understood and didn’t minimize my experience. She checked in with me periodically and then put me in touch with Chelsea as my support network partner. It was a breath of fresh air to talk to Chelsea and process our experience. I remember talking to her for an hour by phone one day and felt I had known her my whole life. I was amazed that someone that didn’t even know me would take the time to hear my story and check in with me often. She always seemed to check in at just the right time - when I needed it most.

Ultimately, our adoption agency wasn’t a good fit for us and we decided to pursue this dream on our own. We were worried our journey was done, but I continued to pray as I knew in my heart God wanted us to adopt. In 2021, our son told us that God told him He was going to grow a baby brother in my belly, and we were going to adopt a baby sister. I held onto that promise. In August of 2022, an expectant mother heard about our disrupted adoption story and reached out to us through social media. We didn’t hear from her again until December of 2022. She was due any minute and asked if we were still interested. Our daughter was born in January of 2023, and two weeks later I found out I was pregnant with our son, born early in August of 2023. They are seven months apart.

As I sit here writing this post, I have one baby sitting in his seat smiling at me and another baby and my seven-year-old snuggled into their beds. I almost can’t believe it as I reflect on our journey. I was so glad to have Disruptive Hope during that season supporting me, encouraging me, and checking in with me as it was a lonely and painful time. I know they were praying for us and God used them in my life. I am so grateful to them and highly recommend them to anyone seeking support.

With Love - Kayla

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