Looking at the picture of our son Aiden as a little baby feels surreal. Now, he is a senior in high school who is six feet tall.
My husband and I couldn't have a child for reasons unknown. We were a young and healthy couple, but after many years of trying and medical assistance, I was unable to carry a baby to term.
Once we accepted our infertility, we pursued and signed up with a local adoption agency. After a year on the waiting list, news came to us that a family friend's daughter was pregnant.
She was sixteen and considering adoption.
Back then, Hannah was just one year younger than Aiden is now. She had to make a life-changing decision on how best to care for her child when she wasn't yet an adult herself.
We met with Hannah and her mom, Jackie, and spoke extensively about belief systems and expectations for communication and in-person visits. These were essential topics to discuss; fortunately, we did this independently.
Hannah decided to place her child with us out of compassion and care, and we joined our families based on trust and mutual respect. Cultivating our bonds took time and effort, but they have been life-changing.
We live four hours apart, but stuck with our commitment of getting together several times a year. Aiden grew up knowing his birth mother and birth grandmother, Hannah and Jackie. Each of them are important parts of Aiden's life.
Hannah's selfless act of love has changed our lives in countless ways.
This love for a child has grown into familial love between us all.
We are blessed to have Hannah, Jackie, and Hannah's 9-year-old son, Dylan, as part of our family. I'm forever grateful for this and the gift of parenthood.
Emaline Ashe writes anonymously out of respect for her teenage son. To read more about this family's story, check out Emaline's memoir, "The Gift of Parenthood: From Infertility to an Open Adoption".
