ADOPTION NOW - Telling Your Adoption Story

Ashley is an birthmother whose adoption story started in an abortion clinic. She shares about her life changing moment and how she placed her baby 11 years ago. Ashley Mitchell has shared her story all over the country through nationally acclaimed writing series, award-winning service, television + radio interviews and hundreds of blogs + business sites. She is known for her vulnerability and realness through her speaking, writing, mentoring and advocacy work for the adoption community. She is the owner of Big Tough Girl™, serving women world wide in their desire to live life as a Big Tough Girl™. She believes strongly in the power of sharing your story, educating yourself on the issues, and providing the resources so that women can feel empowered and successful in their journey. Ashley and her husband now have 2 children. She is learning daily how to navigate open adoption and how to create a life after placement. www.bigtoughgirl.com

Lauren Stokes, M.A., L.P.C., is a licensed professional counselor at Create Connectivity Counseling PLLC. She is also a writer for Adoption.com. She is an adult adoptee who was raised in an open adoption. This means that after she was adopted at 2 1/2 weeks old, her adoptive parents allowed her biological parents into Lauren's life. In this interview Lauren shares the great benefits of open adoption, while also emphasizing the need to embrace the complexities of the emotional journey through adoption.

April Fallon talks with Brittany about her and her husband's journey adopting their son Connor. After a very difficult road and months of waiting for finalization, the couple wanted another baby, but could not afford (financially and emotionally) another traditional adoption. Chris and Brittany discovered Embryo Adoption! She is now 6 months pregnant with a baby girl that the couple adopted. Tune in to this episode to hear this remarkable story!

Noah and April share their current adoption journey. They invite their lawyer, Christine Thurman from Thurman Law Firm, to share her insight on adoption. She has placed 22 babies in the last year and she is fighting to keep the costs low.

Jessica shares Scott and her journey through several failed adoptions, bringing home their first baby Ty, their plan to try embryo adoption, and the phone call that brought baby number two!

Jessica shares her journey to adopt as a single woman. She always knew she wanted to be a mother, but had no idea the process would be so challenging! Two years ago, Jessica was matched to an expectant birthmother in Florida. She shares what she went through to bring home baby Maryn.

Kim shares their journey through infertility and becoming pregnant. She opens up about giving birth to their daughter, a full term baby, that only stayed with them for 6 days. She talks about her struggle with deep grief and their journey into adoption. In the year they lost their daughter, Kyla, they also had 2 failed adoptions. Ryan and Kim had no money left and they were still not parents. Hear hear how this couple persevered and how they started Kids for Kyla.

Jen Donahue was adopted as a baby. She talks about life as a child and talks openly about her experience in a family as the only adopted child. When Jen turned 37, she finds her birthmother in Denver. Her journey to fill in the holes of her birth story are amazing!

A biological son shares his experience with adoption and becoming an interracial family. Noah has two siblings from Haiti, and to help his mother, he learned to do African American hair. He shares tips with April Fallon on ADOPTION NOW.

This week we have an adoption story from Oklahoma!! This family lived in Zambia, had 4 biological sons and then adopted a little Zambian boy. They share their journey back to the U.S. and their experience in foster care and domestic adoption. This story is for anyone who has been disappointed in God. Andy and Robyn share how they kept their faith through the loss of their biological son and how adoption changed their lives.

Adopting through the foster care system can seem scary but as Brian and Season tell their story we learn that having an agency can be a big help. They got a call about this little girl who was born at 27 weeks and doctors thought she may be blind, deaf and not able to walk. She became their miracle.

Brooke adopted her son at Denny's (yes Denny's) and her youngest daughter 6 years later. Both adoptions were under $8,000, so she decided to start Fuller Arms Adoption Education. She educates adoptive parents on how to find their birth mother without an agency.

Liz was young when she got pregnant. She was in a committed relationship but the birth father did not want children. She had limited options and decided to choose adoption for her baby boy. She told no one. After years of grief and a failed marriage to the birth father, Liz radically changed her life. She never stopped missing her son. Twenty-one years later she got an email....

Marty and Elizabeth chose embryo adoption to expand their family. Another family donated their embryo that was frozen for 18 years! Elizabeth was able to carry the baby full term, and gave birth to Marley in June.

When Jahn and Kim decided to pursue adoption in the Ukraine, they had no idea how intense the fight would be to bring home their son. ADOPTION NOW is so honored to have Kim de Blecourt on the podcast! She is the award-winning author of "Until We All Come Home" and the President of Nourished Hearts. You do not want to miss her adoption story!