Our Family - January 2004

We both knew that once we were married we wanted to have a family, but we also knew that it would be difficult to conceive our own child due to Steve’s paralysis. Kate, though single, had considered traditional adoption before we ever met, and Steve was comfortable with that route as well. For a variety of reasons we decided that we didn’t want to go through the IVF process. About three years into our marriage we plunged into the traditional adoption process, and a few months later we heard about Nightlight Christian Adoptions and Snowflakes for the first time on a Focus on the Family radio broadcast. It took us about a year to get comfortable with the concept of adopting someone else’s frozen embryo, but since the traditional adoption process had not yet resulted in a child, we eventually decided to try to adopt a Snowflake.

Kate was very excited, as she really wanted to experience pregnancy and childbirth. Initially we were matched with a couple from Maryland and their six embryos, but none of the embryos survived the thawing process. We really mourned the loss of those tiny frozen babies and the missed opportunity for Kate to be pregnant. Because of our ages (both of us were now well into our forties) we knew we needed to get back on the proverbial horse soon, so after about three months we contacted Nightlight to seek another match. Within a month we were matched with five embryos from a Canadian couple. What a glorious day it was when, two weeks after the embryo transfer to Kate, we found out that Kate was pregnant! Our daughter Zara was born via emergency C-section on July 8, 2002, nine weeks premature. She spent the first four weeks of her life in the neonatal intensive care unit as Kate had problems with pre-eclampsia. There were some scary moments during the first few days, but between the excellent medical care and Zara’s fighting spirit (a foreshadowing of her behavior as a three-year-old!) she got healthy and strong enough to come home.

Woofie and Zara sleep in the car June 2004

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's
womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your
works are wonderful, I know that full well. -- Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

Zara is now a healthy, happy, smart, energetic bundle of joy who loves life and greets every day as the gift that it really is. We are so blessed and proud to have her as our daughter, and we highly recommend Nightlight to anyone who is looking for alternatives to IVF or traditional adoption, or who has completed their family but still has remaining frozen embryos.

Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program

Embryo Adoption Information