As long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to become a parent, but life is certainly full of surprises and when I realized that I couldn’t bear children after a number of infertility challenges, it didn’t stop me from chasing my dreams. I had experienced quite a few setbacks over a period of 9 years (from the ages of 29 to 38) such as: IUI let-downs, two miscarriages, one IVF failure and even an adoption obstacle attributed to a non-streamlined process.
Most people would have called it quits at this point and I was filled with disappointment, but my desire to become a parent far outweighed any challenge put in front of me and I was determined to reach that end goal. I said to my husband that the next step to consider was international adoption via a reputable adoption agency. I had to find the inner strength to keep going and not give up. Resiliency was the name of the game – there were so many emotional and financial ups and downs, but all I had left was hope. I had to continue the process because becoming a mother was that important to me! And my dreams eventually became true via the process of adoption.
Today, I have two beautiful children: a son and a daughter. The day we met our son in an orphanage in North India it was true, unconditional love. He was 2 1/2 years old and our own very special blessing. We landed in Canada as a family, which coincidentally happened to fall on Thanksgiving Day. It was the best Thanksgiving present ever and we felt so grateful that this little boy chose us. Our entire journey was approximately a year and a half - from the time we registered with the adoption agency to the moment we landed in Canada. We thought what a seamless process...little did we know...
A year later, I figured let’s start the process again and register with the adoption agency once more. This time however, the process took a 5 long years from registration day to the moment we arrived in Canada. So many challenges and obstacles were faced once more, but now wasn’t the time to give up. I wanted my son to have a sibling! This time we were blessed with a 3 ½ year old little girl. Once again, we made the trip to India to an orphanage in the Eastern part of the country to bring her home. Except this time, we had to travel twice - first, to be put in front of the judge to finalize the adoption case in India and second, to pick up our daughter once the paperwork was finalized. A heartbreaking decision was to leave our son in Canada on his birthday (with his grandparents) because it happened to fall on the same day as the court case in India. Even more heartbreaking was having to leave our daughter not knowing when we would see her again due to the lengthy paperwork process. Four months later we finally did! You think that you couldn't possibly have have enough of love to give, but you are filled with sooo much of it, that it flows over! With the arrival of our beautiful daughter, our family unit was complete.
There were times when I lost hope and faith, but I wouldn’t trade my challenges or change my experiences for anything in this world. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason and a path is chosen for you on this earth. If it wasn't for the obstacles I faced, I wouldn’t have my two beautiful children today. Looking back, I would do it again 100 times over because they were both destined for me.
What’s Your Story?
Every adoption story is unique. If you have a special adoption story that you would like to commemorate, contact Hoopla Events. Your celebration could be the date that you met your child, the day you officially became a family or maybe a 20-year adoption family milestone. If you wish, Hoopla Events can map a plan and give you the tools to plan your own event. Reach out to Hoopla Events today for a consultation at hooplaevents.ca to create new memories for a lifetime to come.