The day everything changed for our family.

It was pouring rain and I was speeding down I-85 on my way to Atlanta to catch a flight home to Phoenix when my phone rang.  Before I could say "Hello" my wife blurted out "I'm on my way to get the baby!"  It was the day that everything changed for our family but it had been several years in the making.

In 2005, after 8 years of infertility, 2 miscarriages and shots and pills and tears, we abandoned our idea of having a second child.  Michele suggested adoption and I looked at her like she had horns growing out of her head.  The idea had crossed my mind but she couldn't really be serious, could she?  Raising a child that wasn't "ours"?  I was very slow to get used to the idea but Michele persisted.  Through applications and questions and classes and home study and psychological evaluation and thoughtless comments from well-meaning friends, Michele persisted.

When the call finally came, I was worried.  Were we really ready for this?  Were we too old for this?  Would our families accept the child?  I fretted all the way to Phoenix and in the shuttle ride out to our home in the suburbs.  And then I saw that baby and all of my worry melted away.  Micah was perfect in every way and the perfect fit for our family.  Just after his adoption was final, we got "the call" again and drove to a parking lot to pick up Jonah from the back of a mini-van.  And, 18 months after that, we were finally complete when we drove to a government office late at night to pick up Elijah.

If you are considering adoption, you should know that there will be lots of sleepless nights, both before and after the "placement".  But one worry that Mayo Clinic can help with is the expense.  Through the Adoption Assistance Plan, Mayo Clinic will reimburse up to $10,000 of expenses per adoption.  To learn more about how the plan works, visit HR Connect on the Mayo Clinic intranet and search on keyword "Adoption".

Do you have an adoption story?  Are you considering adoption in the future?  Tell us about it in the comments below!