There is probably no one else in the community with more dedication, passion and experience dealing with the adoption of children.
I appreciate the time you spent helping on the recent case. I don’t know what I would have done without your assistance.
First, let me start by saying that if it wasn’t for Michele and her dedicated staff to open and start Adoption STAR our family would not be a family today- We thank you and love you all, for what you have done and become. Our daughter came home to us Aug. 14 of 2000, she was born the beginning of July. After facing all the trials of infertility and other failed attempts to adopt, it was our social worker who put us in touch with Michele. We prepared everything needed, sending pictures and our profile, we were waiting, patiently, to hear a word. My father-in-law was in a nursing home in his final stage of life and unresponsive, together we were all gathered with my husband’s family. That evening before I left the nursing home, I said good-bye to my father-in-law, I whispered in his ear, told him it was ok to let go and when he got to Heaven to ask God to make this baby ours. Well, the following morning my father-in-law passed away. My husband came home after arrangements had been completed. Now after feelings of stress and relief, we knew it would still be a few days before we hear anything about the baby, (that is what we were told by our social worker.) Early that afternoon our phone rang, it was our social worker, telling us that our daughter’s birth mother had selected us. I started to cry and my husband was speechless! No one knew at that time what I had told my father-in-law. Do I believe in miracles? You bet!!! Our daughter’s adoption was #1 and our son’s #79-When our daughter was about 2 1/2, we decided it was time to add another member to our family, so again, we contacted Adoption STAR, attending new classes, doing our updates to our profile, and preparing our daughter for the upcoming event of having a brother or a sister. One afternoon I received a phone call from our social worker. We had a lengthy conversation about an illness affecting a baby boy, what I knew about it (I am a nurse) and how we felt about this. After our conversation and speaking with our pediatrician too, we were confident we could become parents of this baby boy. We had to travel to Virginia to pick him up. It just so happened that a close friend of ours lived only 20 minutes from where we needed to go to get him. It made it a little bit easier to have him there with us for support. We arrived at our destination, with tears of relief and joy. We laid eyes on him and a big smile came across his face and ours. We knew our family was complete! Only once did my daughter tell us to “take him back to Ginia Mom, he screams too much!” I told her that couldn’t be, he was ours and here to stay. Today they have become great friends and true siblings who will have each other forever.
It had been almost a year since we had completed our home study and it was almost time to renew it. I started to feel like maybe we should pursue other avenues and was waiting for Sue K. to call me back regarding international adoption. It had been a few days and I was really beginning to wonder why she wasn’t returning my call. On Friday, March 14th, at 2:05 Bill called my classroom and I found out why she had been waiting to call me back. He told me that Sue had called and had told him that birth parents had chosen us to parent their child who was due in May. I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly so I asked him to repeat himself. I had heard him right! We had finally gotten the call we had been waiting for. A couple of days later we got another call. Jeremiah’s birth mom said we could be at her doctor’s appointments. We were able to see him on ultra sounds and hear his heart beat. She also said she felt we should be there for his birth.
At 5:20 in the morning on May 8 (3 weeks earlier than expected) my cell phone rang and it was Jeremiah’s birth mom. She was at the hospital and thought we should get there quickly. We rushed to the hospital and were able to spend the next few hours with Jeremiah’s birth mother and her parents. Bill was able to cut the umbilical cord and we spent the first 2 days of Jeremiah’s life in the hospital with him. The hospital staff was so wonderful to us, we couldn’t have asked for more. It was the most wonderful experience I have ever had. After learning of our infertility, I thought I’d never have the chance to see my child born.
Bill and I could not be more grateful to Adoption STAR for bringing our son into our lives and giving us the family we dreamed of. Being Jeremiah’s parents is the most amazing gift. STAR will forever have a very special place in our hearts and our family.
I am a birth mother. Words I never thought I would say. I came to Adoption STAR over 7 years ago, and had no idea what to expect. To say I was afraid is an understatement. From the first phone call, the staff at STAR made me felt so comfortable. At a time in my life when I felt worthless, they made me feel important and loved again. STAR always put my needs first as a birth mother and through the whole process made sure I was comfortable and made sure that the decision that I was making was best for myself and my family. I am so thankful to Michele and her staff for all that they have done for me. I have an amazing birth daughter and she has an awesome mother and father thanks to STAR. I am proud to say I am a birth mother, and owe that all to Adoption STAR.
As a birth mother, Adoption STAR is an amazing agency. The agency from the very beginning went above and beyond.
I gave my child up for adoption in 2010 and I’m amazed at how much support I continue to have; as well as, the adoptive family. I am so fortunate as to how Adoption STAR handled the situation in the beginning of the process and allowed me to choose the best family for my daughter so that she could have a relationship with her brother. I was very scared in the beginning and wasn’t sure what to do but the support of the agency made the decision that much easier. It made the decision easier because I didn’t feel alone.
Over the past 5 years the siblings have gotten to know each other and it just feels like an extension of our family.
I am so grateful for the continued support and for having been blessed with such an amazing family and our open adoption that can continue to grow. We are truly blessed every day. Thank you very much for everything you have done and continue to do.
I still highly recommend the agency because of the support and love that you put into every placement.