Joy of adoption celebrated during November

    November is typically thought of as the month that brings us Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. There’s another reason to celebrate November – it’s National Adoption Awareness Month.
    A study done by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute found that 60 percent of all Americans were personally touched by adoption. Some are mothers who may not be able to openly share their story of motherhood. Some are families that were created through the gift of adoption. There also are adopted persons who still may be searching for the very first piece of their life story.
    During my 20-plus-year journey as an adoption professional – and now as the program director of Adoption Services for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans – I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to share in the personal experiences of birth families and adoptive families, all of which have been beautiful, emotional and selfless on every level.
Flooded with memories
    I remember being with a birth mother in the delivery room more than 18 years ago, and I had the solemn but sobering privilege of witnessing her as she laid eyes on her child for the first and only time. No one would ever know that she gave birth to this baby, which she already loved more than life itself.
    I have memories of a child who was adopted more than 18 years ago who called the agency to request background information. That’s when he learned that his birth mother had written to him.
    I recall an adopted family that couldn’t contain their excitement on adoption placement day – the day they would finally become known as “mom and dad.”
    There are memories of an adoptive family who supported their child as they received counseling in preparation for a reunion with their child’s birth mother.
    I remember the birth mother who opened up her emotions to her child, now an adult: “Placing you for adoption was the hardest decision I ever made in my life. I never forgot about you. I wanted you to have the best life possible.”
    Then there is the gratitude of adoptive parents who meet the birth mother of their child for the first time and are able to say, “Thank you.”
    Adoption has changed so much over the years – from a closed system often filled with secrets to a more open system filled with more honesty. One system is not easier than the other, just different. As adoptions have become more open, birth mothers sometimes experience more direct responses from adoptive mothers.
Thankful for the gift of a child
    One recent note from an adoptive mom seems even more appropriate at this time.
    “Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing John into our lives,” she wrote. “We could not possibly be any happier and have been floating on a cloud since placement day. It is clear to us that John was meant to be our son and that his birth and the way he came to us was part of God’s plan. All of the years of infertility struggle have melted away, and we are glad none of it worked because then we wouldn’t have him. I now cannot imagine life without him.  We truly believe we have been part of a miracle that continues to unfold.”
    Adoption Services of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans continues in its tradition of providing maternity and adoption services that include maternity and adoption counseling services, case management, adoption education, pre- and post-adoption support, search/reunion, home studies and post-placement reporting for domestic or international adoptions. All services are available to those served through the program for as long as needed.
    When someone chooses to work with Adoption Services of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, we see this as the beginning of a relationship with families that can extend 50 or more years.
    If you or someone you know placed a child for adoption or is adopted through Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans (also previously referred to as St. Vincent’s Maternity Home) and would like to receive the available non-identifying background information or counseling services, please contact Danna P. Cousins, LMSW, program director, dcousins@ccano.org or (504) 885-1141. All contact is strictly confidential.
    During the months of November and December, Adoption Services is accepting requests from prospective adoptive families that are interested in domestic adoption.
    Here is the criteria for a couple to request the information packet and adoption questionnaire: the couple must be between the ages of 27 and 45, married at least three years, have no more than two children in the home and reside within the Archdiocese of New Orleans or the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.
    To request further information or to make a donation to the program, please contact dcousins@ccano.org or 885-1141.