Opinion

One year later: teen birth parents who chose adoption

By Amy Ford | June 20, 2012 , 10:25pm

Even when it’s not easy, the reward is great.

Tissue paper was flying as the birthday girl opened her gifts. She would pull each present out, inspect it quickly, and then toss it to the side because the gift bag always looked way more fun. Abby was the star of the party, and every move she made, her family and close friends would watch in awe. We would all follow her around on the little trails she would decide to go on and giggle every time she did something cute (which was the entire time).

I think the entire party I was either laughing or crying. There was so much love for this baby, you could just feel it. Even though Abby was only celebrating her first birthday, her life already has impacted many.

Most of you have read or heard the story of “Jayd.” She was a sweet girl that I had the honor to walk through a season of pregnancy at 16, who made the brave decision of choosing adoption. (If you haven’t read it, I suggest you read here. ) She had baby Abby last May, and her life changed forever.

I want to introduce you to the face and the real name behind “Jayd.” Her name is Jordyn, and she is still my hero.

Jordyn decided that after one year, she was ready to reveal her true identity. Along with this reveal, Abby’s birth father and Jordyn’s boyfriend Josh would like his story to be heard (watch for his blog post at the Embrace Grace Blog). He has been there with Jordyn from the dedication ceremony, at every visit with Abby, to the 1^st birthday celebration. His life changed drastically this past year, and he is excited to share his part of the journey.

Through this journey, Josh’s and Jordyn’s relationship has only strengthened. They have had each other to lean on in moments of mixed emotions. They both have grown closer to God and more confident in who they are. They are starting to see the impact on lives by sharing their story with others.

For Jordyn, this year has had its ups and downs of emotions. She gets to see Abby every other month, and it is her favorite thing to look forward to. She still rests confidently in her decision to choose adoption, even on the hard days when her heart misses Abby so much. She just looks at her face and sees how happy she is with her adoptive family. She is being raised in such a great family and is loved by so many.

As I sat watching baby Abby opening her gifts while her adoptive mom, birth mom, and birth dad sat next to her helping her, it just made me wonder: if girls who wanted to pursue an abortion knew that this could be an option, would they be more willing to save their babies’ lives?

When a brave pregnant girl chooses adoption, there are usually 3 choices: open, semi-open, or closed. But what if there is another choice?

The only story of adoption in the Bible is the story of baby Moses. His mom had to let him go so he could live. And even after letting her baby go, God still allowed her to have an integral role in her child’s life. Later in life, he knew who his birth mom was and loved her.

So what if there were another adoption option? An option that had more strategic visits and connections that strengthened the bond between birth mom and child? Sure, there would need to be structure and rules made to enforce the protection of the adoptive mom, and this option isn’t for everyone…but I’ve seen firsthand how that with the right adoptive family and the right birth mom and dad, it could be a relationship that is life-changing for everyone.

We will post frequent updates on Josh and Jordyn and how their lives unfold. God has such great plans for the both of them. They want to be a light and voice for the unborn and to bring awareness to adoption.

Josh has frequent postings on the Embrace Grace Blog, where he writes about his journey of being an 18-year-old guy finding out that he got his girlfriend pregnant, and his emotions as they chose life for their baby, all the way into choosing the perfect family to raise Abby. I am so proud of Jordyn and Josh for using their voices to raise awareness that adoption is always an option.