HOLD ON TO HOPE

A Miracle Unfolds: Our Journey of Adopting Baby Charlie and Embryo Adoption


We would like to share our heartfelt story about the incredible journey of adoption and the life-changing moment we welcomed our baby girl into our family. Adoption is a beautiful way to build a family, and we hope our story inspires others to consider this amazing path.

Since we were married in 2015 we had always wanted to start a family- a big family. After a year of trying to conceive without success, we decided to seek medical advice to determine if either of us had an issue. We were nervous due to Zac's spinal cord injury and were unsure if we would be able to have a child naturally.  After we were both cleared and underwent many tests everything came back good. But why wasn't it working? Everyone says to quit "trying" but it's sort of hard to not try when everyone around you is having children. Those that struggle with infertility know what I am talking about. When everyone around you is having children, you are overly happy for them, but you are left with an empty spot in your heart.

Two years with no success we decided to try IVF- and just assumed that it would work.. IVF is TOUGH. The strain it outs on a womans body- mentally and physically is so exhausting. After several rounds of IVF, hundreds of miles back and forth to Pittsburgh, 7 transfers, 2 miscarriages, and ALOT of money we decided to give it a break yet once again and try on our own.

Another year or so went by and we decided to try IUI locally as we still had no definite reason we werent able to get pregnant. Nothing. After much discussion and the stress it put on our relationship (which we will go into more detail at a later time about) we accepted that we weren't going to be able to conceive on our own.. We then decided to look into private adoption. We created a Website and Social media pages "Wolfes Adoption Journey" in hopes to connect eith an expectant mother. For over a year, we had a lot of people reach out to us but unfortunately all turned out to be scams.

Then after 2 WHOLE YEARS, we got an amazing phone call from our NEIGHBOR about a young woman looking to place her baby up for adoption.  We were basically numb to excitement due to all the let downs, so we really didn't get overly excited (probably going to be another scam, we were thinking in the back of our minds). The birth mother asked us to meet up, which was absolutely amazing of her to do, but we were so nervous! We met her at a local restaurant Charlie's where she gave us onesies that said "will you be my dad and will you be my mom". I definitely had tears in my eyes.... Was this real? Was this really happening? We left that day absolutely ecstatic.. Were our dreams coming true?

She was kind enough to allow us to be present throughout her pregnancy for doctor appointments, ultrasounds, and we were even able to experience the birth (Zac almost passed out), and I cut the cord-- it was so surreal and she was a ROCKSTAR during labor and delivery and our daughter entered the world in 1 contraction, 1 minute, and 3 pushes. SO AMAZING to witness. We will never be able to thank her enough for choosing us to raise this baby GIRL, Charlie Ann   she was born July 27th at 11:23 PM. 6lb 15oz 19.5 in. She is such a cutie and stole our hearts the second she was born.

Over the next few months we will go into more detail on the adoption process

From the moment we made the decision to adopt, our hearts swelled with anticipation and hope. We dreamed of providing a loving and nurturing home to a child who needed it most. We knew that our love had no boundaries, and we were ready to open our arms wide for our future daughter.

The adoption process challenged us in many ways, but it also brought us immeasurable joy and taught us the true meaning of patience and resilience. We navigated paperwork, interviews, and home studies with determination, reminding ourselves that every step brought us closer to our little girl.


The journey of adoption not only blessed us with the joy of having a precious Charlie, but it also introduced us to a how strong love and an amazing person by your side can exceed all doubts.

Adopting a baby girl has taught us that love knows no boundaries and that a family can be created through the beautiful act of adoption. We are eternally grateful for the opportunity to shape our daughter's life, and we treasure the incredible privilege of being her parents.

To those considering adoption, we encourage you to explore this path with an open heart and an open mind. There is an unbreakable bond waiting to be formed, and a child out there who craves the love and stability that only a family can provide.

Remember, adoption is not just about giving a child a home; it's about finding a forever family, a love that will endure a lifetime. Every child deserves a place where they are cherished, celebrated, and supported. We hope our journey of adopting a baby girl shines a light on the beauty of adoption. May this story serve as an inspiration for all those embarking on their own adoption journeys. Together, let's celebrate the incredible gift of love that adoption brings and embrace the magic of creating a forever family.  

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Last year we also found out about embryo embryo adoption. Many may not know what this even is, because we  sure didn't. Embryo adoption, also known as embryo donation, is a process in which leftover embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) are donated by one couple and then adopted by another couple or individual with the intention of carrying and giving birth to the child.

 

During IVF, several embryos are usually created, but not all of them are implanted into the intended mother's uterus. These excess embryos can be cryopreserved for future use, discarded, used for scientific research, or donated for embryo adoption.

 

Embryo adoption allows couples or individuals who are unable to conceive using their own gametes (eggs and sperm) to still experience pregnancy and childbirth. The adopting couple or individual will usually have medical and psychosocial evaluations to ensure they are suitable candidates for embryo adoption.

 

The adopting couple or individual will undergo a transfer of the donated embryos into their uterus. If the procedure is successful, they will become pregnant and carry the pregnancy to term.

 

Embryo adoption provides an alternative to traditional adoption or other fertility treatments, such as using a surrogate or using donated eggs or sperm. It can be a viable option for couples or individuals who are unable to conceive on their own but still want to experience pregnancy and childbirth. We made the decision to go to the NEDC (National Embryo Donation Center) in Knoxville Tennessee in 2022. After undergoing treatment we had a failed attempt at the end of 2022, we were at yet again devastated. Fast forward to March of 2023 where we had the opportunity to try another transfer. SOO the medication started yet again! About a week after the medication started we found out about little CHARELIE! After all the scams and failed attempts we figured both were a 50/50 shot, we decided to proceed with BOTH. 

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Prior to transfer date we had to fill out a paper as to how many embryos we wished to thaw/transfer. The NEDC does have a "rule" that they will not transfer  more than 2 "good" quality embryos. 

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The day of the transfer the a total of 5 embryos were thawed, the first 2 that were thawed did not survive, the remaining embryo from this donor was thawed and graded as poor quality. They then thawed 2 more embryos from our second choice donor, both of which were graded as good to excellent quality. The NEDC gives every embryo a chance at life, so we transferred the 2 good/excellent and the poor quality embryos, with less than a 1% chance for all three to stick.

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KNOX, NAVIE, AND NOA MADE THEIR GRAND APPEARANCE ON 10/19/23 AT 4:21 & 4:22 AND CHARLIE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER!

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YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS WILD RIDE WITH THE "WOLFE PACK"!