At the age of 18, I was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure. I vividly remember sitting in the doctor’s office when I heard those three words. After seeing specialists and many different doctors, it had finally come to this. I constantly dreamed of being a mother and suddenly felt hopeless.
As I grew up, I experienced many challenges and realized that my infertility might stop me from having a child through pregnancy. However, I knew in my heart it would not stop me from raising happy and healthy children. An incredible part of my life has been learning and studying the Gospel. During the difficult, confusing period after learning about my condition, I realized I could always hold onto one thing. God has a plan for our family and there is a child waiting for my love as a mom and Cache’s love as a father. It is so comforting knowing that, however the child gets to us, that is how God planned for it to be.
I get the question time and time again: why adoption? Why not In vitro fertilization. I wish we could say we were always one of the couples that knew we would adopt, but we have tested other options. About a month before Cache and I were engaged, we discussed my Premature Ovarian Failure and our options for getting pregnant. But more importantly, we were able to reassure each other that we could get through this as a family, one way or another.
I remember the day we decided we wanted to expand our family and bring a little one into our lives. I was optimistic that even with a 2% chance of getting pregnant, I could do it. I would become a mother and give my child all the love I had in the world. Unfortunately, things were not that easy.
After much prayer and thought, we know that IVF and all the other miraculous ways of bringing a child into the world are not the paths we are supposed to travel on at this current moment. I have been on hormone replacement for many years now and realize that my body cannot sustain such treatments. Cache and I realize that adoption has been God’s plan all along and we are anxious to begin the process.
It is often hard to look at your trials and not be drawn to the negatives. I always tell myself, however, “Enjoy more fully, the sunlight.” -President Hinckley.
We couldn’t be more thrilled to expand our family through adoption.
We couldn’t be more thrilled to expand our family through adoption.