Choosing Adoption

She Said the Family Had a Light Around Them

Victoria Slappy never planned to become an expert on all three sides of the pregnancy decision, but life gave her the full range. An abortion at sixteen that still haunts her. A first adoption that dissolved into silence after six months. And a second adoption that built a family bond she never expected. On this episode of Choosing Adoption, she holds nothing back. Two Adoptions, Two Realities Victoria walks through the devastating contrast between her first adoption, where the adoptive family cut all contact and pursued legal restrictions, and her second, where the family embraced her, her husband, and all five of her daughters as extended family. She explains what made the difference: authenticity over performance, cultural awareness, and a willingness to treat the relationship like a partnership rather than a transaction. What Abortion and Adoption Taught Her About Choice At sixteen, Victoria chose abortion under family pressure and has counted that baby's birthday every year since. Years later, pregnant again and already parenting five daughters, she chose adoption and describes the pregnancy as an unexpected surrogacy, one where she treasured every kick and heartbeat because she knew it was her last time with him. Her side-by-side emotional comparison of both experiences is something every person navigating this decision deserves to hear. Advice for Birth Parents, Adoptive Families, and the Children They Share Victoria delivers direct guidance for adoptive families: stop performing, be organic, and understand that a birth mother can tell the difference between a sales pitch and a real person. She also sounds a critical warning about open adoption agreements in states like Ohio, where they function as moral contracts with no legal enforcement after rights are signed away. Listen to the full episode on Choosing Adoption to hear Victoria's complete story and the message she has already recorded for her son to hear someday. Download Your Free Introductory Adoption Guide at ChoosingAdoption.com. #Adoption #OpenAdoption #ClosedAdoption #BirthMom #BirthMotherStory #ChoosingAdoption #AdoptionPlan #TransracialAdoption #AdoptionJourney #AdoptionStory #BirthParent #AdoptiveFamily #AdoptionSupport #HeartToHeartAdoptions #OpenAdoptionAgreement #AdoptionAdvice #AdoptionAwareness #ProLife #AdoptionVsAbortion #BirthMotherHealing Follow or Subscribe to Choosing Adoption on your favorite platforms: Website | YouTube | Twitter/X | Instagram Follow Donna Pope (LinkedIn)

A Mother of 8 Explains the Adoption Decision Nobody Talks About

Eight children. Three lost to foster care. Two abused in state placements. And one mother who decided the system would never choose for her again. In this episode of Choosing Adoption with host Donna Pope, birth parents Malena and Chuck share how they turned to open adoption to protect their younger children and keep siblings together. When the System Took the Choice Away Malena did everything CPS demanded and still had her son taken at birth. The federal 15-of-22-month rule terminated her parental rights, and her lawyer told her she would have kept them if she had surrendered sooner. That loss, and the abuse her older boys suffered in care, drove every decision that followed. Choosing the Family and Keeping Brothers Together Malena and Chuck chose Heart to Heart Adoptions and found a family committed to keeping birth parents involved. When their eighth child arrived five months early after a life-threatening pregnancy, they asked the same family to take him too. Today, they receive monthly updates through Our Hearts Connect, and the adoptive family recently visited on their own, something Malena says is better than anything she has gotten from family members who adopted her older children. Discover what becomes possible when birth parents take the lead in choosing their child's future. Subscribe to Choosing Adoption for stories that show what open adoption looks like when families build it together. #ChoosingAdoption #BirthParentStory #OpenAdoption #FosterCare #CPSReform #AdoptionIsLove #BirthMotherVoice #BirthFatherStory #SiblingAdoption #AdoptionAdvocacy #HeartToHeartAdoptions #BirthParentRights #FosterCareReform #OurHeartsConnect #PreeclampsiaSurvivor #NICUBaby #AdoptionPodcast #RealAdoptionStories #BirthParentPerspective #AdoptionJourney Follow or Subscribe to Choosing Adoption on your favorite platforms: Website | YouTube | Twitter/X | Instagram Follow Donna Pope (LinkedIn) Follow Melana: KraziikittiAkaViolentK (Facebook) | @LanaKraziikitti (TikTok)

Because We Loved Him — We Chose the Life That Gave Him More

In this episode of Choosing Adoption with host Donna Pope, birth parents Kaylee and Elijah sit alongside adoptive parents Paul and Cassie with baby Seth to share their adoption story together. This rare conversation reveals what happens when both families commit to building an open adoption relationship from day one. Finding the Right Family Kaylee and Elijah were extremely selective about who would raise their son. After saying no to almost every profile, they connected with Paul and Cassie and knew immediately. Paul reminded Kaylee of her boyfriend, and the couple promised to make sure Seth always knew the deep love that his birth parents still have for him. That commitment to honoring his origins sealed the decision. A Relationship Built on Love The birth parents spent four days in the hospital bonding with Seth before signing papers. The adoptive parents let them set the pace, never pressuring or hovering. Today, Elijah describes Paul as a younger brother, and both couples anticipate a close, ongoing friendship. They want Seth to grow up knowing he has four parents who love him more than most children ever experience. Discover how two families became one through open adoption. Subscribe to Choosing Adoption for stories that show what's possible when love leads the way.   #BirthParents #AdoptiveParents #OpenAdoption #ChoosingAdoption #BirthMotherStory #BirthFatherStory #AdoptionJourney #FourParentsOneBaby #OpenAdoptionSuccess #AdoptionRelationships #BirthParentVoice #AdoptiveFamily #AdoptionIsLove #RealAdoptionStories Follow or Subscribe to Choosing Adoption on your favorite platforms: Website | YouTube | Twitter/X | Instagram Follow Donna Pope (LinkedIn)

Birth Parents Find Hope Through Open Adoption While Homeless

Alexandra and Michael Hatherley were living in the woods in Florida when Alexandra discovered she was pregnant with Owen. In this episode of Choosing Adoption with host Donna Pope, they share how they found Heart To Heart Adoptions and made the choice to place their son for adoption while relocating from Florida to Utah for a fresh start. When Adoption Creates Opportunity Their story reveals what happens when birth parents receive genuine support during a crisis pregnancy. After placing Owen in January 2023, they secured their own apartment, established jobs, and eventually welcomed their daughter Kaleesi, whom they chose to parent. Today, they maintain a close open adoption relationship with Owen's family, including visits and regular communication. Both Were Adopted Themselves Alexandra and Michael both survived foster care and adoption themselves, bringing a unique perspective to their placement decision. Alexandra experienced a failed closed adoption in 2015 with no contact, making her fearful of trying again. Heart To Heart's open adoption approach eased those fears, and today they celebrate Owen's upcoming third birthday with his adoptive family while raising Kaleesi and planning future adoptions. Discover Alexandra and Michael's journey from homelessness to stability and hear how open adoption transformed multiple lives. Subscribe to Choosing Adoption for stories that show how support changes everything. #BirthParents #OpenAdoption #ChoosingAdoption #BirthParentStory #AdoptionIsLove #AdoptionSupport #OpenAdoptionSuccess #AdoptionJourney #BirthParentJourney #LifeAfterPlacement #AdoptionStory #BirthParentSupport #OpenAdoptionLove Follow or Subscribe to Choosing Adoption on your favorite platforms: Website | YouTube | Twitter/X | Instagram Follow  Donna Pope   (LinkedIn)

Native American Birth Mother Finds Her Light in Choosing Adoption

Jonessa Price, a 28-year-old Native American birth mother from Arizona, shares her adoption journey and the challenges she faced navigating the Indian Child Welfare Act while seeking the right path for her son. In this episode of Choosing Adoption, with host Donna Pope, Jonessa discusses finding Heart To Heart Adoptions through what she describes as a sign, and how their support made the hardest decision feel like home. Tribal Myths vs. Reality Despite pressure from her tribe to place within Native American families, Jonessa trusted her instincts when the support she needed wasn't there. Her relationship with the adoptive family became the bright light in a difficult situation, bringing joy even during struggle. Today, she maintains an open adoption relationship and calls her son "our little light." Right to Choose Help Jonessa's story reminds us that birth mothers deserve the right to choose where they receive support and who will parent their children. Her advice to other women considering adoption is simple: take a deep breath, give yourself a hug, and know that support is always there. Discover Jonessa's complete adoption journey and hear how finding the right family made all the difference. Subscribe to Choosing Adoption for stories that honor every birth mother's right to choose what feels right. Website Links Follow or Subscribe to Choosing Adoption on your favorite platforms: Website | YouTube | Twitter/X | Instagram Follow Donna Pope (LinkedIn)