“Less than 2 years ago, we stood in a hospital room holding our 4-month-old baby boy as we held the hand of a woman who was giving birth to another baby boy who we would also call our son. We unexpectedly adopted 2 baby boys, only 4 months apart, and were incredibly blessed to watch as they both came into this world. We are so grateful to have open adoptions with both of our birth families and keep in contact with them regularly.
Last year our youngest child’s biological brother Sean wanted to come and visit us for 10 days. Those 10 days turned into all summer. And by the end of the summer he ended up trying out for the football team and asked his mom if he could stay with us for the school year! His mother said yes if that’s what he ultimately wanted to do. After living with us for the next 7 months he reconnected with his biological dad and went to go live with him in January of this year. We continue to talk, text, and FaceTime every couple weeks and we love him dearly! He even plans on visiting us again next summer.
As we settled into life at home with our 4 children and a busy schedule, we always knew we wanted to add another child to our crew of six (we have 4 boys and always wanted a girl). We knew sometime this next year we were going to start the adoption process again to hopefully grow the Oram family by one more. We have regular contact with our birth moms because they are like family to us. But one week ago, we received a message unlike any that we had received before. Ellis’ birth mom has been a single mom for almost 15 years and has been through more than most people can imagine. Without any help or family nearby, she has provided for her children and always put them first before anything else. But this time, she was the one who needed help.
She had missed work multiple times related to unreliable childcare and didn’t want to drop her 5-year-old off at just any random’s house. With a lot of thought and love in her heart she asked if we would be willing to take her baby girl for a while so she could get back on her feet and provide a life and future for herself and her children. We received that message at 6 a.m. last Tuesday morning. By 8 a.m., my husband and I had booked a one-way ticket for her little girl to come on her first flight to Utah. But this wasn’t just any flight. My father, who only travels once a year for work training, just so happened to be flying out to St. Louis this week and would be only 10 minutes from where they lived.
Thursday evening, my dad took an Uber to their apartment where they lived and knocked on the door. He had never met our son’s birth mom or siblings but was greeted with open arms and a loving embrace. They FaceTimed us when they were all together to let us know they were on their way to the airport. Here they were. My 61-year-old dad flying halfway across the country with a very bubbly and talkative little girl who had just turned 5 a few days before. On her first flight. And her first time out of St. Louis.
We waited up as their flight was delayed and they finally arrived at 2 a.m. to our front door. With a smile on our face and open arms, we welcomed our youngest son Ellis’ biological sister, Skylar, into our home. And I think he knew that she was there. For a child who loves his sleep, he woke up within minutes of her arriving in our home. In the middle of the night. Skylar had not seen him in person (they had FaceTimed and seen pictures) since we left the hospital with him 20 months prior. The moment they saw each other they exchanged the sweetest embrace. They just knew. Knew their love for each other. And the connection they shared.
In the 72 hours she has now been in our home we have all fallen in love. She has stolen our hearts and brought a different kind of light that puts a smile on our face. In a world full of boys we rarely saw the world of ribbons and curls, fluffy pink unicorns, and everything sequined for cute little girls (she still won’t accept my answer that black is my favorite color and that I don’t own a single article of clothing in the color pink 🤣).
We do not know how long she will be with us. Because the length of time is unknown. But she is family. And we would do anything for her, her mom, and our son’s biological siblings. We love them dearly. And are so grateful for the chance our son gets to be with his older sister for this period of time. We are unsure what the future has to hold. But in this time, we will love on this sweet little girl and welcome her into our family as one of our own.
We continue to FaceTime her mom daily and are happy for her to be able to take this time to better her life for herself and her babies. I know it takes a lot to ask someone for help. Especially when you feel like you have exhausted all of your options. But this, is why we are so grateful for open adoption.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Heather Crockett Oram of Utah. You can follow their adoption journey on Instagram. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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