Bob and Jenny always dreamed of having their own family since they got married. They worked hard to be the adoptive parents of two siblings from Ecuador who needed a home. But they had no idea that the whole experience would eventually turn into a nightmare.
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The two kids were with them for more than a week when Jenny received a strange call one afternoon. The next thing everyone knew, Bob and Jenny returned one of the kids back to Ecuador. Everyone was shocked. How could they separate the siblings?
Eager to have a baby
Bob and Jenny were in their early thirties when they got married. Because of their age, they knew they should not wait any longer to try for a baby. The two were excited at the thought of starting their own family and often imagined what life would be like with a kid.
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Bob and Jenny tried every piece of advice they could find on how to get pregnant. But sadly, nothing seemed to be working for them. Six months had passed and Jenny started to feel worried. They have been trying so hard but nothing was happening.
The fertility test
When almost a year had passed, Jenny suggested to Bob that he go to the fertility clinic and take some tests. It would be easier, cheaper, and faster if Bob undergoes the tests first.
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Bob was taken aback by Jenny’s suggestion. It was as if his wife was implying that he was the problem. Jenny was aware that she had hurt Bob’s ego and feelings but she was still determined to have him take a fertility test.
Could he be the problem?
Jenny did her research to find out more about the test. She gathered what she had learned and explained to Bob why she wanted him to go for testing first. She explained that it was common for men to have problems these days and showed him the data.
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It was only then that Bob started to worry. What if Jenny was right? What if they were having struggles and it was his fault? Jenny told Bob not to stress about it. They will face any potential complications once they see a doctor.
Waiting for the results
Eventually, they made an appointment and even the doctor agreed that Bob should do the test first if they wanted to save money. Now that Bob took the test, all they had to do was wait for the results. Bob was so nervous when they finally got the lab results.
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He thought about how he would feel and what he would say if the results were not good. His hands were shaking as he opened the envelope and looked at the contents inside. He nearly cried when he read the results.
Her turn to be tested
Bob’s test results were good. There was no reason for him to worry about being able to have a baby. This only meant one thing – Jenny had to be tested. Bob immediately worried that this development would upset his wife.
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Jenny seemed nervous because most of the fertility tests for women were a bit complicated. But Bob was right there to calm her down. But for Jenny, the pressure was on. Now that Bob was cleared, chances are she was the problem.
It was bad news
The results took longer when it came to female fertility tests and waiting for them was torture for Jenny, who had wanted a baby so bad. It took weeks before the results came in and as expected, the news was devastating.
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Jenny does not have a chance to have biological children at all. Jenny tried to prepare for this possibility but the news was still heartbreaking for her. She knew Bob wanted a child as much as she did. With this development, what if he leaves her?
This is not the end
Bob comforted his wife and told Jenny that he loved her no matter what. He reminded her that their dream to have a family did not have to end there. These days, there are more options for couples like them.
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Bob convinced Jenny that they should go back to the fertility clinic and get a consultation with their doctor on what else they can do. Jenny reluctantly agreed and Bob made an appointment for the next day.
They had two options
In the clinic, the doctor explained that there are other options to start a family. The first is to use a surrogate to carry the baby on their behalf. The second is adoption0. Bob and Jenny had to go home and the thing about these options – both situations seem to be complicated.
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They chose surrogacy. Bob and Jenny started the search for the right surrogate. Almost 6 months had passed and they could not find anyone who fits their desires. And the more they did research into it, they found that surrogacy had its hidden risks.
There were risks
For one, Jenny and Bob discovered that if the surrogate decides to be attached to the baby and wants to keep it, they could go through a very uncomfortable situation and go to court. This could be a very long and expensive battle.
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What makes it worst is that they also found that there were not enough laws to protect their rights since the surrogate is the one carrying the baby. Jenny did not want to have to go through all that emotional turmoil.
One option left
Eventually, Bob and Jenny ditched the surrogate path and tried adoption. They started out by talking with the local adoption and foster system. It was then that they realized how much work it would take but Bob and Jenny were determined.
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This was their last option for their dream to have a family. The process to get approval as adoptive parents took forever. Jenny and Bob had to fill up and send a lot of paperwork. They also had to prepare their home for inspection.
A long process
When they were finally approved to be adoptive parents, they still had to wait for their chance to adopt a child as there was a long waiting list. It was almost a year when Jenny finally got the call that would change their lives.
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The adoption agency let her know that she and Bob were being considered to be the adoptive parents of a child. Jenny called Bob immediately after the call ended to share the exciting news. But Bob reminded her not to get her hopes up.
Can they handle two kids?
It turned out that the adoption agency had done this several times in the past, but things just did not work out. Some of the children they have seen ended up getting reunited with their biological parents. Other children were simply just not a match.
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The adoption agency introduced Jenny and Bob to Maria and Sebastian. They were two young siblings from Ecuador and they needed a new home. The adoption agency asked them if they were willing to adopt both kids as they did not want to be separated.
It was a match
Jenny and Bob were hesitant at first. They were only planning to get one child. But they decided to give it a try and made an arrangement to meet the siblings. After all, it was just right they stick together. The agency immediately set up a meeting.
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Sebastian and Maria seemed to be shy at first. Bob and Jenny introduced themselves to them and after talking for a while, the kids felt comfortable and immediately opened up to them. They turned out to be sweet and funny kids.
Finally a family
Jenny and Bob agreed that they felt a connection with the kids. It was a good fit and it felt like these were the kids they were meant to adopt. Jenny got excited. She wanted nothing more than to get approved to adopt Maria and Sebastian.
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Bob and Jenny had to wait for a while for the adoption to be finalized but they were willing to wait. The fact that all the paperwork had gone through smoothly was a good sign for them. The day that they got to bring Sebastian and Maria home was a very happy one.
A dream come true
Jenny was so excited that she even booked a photographer to take their first family pictures to celebrate the adoption. The pictures turned out great and it made Sebastian and Maria feel like they really had a family now for good.
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The kids had no problem settling in. They immediately felt at home and they have been functioning smoothly as a family for more than a week. Jenny could not believe how good everything felt. She may not have given birth to these kids but she knew she loved them as if she did.
The call
But one day, Jenny had a call from an unknown number. She usually does not pick up calls from strangers but since she and Bob started the adoption process, she had been taking every call in case it was the agency.
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Jenny immediately burst into tears when the call ended. Everything was going so well the past weeks but now she knows it was all just too good to be true. She called Bob up at work and told him in a grim voice that he had to come home immediately.
There was a mistake
When Bob arrived, Jenny led him to the master bedroom where they can talk privately. Jenny told him that the adoption agency called. There was a mix up with Sebastian’s paperwork. The agency has to take Sebastian away and return him to Ecuador for a little while until they cleared up the mistake.
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Although Sebastian would return to them eventually, there was also no telling when for sure. Bob and Jenny decided to talk to Sebastian and Maria together and they rehearsed how they would give them the bad news in a way that the children will not be alarmed.
Temporary separation
After hearing the predicament, Sebastian, who was the older of the two siblings tried to put on a brave face. But once Maria started crying, he also had tears in his eyes. “What is going to happen to me?” he asked softly.
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It was a heartbreaking moment. Jenny and Bob did their best to console the kids. They told them that this was just a temporary setup. They promised that they would do everything they can to get Sebastian back as soon as possible.
A happy reunion
The day the agency came to pick up Sebastian was a heartbreaking one for everybody. Maria held on to her brother as long as she could. Bob and Jenny worked with the agency to sort out the paperwork for Sebastian’s adoption.
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It took four weeks until everything was cleared. Once they got the green light, the entire family flew to Ecuador to pick up Sebastian. They had a happy reunion at the airport. Bob and Jenny’s family was whole again and from that point on, the four of them were never separated.