the Keller family: choosing to give LIFE

Back at the beginning of November I felt like I needed to share the testimonies of as many families as possible during Orphan Awareness Month.  I set out with great intentions of posting a good few stories each week. 

Well, life happened–a move across the country with a family of nine plus a dog; an awful virus which sent our two little lovies to hospital the day after we arrived in the mountains; those same two angels on oxygen for several days; a house to unpack; adjustments all around…You get the picture.

Needless to say, I never got to post all the testimonies I had hoped to post. So here I am, continuing to share the stories of some pretty amazing families with you all–simply because there is such power in the testimony God gives each one of us.

I have been so looking forward to sharing this next family’s adoption story with you. I actually asked my friend, Jen, if she wouldn’t mind sharing their journey.  You see, just a couple of years ago I never even knew that embryo adoption even existed!  It was only through following Jen’s story that my eyes were opened to something truly heartbreaking yet so redeeming at the same time, something we hardly ever hear about…the fate of hundreds of thousands of embryos in this country who are literally frozen in time.

It is an absolute JOY for me to introduce you all to Jen and her sweet, sweet family today. 

HELLO ALL! I’m Jen, BLESSED MOM TO 8. My blog is http://www.handsheartsquiverfull.com/

I was SO EXCITED when Adéye asked me to share our precious adoption story! Specifically our seventh adoption which is the miracle of EMBRYO ADOPTION!

There are currently over 500,000 frozen embryo babies just WAITING for a warm place to snuggle in and grow. These embryos are the result of couples who have done IVF and have “extra” embryos left over from their cycles. These embryos have 3 fates…DESTRUCTION, DONATION to Science for research and Donation to another couple.

We’ve always really wanted to experience the intimacy of pregnancy and child birth together as a couple. When we got married 10 years ago, we did not have good insurance or the finances to explore IVF or the like so we moved straight to traditional adoption. Adopting our 6 wonderful kids through foster care/private adoption.

In March of 2009, I was REALLY feeling the nudging by God I THOUGHT to do an international adoption but my husband was JUST NOT FEELING IT AT ALL. After deciding that we were NOT both being called to adopt internationally, we decided to give TTC (trying to conceive) one last shot.

In April and May we both went through many tests with our RE (reproductive endocrinologist) and it was discovered that we could do IVF BUT we had some problems that would lead us to either egg donation, sperm donation or BOTH. Embryo adoption/donation IS NOT IVF. It is simply a frozen embryo transfer.

After much discussion and prayer, we decided that we did not want to create embryos that were not “ALL US” meaning either 1/2 The Captain + 1/2 donor or 1/2 Me + 1/2 donor AND we did not want to be in the same predicament and create embryos only to have to decide where our “extra” embryos would go as we only desired ONE pregnancy.

Because of all these factors, we were led straight to embryo adoption. Focus on the Family and many other Christian organizations support and encourage embryo adoption. It obviously didn’t matter to The Captain or I whether it was our biological child or not-we were actually thrilled that this child would be adopted just like our 6 littles! Many couples agonize over what to do with their remaining embryos after IVF. There are 3 choices. Donate them to another couple, destroy them or donate them for research.

We started doing research and found that embryo adoption can cost anywhere from $3,000 up to $20,000. There are basically 4 ways I know of to do embryo adoption. I will list them from most expensive to least expensive.

1.) You can adopt your embryos through an agency like Snowflakes which is the most expensive way but they are experienced and pioneered embryo adoption. You can choose either open or closed adoptions. Home study required $12,000-$16,000.

2.) You can go through an infertility clinics anonymous embryo donation program. No home study required. $5,000+

3.) You can go through NEDC (National Embryo Donation Center). You must travel to their clinic in Tennessee twice once before your transfer and once for the transfer and get your home study through Bethany Christian Services. Total Cost $4600-$7,000 with an extra $3,000 if you want an open adoption.

4.) Miracles Waiting. Which is what we did. For $100-you post a profile and perspective donors read through and email you if they are interested. Some donors are also listed and you can contact them. Although we got chosen in just 9 days-many people wait over a year or more. Our cost $3800.

After we were chosen by the donating couple, we had our attorney here in KS draw up a contract and both couples agreed to it & it was finalized. I began the process of preparing my body for the transfer and then our 6 adopted embryos were flown to my clinic in L.A. and waited for my arrival! On October 22, 2009, 2 precious embryos were implanted in my womb.

Here is the photo of one of our precious ones right before implantation!

I gave birth to our PRECIOUS MIRACLE. Ms. Blakely Laurel on June 14, 2010. GOD IS GOOD!!!

I am pleading with you today…If you are a Christian and you believe that life starts at conception and you have that desire to give birth to a child or desire to adopt another child. PLEASE PLEASE think about embryo adoption. It is just a BEAUTIFUL way to help out the 500,000 FROZEN ORPHANS that are waiting right now…FROZEN IN TIME.

Please email me at [email protected] with any questions you may have as I LOVE to talk about Embryo Adoption. Here is a link to my embryo adoption blog which DETAILS EVERY SINGLE STEP I went through in the EA process. http://www.womb4onemore.blogspot.com/.