Our Stories page is currently under construction. Check back soon to read about a few more of the stories that have inspired the Treasured Adoptions Foundation.
I would love to take a few minutes to share my heart with you! Dale and I have been married for 22 years. We have two "homegrown" children, Brogan and Patrick. We thought we were done having children, so we both settled into a routine of working toward successful careers, Dale in medicine, and myself in a pet grooming business I began. However, I constantly felt the Lord calling me to motherhood once again. Dale and I began praying about God's plan for our family, and that is when we were introduced to the world of ADOPTION!
A close friend of ours adoption a baby through a private adoption attorney. She introduced us to this attorney, whose name is Kirsten. Kirsten is amazing, and is so much more than an attorney. She loves and cares for the babies she places! She explained to us that she had many families waiting for a healthy caucasian infant, but very few for a minority child, or a child born with medical needs. We instantly knew God's plan for our family.....we added our name to Kirsten's list that very day! We decided to let God choose the color, the sex, and the needs of our future child!
We didn't wait long! On May 2, 1999, we were chosen to parent a beautiful brown baby boy, who we named Keagan! Keagan's adoption was picture perfect, his birthmother was an absolute doll, and it was an amazing experience! We were present at his birth, and felt an instant bond with him. We were hooked....this adoption thing was awesome! Very soon after Keagan's birth, we jumped right back onto Kirsten's "list".
In September of 2000, we received a call from a social worker in Chicago. She wanted to know if we were interested in a baby girl, who was born with a history of pre-natal cocaine exposure, and a positive cocaine test at birth. This baby girl also had contracted chlamydia from her birthmother. With a quick prayer, Dale and I both started getting out the baby bottles! We brought Bronwyn home a week later! She fought her addiction for several months, and went through several treatments to rid her lungs of chlamydia. Today Bronwyn is a happy, healthy young lady, who has NO lasting affects from her experiences. We were able to meet her birthmother in prison, and we actually had the chance to share Christ with her! She is now a sister-in-Christ! And a dear friend!
Little tiny Toby Liam came to us all the way from Louisianna! He was born early, at 34 weeks, and weighed a mere 4#. His left lung collapsed at birth, and he had other complications a preemie can have. He was also diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease. We brought him home at 4 weeks of age, and he has thrived! Toby battles his Sickle Cell Disease on a daily basis, but despite this, he is a happy, active, creative little man! He is our dancer, and has some amazing moves! His birthmother chose to have NO contact with us, but we do hope she will change her mind. We would like her to know what an awesome son she gave birth to!
Twins! Wow, in early 2006, we got a call from Kirsten asking us to adopt twin! How exciting, how overwhelming! We said YES! It wasn't quite that simple, however. When birthmom Tauheedah gave birth to the boys, everything changed. Ronan, the bigger twin, was born perfect. A healthy, chubby little baby, with a full head of hair! Rory, however, was small, frail, and inactive. Rory was born with several birth defects, including two holes in his heart, and severe defects of his hands and arms. He was born without elbows, and with just two fingers on each hand. Despite these issues, I fell in love with this little man immediately! In the end, Tauheedah chose to parent Ronan, and we adopted Rory. It was heartbreaking to separate the twins, but it was a decision we were not allowed to make. We thank God for Rory. He is such an inspiration! He has managed to figure out a way to do anything he sets his mind to. At his last developmental eval, he showed no delay, despite his limb differences! Praise God!
Here we are again, in the middle of another adoption, however this one is completely different! We heard of a beautiful little Chinese princess, MengYan, who was waiting for her forever family in an orphanage in ChangDe. She is ill, suffering the effects of Beta Thalassemia. Her treatment is China is minimal, and her health is suffering. The more we prayed about her, the more we felt God calling us to her. After a family vote (which was unanimous!), we filled out the application, and got the process started. It has been a long, frustrating, and weary journey, BUT....we are almost there! We travel in September to bring MengYan home! WOW This is an amazing journey!
This is our story. There is so much more to tell, but I think I have rambled on enough! I hope in some way this story will encourage you! Ask God what His plan is for your family! He will show you, He will guide you, He will encourage you, and He will hold your hand through it all! My children are my TREASURE, and my true gift
from the Lord! He wants to bless you with a TREASURE! Are you ready?! If you have answered YES, then hang on, and get ready for a ride! It's an fantastic adventure!
Blessings,
Ann McKinney
Founder, TREASURED Adoption Foundation