I found out I was pregnant in July of 2008. I was 18 years old and hopping from house to house. The father (who’s basement I was living in at the time) was 20 years old and severely addicted to drugs, as was I. Later he admitted that he tried to get me pregnant because he thought I would marry him if I did. For the first month I was scared and had no idea what I was going to do. I finally told my parents and they immediately took me out my situation and gave me a place to stay. My mother was the person who first talked to me about adoption.

I rejected the idea until she took me into American Adoptions and I met Emily, my case worker. Slowly, I started to realize that if I wanted the best life for my baby, I would have to put her in a better environment where she could have two strong parents and be provided for properly.

Despite threats from the birthfather and the disapproval of others, I decided to proceed with the adoption process. Emily made everything very comfortable for me, even when I had to wait until my seventh month to pick the parents. The first couple I chose ended up not working out. I found Ben and Kellie only a few weeks before the birth. I instantly fell in love with them and knew that I wanted them to raise my baby.

At the hospital, I was completely confident in my decision, bit it didn’t hit me until I actually saw her face and signed the papers that I was not going to be my daughter’s mother. But I also knew that I was being the best mother I could be by giving her a better life filled with so many more possibilities than I could provide.

My daughter saved my life, and I like to think that I saved hers. Bringing a child into this world has taught me more that I ever would have imagined. The whole experience has given me a chance to start over and I will never let it go to waste.