Cultural diversity has always been a topic of conversation in our relationship. Kevin is White, with Irish and German ancestry. Eddy is Mexican with family originating in both Spain and Latin America. Our cultural differences are something we discussed early on in our relationship, and we've reflected a lot on how our cultural upbringing has shaped our identities and how we will raise a child. It's important to us that the child experiences elements of each of our cultures (e.g. learning both English and Spanish, celebrating Christmas and their quinceañera), and any cultural experiences unique to their own identity.

Our lived experience also makes us highly aware of the impact of racism and other prejudices, and the importance of surrounding ourselves with an inclusive community of people. It's important to us that any child we raise has an opportunity to build community with people who look like them and share their cultural background, and we plan to be intentional in creating these opportunities.

We will address cultural differences early on in age-appropriate ways, and continue to have more robust conversations as the child gets older and begins to ask questions. We have a racially diverse group of friends and family and have talked to many of them about what it would look like to raise a child of their race. While we recognize we still have much to learn, these experiences have given us a solid starting point and we look forward to continuous learning and conversations.

Kevin

Eddy

Together

We are passionate about service and helping others through our careers. After graduation, we both joined a program called Teach For America, where we taught in low-income schools for two years. Since finishing this program, Kevin has stayed in the education sector, teaching special education for two additional years, then moving into a role where he helps people interested in teaching find jobs in communities in need. He is now a Managing Director of Recruitment for Teach For America, the same company with which he got his start in education. He also runs a small stained glass art business on the side!

After two years of teaching chemistry and witnessing the connections between inequities in education and in healthcare, Eddy went on to medical school, where he earned his MD and is currently completing his residency training in anesthesiology. During residency, he quickly realized that he enjoyed working with children and is planning on completing an additional year of fellowship training in pediatric anesthesiology. Working with kids and families is his favorite part of the job, and he is a pro at administering epidurals!

We live in three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with an open kitchen, cozy living room, and large backyard. Our home is filled with art, plants, family photos, and treasures from our travels around the world, and we get plenty of natural light! On any given night, you can find us cuddled up on the couch watching a show, or chatting and listening to music in the backyard with our dogs. We have a large vegetable garden, a variety of colorful trees and plants, and a patch of turf where the dogs and our friends' kids love to play. We've already picked out the perfect spot for a small playground set, too!

We walk our dogs around our neighborhood every evening and one of our favorite parts is seeing all the kids and families outside riding bikes, drawing with chalk, and playing together. We are a three minute walk from the local school and playground and a 15 minute walk from a large, grassy park with plenty of space to run around. The weather in Arizona is one of our favorite parts because we can be outside nearly every day of the year, and our community hosts block parties, an annual historic home tour, and a massive winter lights festival with food trucks, live music, performances by local students, and plenty of family fun!

Our neighborhood is one where people take care of each other, and we know we'll have community support as we embark on our journey as parents.

Eddy is one of five kids and the majority of his family lives nearby in Phoenix, Arizona. We see them at least 2-3 times per month. Kevin's parents and two older sisters live in a small town in New York, where he grew up. We visit every summer and winter, and they always come to Arizona for Thanksgiving!

We both come from big, close-knit, extended families, and it's not uncommon to have a family dinner or party with 30+ people present! Kevin's aunts, uncles, and cousins (and all the kids and dogs) get together for a weekly Sunday dinner and game night, which we love joining when we visit. Eddy's family is Mexican, and we frequently get together for birthdays, quinceañeras, and barbecues. They love dancing, karaoke, and making big family meals. Tamales around Christmas are our absolute favorite!

We are so grateful to have Eddy's family just a short drive away. Though we miss regularly seeing Kevin's family, we love our visits, spending quality time with them, and experiencing the change in seasons. From long summer days by the lake to snowy days sledding with our niece and nephew, this is something we would look forward to sharing with a child.

Both sides of the family are overjoyed at the thought of us growing our family! Eddy's mom is counting down the days when she can retire and spend her days helping out with the child, and Kevin's family is already planning their extended visits.

We spent a lot of time trying to make this "perfect" when the reality is there's no way for us to perfectly articulate how thankful we are for you. Thank you for your strength and your openness as you consider adoption as an option for your child. We can only imagine the emotions and decisions you're working through, and we deeply respect the time, energy, and consideration you're putting into this. Thank you for considering us as potential parents to raise your child. Truly, thank you.

Our names are Eddy and Kevin, and we are writing to you as a married couple who have been together for over a decade. We live in Tucson, Arizona with our two dogs, Rico and Ruth, and love the life we have built together. We talked about kids on our first date and have always known we've wanted to build a family together. Now, ten years later, we are ready to grow our family through adoption. We're ready for a playmate for our nieces and nephews, a new best friend for our dogs, a companion for our hikes, and an alarm clock in the morning (or middle of the night). We're ready to welcome a child into our family whenever the opportunity presents itself!

Our daily life is all about balancing work, travel, leisure, and family time. Kevin works in the education sector and Eddy is a doctor. We both get a lot of joy from our work, especially from the kids and families we get to support. With a former teacher and a doctor in the house, education and health will always be a focus. Family and culture will also always be prioritized. Eddy is Mexican and Kevin is White. Together, through marriage, we have family members who are Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander. We believe the diversity of our families is something that makes us unique, and we are fully committed to embracing and nurturing whatever background your child comes from. We want them to grow up with pride in their roots and a strong sense of who they are, while also learning about the culture and traditions of our families.

We are fortunate to have a close-knit group of relatives near and far who are ready to welcome your child with open hearts and open arms. They'll get to see Eddy's family (who lives nearby in Phoenix, AZ) multiple times per month for barbecues, karaoke nights, and quinceañeras where everyone shows their moves on the dancefloor. Kevin's family lives in Upstate New York and we would look forward to bringing your child with us on our summer and winter visits, where they'll get to experience the change in seasons. Kevin's family's home is surrounded by beautiful lakes and gets plenty of snow in the winter. Your child would spend summers swimming and boating on the lake, and winters sledding and building snowmen with their cousins.

If you choose us to love and care for your child as parents, we want you to know that your story, your decision, and your place in their life will always be respected and talked about openly. We are committed to sending regular letters, pictures, and artwork so you can stay connected and see your child grow. If you are open to it, we would also welcome emails, phone calls, and/or annual visits. We want to build a relationship that feels right for you, and one that ensures your child knows how much they are loved.

We promise to raise your child in a home full of love, laughter, warmth, and opportunity. We will guide them through life with compassion, encourage them to try new things, challenge them, nurture their dreams, and celebrate them for exactly who they are. We will admit when we get things wrong, apologize often, and normalize open communication. We promise to prioritize their health, their education, and their passions. Alongside one another, we will put them first each and every day.

Thank you again for considering us. We could not be more grateful and are ready to experience this journey with you, should you choose us.

With deepest respect and gratitude,

Eddy & Kevin