What Love Can Do: An Adoption Story

 

When Dena and Miles decided to open their hearts to another child, to foster or possibly adopt, they couldn’t have known how challenging it would be. But they also never dreamed how their family would expand.  

 

With the assistance of Catholic Community Services’ foster and adoption specialists, Patsy and Celeste, Dena and Miles got licensed as foster parents. It was frustrating for them at times, but they grew to trust the two women who patiently answered questions and resolved their concerns. 

 

Then came their first foster child—on the very day they received their license. They accepted the placement but soon found that they, along with their three children, weren’t prepared and requested to end it. 

 

“That was hard. We felt that we had failed,” said Dena. “But Patsy and Celeste came over and we reviewed what happened, and I knew they had the child’s best interest as well as our best interest at heart.” 

 

Dena and Miles tried again, this time welcoming a little girl into their home. She lived with them for over a year, and they adored her, but had to say goodbye to her when a relative adopted her. That was hard, too, but they knew it was the best outcome. 

 

During that year, however, a six-month-old baby girl named Mia came into their home. Her mother, Serena, had given birth to her in prison. When Serena was released soon after, she struggled to stabilize her life, and Mia was removed from her care. 

 

Dena welcomed Serena for visits and kept in touch with her, sending emails and photos of Mia. She knew it was important for Mia to know her mother. But as the court hearing approached that would decide her fitness for parenting her daughter, Serena knew she wouldn’t have her life in order. She called Dena and told her she wanted their family to adopt Mia.  

 

Dena and Miles were thrilled, but the adoption didn’t happen as they expected. Serena’s mother came forward from out of state wishing to adopt Mia and pushing hard for it even though Serena did not want it, due to the broken relationship between them. But adoption of a child in foster care by a family member was preferred, so with heavy hearts, Dena and Miles invited Serena’s mother to come to meet Mia. When she did, however, and realized that Dena and Miles welcomed her with love and that Mia was thriving in their home, her heart was softened. She stepped back, and the adoption proceeded. 

 

“Everyone was willing to do the right thing for Mia. We were united in that, even though it tore at all our hearts,” said Dena. “I was so thankful to have Celeste and Patsy there to help us get through it all.” 

 

Dena and Miles and their three older children are so happy now to have Mia in their family. “She is so much fun, vivacious and full life, and I’m Mom, and I love that,” said Dena.  

 

But they’ve also found that Serena is a part of their lives too—and her mother. Dena keeps in touch with both, and through this shared love of Mia, the relationship between Serena and her mother is healing. Serena also now has a little boy she is raising. They come to visit from time to time—and they are family. 

 

“I never dreamed that we would have this bigger extended family,” said Dena. “It was hard to see it this way at first, but it’s beautiful, and it’s been amazing to see what love can do.”