The Courageous Path: An Adoption Story

In life, sometimes we slip on shoes that seem much too big for us, only to look back years later and see the quiet guidance of God’s hand.

For Marie, this was never clearer than when her mother’s health was dwindling and home life was unraveling. Sixteen and scared, Marie, a high school student from Fort Wayne—carried a secret she didn’t share with anyone for seven long months. But on her mother’s birthday, tears gave her away.  Marie revealed that she was pregnant and had already contacted Catholic Charities to begin an adoption plan. Her mother responded with support at a time when Marie felt she had so little else.

“I knew adoption was the only way forward,” Marie recalled. “When I met the case manager from Catholic Charities, I felt understood and knew that I was making the right choice.” Tragically, her mother passed away just months later and Marie, now nine months pregnant, was left to face one of the most difficult chapters of her life.

Her mother’s funeral was agonizing. Though she and her family tried to conceal the pregnancy, Marie felt exposed, her grief and her secret blending painfully. Just 10 days later, she went into labor. Her sister-in-law stood beside her in the delivery room, covering Marie’s eyes as the baby was swept away before she could see if it was a boy or a girl. Years later, Marie would find out that she had given birth to a baby girl. Despite the closed adoption, she held onto a deep-seated hope that her daughter was safe and loved.

A few years later, Marie accepted a job out of state where she became pregnant again. This time, the circumstances were more complicated. The father of her second child pressured her to end the pregnancy. To escape the mounting pressure, she moved back to Fort Wayne and resided with some other young women who were in similar situations. A quiet resolve within her reminded her that adoption, while painful, was also a pathway to giving her child a stable life. When her son was born, Marie was able to hold him just once. 

She was resolved in being ok with never interfering in the lives she so desperately wanted for these babies. 

As time passed, Marie moved forward, building her life piece by piece. She went on to marry and have a son. When her son was eight, she told him about his older siblings, preparing him for the possibility that one day they might reconnect.  She helped him understand her reasons and why it was the right decision.

That day came in 2011 when Marie received a message on Facebook from someone named Nicole, asking if Marie was her birth mother.  

“It caught me completely off guard,” Marie shared. “Many old emotions came rushing back to me in a split second and I needed time to process. Fear, isolation, shame, and grief to name just a few.  I found the courage to respond. I had always been so afraid she would hate me, but in reality it was just the opposite.  She thanked me.”

Meanwhile, Marie’s son, Michael, had grown up as one of 13  adopted children in a large family. Like Nicole, he had grown up in a loving household but was curious about his origins. One Christmas, his mother-in-law gave him an Ancestry kit so he could find his roots, but he found much more.

Marie vividly recalls receiving that message.

“One day, I got an email from Michael’s wife, wondering if I was his birth mother.”

From that point, the separation from her children began to dissolve. Marie and Michael quickly established a bond, just as she had with Nicole, and both of their families welcomed her warmly. 

“I never in a million years would have imagined this is how it would all turn out,” Marie said. “I have a close relationship with both Nicole and Michael.  We have visited each other multiple times, and we talk regularly.  Michael’s wife gave me the most uplifting compliment when she said that, if I had not made the choice for adoption, their children would never have been born. It’s a joy I never expected.”

Reflecting on her journey, Marie’s message to other mothers facing difficult decisions is clear.

“Adoption isn’t a doomsday sentence,” she says. “It’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” 

Though she didn’t feel brave at the time, she now recognizes the courage it took to choose a path where her children could thrive. Her connection to Catholic Charities, forged in a time of need, became a lifeline that she looks back on with gratitude.

Marie’s story, like many adoption stories, is one of selflessness and strength, proof that the hardest choices can lead to the most beautiful outcomes.