Bodey and Jasper
Donny and Jodi have adopted two sons: Bodey, adopted through another agency in 2006, and Jasper, adopted with American Adoptions in 2010. Their adoption story shows how beautiful relationships with birth families can be.
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“Not only did we adopt our son, but we got a whole new amazing family in the process,” Jodi writes of Bodey’s adoption. “You see, we agreed to open adoption. At the time, we were not 100 percent sure what to expect or what we were getting into – we just knew we were doing what was best for Bodey. It ended up being the best thing we have ever done.”
Little did they know, they build another special relationship through their second adoption. Donny and Jodi were celebrating Bodey’s fourth birthday with his birth mother in June 2010, and just two days later, they learned they had an adoption opportunity with Lindsay, who was due in three and a half weeks.
Jodi writes, “During our stay in Arizona, we got to spend a lot of time with Lindsay and her family. Our goodbyes were not easy, but we all knew this was not the end, but only the beginning of something special. After we got home we stayed in contact with Lindsay. Sending her and the birth father pictures once a month and keeping her up to date on Jasper’s major milestones. Lindsay also knew if she was having a sad day or was just thinking about him that we were only a phone call away.”
Jasper
In October of 2010, the couple learned that Bodey’s birth mother had passed away. “Nothing could have ever prepared us for this,” Jodi writes. “The only reassurance we had was that Bodey and her had gotten to know one another and had a special bond that he gets to carry with him forever. We also learned from such a tragic event that we have to embrace every moment adoption gives us.”
Since then, the couple has taken Jasper to visit his birth family in Arizona. “The visit was wonderful, and the only complaint would be that we did not have enough time together,” Jodi writes. “Adoption has not only blessed our lives but the lives of everyone we know. We adopted Bodey and Jasper, and Jasper’s birth family has so willingly adopted Bodey. We truly feel our boys have been blessed and are loved beyond belief.”
Donny and Jodi, and their sons Bodey and Jasper, have truly benefited from having a blended, extended family, brought together by adoption.
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