Articles Book III - Pg 300-560 (Birthparents) - triadoption

frlond who know soomod to know moro thon I of tho poln thot
would como; thus, sllo couldn't fool my joy os acutoly 0s I did. Tho
birthfothor folt dlsbollof and ongor. Ho folt cought ond trapped. I
don't know if he ovor folt rosponsiblo or lovod our boby.
Othor thon thoso pooplo, I kopt my prognoncy socrot for
months. I wos happy ond oxcitod loornlng what It meant to cerry
o child within mo. As long os it was socrot, it could hurt no ono,
ond I didn't hove to foco the probability of losing my child.
I told my porentsof tho plans I had modo, my plans for odoptlon
to protoct my baby's fothor, his wife, ond his throo lnnocont children.
1 told thom I wontod my boby to hovo o two-parent homo.
They didn't disagree. That wos tho first time In my life thot I ovor
sow my mother cry. It has hopponod a lot since then.
Through tho Florence Crlttonton Hostings House in Massochusotts
I found o wago home whore I spont tho next throe end
one-half months bobysitting, cleaning house as I had nevor dono
before (or ever wlll agoinl) My temporary family was welcoming
and klnd and holpod make the time pass qulckly and boorobly.
At tho Crit, I was counselled in a holpful way about my
unroollstic lovo for a morriod man. But, to tho best of my rocolloctlon,
there was no counselling in regard to my docision to surrondor
my child to adoption. No olio talkod about the oftor-effocts of
giving up o child. No ono offorod any olternotivos. I iotor loarnod
that my poronts would hovo holpod mo to koop my child, if thot
hod boon my doclsion, but thoy wore told by the Crit coseworkor
not to try and advise mo - not to try ond Influonce mo In any woy.
I also later loarnod that my grondmother wanted dosporotoly to
take me In permanently - me and my boby - but sho was told
to stay out of it. Poronts end grandparents hovo lived to regret
occopting thls odvico of tho profosslonois who told thom thoy hod
no right to an opinion about tho futuro of their first grondclllld
end great-grondchild.
My doughtor was born by Coosoroan Soction about 11:OO a.m.
I'll novor forgot tho joy I felt whnn I hoord hor first cry and know
thot she was olive ond heolthy. On tho morning of tho oighth doy,
I orrongod tho layotto I hod brought for Lisa and gothoring my
courogo and porsonol belongings, I loft tho hospital. I will novor
In my lifo hovo to do onything as difficult or os painful os looving
thot hospltal without Lisa. It took ovary ounco of strongth I hod.
I signed tho finol relooso popers tho following doy. My parents
como to got mo ond wo started tho work of forgotting.
. rC
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT