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Meet
Eden BETHANY COLE
Followell
The name Eden, in Hebrew,
means “paradise.” A reference
to the Garden which served as the
cradle of creation, where every fiber
of existence steadied itself in perfect
order. It reflects a reality beyond the
realm of our current world, connoting
the hope of what was and what
Christians believe will one day come
to pass: restoration, redemption, and
complete virtuous equilibrium. Given
the context, it seems a fitting name for
Eden Followell. Adopted from circumstances
of abandonment that resulted
in physical and emotional harm, Eden’s
name is a reflection of what her parents,
Robby and Jess Followell, hope tells a
greater story - one of God’s deep love
and summoning heart for humanity.
The Foundation of a Family
Robby and Jess Followell met in 2005, while
both attending Mississippi College. Married
three years later, in the summer of 2008, they
lived on campus serving as resident director
(Jess) and admissions counselor (Robby).
During that time, Robby also began to launch
his business, Followell Fotography.
In 2009, Robby transitioned to photography
full time; he opened a studio on the brick streets,
while Jess taught school in the Jackson Public
School System. In August of 2011, their first
daughter, Meg, was born. With the photography
business gaining footing, Jess opted to stay
home with Meg. The family built a house on
Lawson Street, in Olde Towne, and settled
into life in Clinton.
Bringing Eden Home
Five months after Meg was born, Robby and
Jess watched a documentary detailing the
gender preference crisis for boys over girls in
India and China. Around the same time, their
church, Pinelake, was launching an initiative
to highlight adoption and offer financial support
to adoptive families. The surrounding messages
struck a deep chord of conviction, and the
Followell’s began to pursue options for bringing
a daughter home. Given that they were too
young to adopt from China, India became the
immediate choice.
The journey took just under three years, in
total, before Eden would be in their arms and
officially their daughter. They began the process
in early 2012, and brought Eden home in late
2014. The days in between, filled with paperwork
and approvals and prayers, were often
marked by the unknown. “On the front end, prior
to adoption, the emotions of longing didn’t have
a face, but she was a promise,” reflects Robby.
32 • NOVEMBER 2023