Why Adoption?

My mom chose to adopt because she had a medical condition called endometriosis. This condition prevented her from becoming pregnant. 

 I asked my OB physician's assistant to give me some information about endometriosis. Here's what she said.


"Stats show about 15% of the population has infertility, hence about 85% of couples conceive within one year of trying. 
Causes of infertility range but the main subgroups are male factor (30-40%), ovulation disorders ( up to 30%), anatomical issues like fibroid tumors, blocked tubes, misshapen uterus, etc (up to 20%), endometriosis (up to 20%), and a small group of "unexplained" infertility.  

Endometriosis is a condition where the cells that line the inside cavity of the uterus are found outside the uterus, often in the pelvis surrounding the ovaries, fallopian tubes & uterus.  Endometriosis can lead to bands of adhesions, implants of endometriosis, it can distort the open end of the fallopian tube near the ovary.  Endometriosis  is confirmed via surgery (usually laparoscopy).  There are stages I-IV relating to the severity. 

Most women with endometriosis have very debilitating menses, painful intercourse, blood-filled cysts on their ovaries (endometriomas).    Sometimes they have irregular bleeding or heavy flow, but most often pain.  It can be challenging to diagnose short of exploratory surgery.  It can run in families, if the mother has it, there is about a 10-20% chance the daughter will have it.

There are theories about the cause of endometriosis, anything from cells that were "misplaced" during in-utero development to retrograde menses to inflammatory or autoimmune kind of things.  No consensus to date."  

I am grateful to be adopted.  I am so blessed to have the parents I have and to have lived the life I've been given. Our lives and our family have been greatly impacted by the blessings of adoption, and I cannot imagine life another way. I'm glad that when my parents found that they could not have biological children that they decided to include other children in their families.

My parents described my adoption as intended by God. That I was always supposed to be in their family - always supposed to be a King - but that God wanted it done in a different way. When I was a child, I thought that meant that I could easily have been born to them, but now I know that I was never destined to have brown hair or blue eyes. I realize now how miraculous it was that they chose to adopt, and that my birth mother chose to carry me to full term.

Adoption is a wonderful way to build a family if you are not able to have your own or if you'd like to give a child a chance at a new life. I am a big advocate for it!

Medical links:
Medline Plus
Adoption