Open Adoption Meant She Never Had to Say Goodbye (with Sarah Neff)

Living in California, far from her family, working two jobs, and facing the loss of her housing, Sarah found herself with an unexpected pregnancy and a decision she had no map for. In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope interviews Sarah Neff, a birth parent who chose open adoption for her son. Her story moves through a prayer request she posted in a Facebook group, the stranger who answered it, and the open adoption that now connects her son to two families who love him.

A Prayer Answered Unexpectedly

Sarah was not looking for an adoptive family when she asked an online prayer group to pray for her. A week later, a woman she had never met wrote to say she was praying for her, that she would be a wonderful mom whatever she chose, and that she and her husband had just been approved to adopt. Sarah felt what she calls a tug, and as the two families grew close, she discovered an answer to a prayer she had never said out loud.

Open Adoption Keeps Her in His Life

Sarah had always pictured adoption as a goodbye. What she found instead was open adoption, raised by the adoptive parents themselves, who wanted her to stay part of her son's life. Today her son knows he has two families who love him, and not long ago he asked to FaceTime the woman he calls mama Sarah.

This episode offers hope and honesty for every member of the adoption triad, and especially for birth parents weighing an unexpected pregnancy.

Looking for support on your adoption journey? Visit VoicesofAdoption.org for support, resources, and community from every corner of the adoption triad. Subscribe to the Voices of Adoption show for real stories and the encouragement that helps birth parents and families find their footing.

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