KATH'S ADOPTION STORY

I am the bmom to a little girl who has Treacher Collins Syndrome. Her name is Katilyn she was born on 1-19-96.

Once there was a couple who conceived a child. This child was made from pure love. During the pregnancy everything went as normal, all doctor's visits were kept and all sonograms taken. They watched as this beautiful child developed. They loved and still love this child to this day.

During the seventh month of the pregnancy something terrible happened. The mother was diagnosed with a inoperable brain anyeresum. Well, they felt that they could still take care of this child as well as their three year old son. They made plans to get some help with the children so that the mother could take it easy.

On January 18, 1996 the mother went to her doctor's appointment and on the way home she felt the child drop and knew that within a few days this wonderful child would be here. The next morning at two AM her water broke and she called her husband who was away on business. He flew home and she picked him up at the airport and they drove to the hospital. Everything at the hospital was very controlled and the mother was kept calm and was quite relaxed so that there was no worries about the anyeresum rupturing.

The labor progressed and everything was going fine. At 8:30 PM a little girl was born 6 lbs and 13 oz. The mother was not allowed to see the child. The child was rushed to NICU, there she was to remain. The daughter had Treacher Collins Syndrome. The mothers' doctors were called in and the mother was told that she could not take care of this child. The child that she carried for nine months the child she loves. Because of the mothers medical condition there was no way she could take care of this child. The mothers heart sunk and really doesn't remember much. She never got to hold this child,tell her how much she loves her or even say good bye. The father did get to go see her for a brief moment. In his words "she is the most beautiful creature that God ever put onto his earth."

The father stayed with the mother and supported her through all of this. the father then chose the little girls name, Katilyn Gabrielle , a pure gift from God. The next morning LDS social services was contacted to help place this child up for adoption. This was the toughest decision that has ever been made. In order to provide this child with the care, love and support that she needed they gave her up for adoption. The agency found a family that had requested a special needs child and contacted them. The family had five biological children all daughters with a set of twins. They live near Washington DC and the child would have wonderful care and a big family too.

That was little over a year ago and that couple was us. We chose to give our beautiful daughter up for adoption so that she could have a family and the care that she needs. There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about Katilyn and how much we love her. We keep in contact with Kaitlyn's family through the agency, we receive letters, and photos. We hope that the Internet will connect us, I pray that one day Katilyn will know us. She will know that the decision that we made for her was out of love. It was a very tough decision but it was made out of nothing but love for her.

Since I worte this I have located Katilyn's amended name and have her families name. But I miss her so much that my heart breaks somedays.

I want so much to hold her in my arms and tell her that we love her.

I know that God had touched me and allowed me to see Katilyn in my dreams. There is one dream in particular that comes to mind. I was dreaming that I was standing above her crib and she was there sleeping and she woke up and saw me and started smiling and looking at me.

What made me know that this was God was the fact that a few weeks later I recieved an update from the aparents and they told me how they were watching Katilyn one night and she woke up and they said " it looked like she was playing with angels she was so happy and she smiled" They gave a date and I went back in my journal and it was the same night. I had never been so thankful for anything in my life

Katilyn has a full brother Nicholas who is the light of our lives Thanks for allowing me to share with everyone it is such a healing experience