Family Reaches Out

So I'm writing this because I can't concentrate on anything else. I should be at Costco, or writing a paper for Marketing, or doing Finance homework, or writing a marketing plan for my new client.

But I can't get this baby girl off my mind.

It's been a LONG road, but an information drip has started to become a sprinkle. I pray that it becomes a downpour soon.

In February, my sister in law, Megan, told me about her cousin, Kim. Kim has three children whom she does not have custody of. She's a drug addict and pregnant in Texas. Kim's family knew this baby would need a home and reached out to see if Megan and Adam could take her. But Megan just had a baby in November. They can't take another in so soon.

My dear friends, Brian and Meg, are the most loving, wonderful people and are in the adoption process right this minute. They would make the most wonderful home for this baby girl.

So I started a crusade. And in typical Kara fashion, I haven't stopped.

To say the process has been frustrating is an understatement. We "lost" Kim for a while (turns out she is in jail in Texas), then we tried to set up a meeting with the family that didn't happen. It's been pretty stressful, full of highs when new information comes in and then long bouts of silence. And every single day this baby is on my mind. It's like she's with me everywhere I go. Just like when I was pregnant with my girls.

Last night and today was a HUGE breakthrough.

Brian, Meg, Eric and I spent hours on a letter that I sent Kim last weekend, so we assume she's gotten it by now. In it I ask if she will allow me to be her child's advocate - and that I have an option I'd like to discuss with her. I also spent over an hour on the phone with the mental health director at the jail to understand the process if Kim says yes.

Kim's family had been eerily silent while I was collecting information, trying to find her, understand baby's health, etc. Yesterday her sister, Amy, reached out for the first time.

The short story of the very long version... Amy is going to reach out to her sister on our behalf today and Kim goes in front of the grand jury tomorrow. There is a slim chance that she may be set free, and more slim chances she could be extradited to IN or IL where she is wanted for other crimes. The justice system is very confusing when it comes to inter-state jurisdiction. The biggest IF is what happens if she has to stay in jail until baby comes? There are so many options and individuals involved... our main goal is keeping baby out of Texas foster care.

But the real breakthrough today was that someone... a real person, her sister, is going to talk to her about us and the wonderful family her child could be a part of. For the first time, someone is going to speak to Kim and find out what she thinks and how she is feeling about this child.

My heart is overflowing with joy at this development.

Please pray for us. For Kim, for this baby girl, for Kim's sister Amy, for Brian and Meg, Eric, and for me. To have the strength and courage to do the right thing for this baby. To help ensure she is in a safe, warm and loving environment from the moment she is born. Because every baby deserves this, and if we can save this one little girl, this one pure and innocent soul, we will have done what God asks of us, to help the weakest and the poorest. And we will have done a great, great thing.