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Families don't always look like the typical family model some of us grew up seeing. But those who have experienced the joys of other family types, like chosen, blended, or adopted families, know the joy that those can bring too.
A woman named Christie Werts knows all too well that family isn’t necessarily what you are born into, which is why she chose to share the unique story of her adopted son.
Roughly five years ago, Christie and Wesley Werts fell in love. They married and brought their families together: she had two children named Megan and Vance, and he had two children named Austin and Dakota. Together they became a blended family and began the adoption process to make things official.
Even with four kids, the couple still wanted to try for a baby of their own. But they knew it would be difficult given that Christie is in her late forties. So, babies were on their minds when they got the news that Wesley’s ex-wife had had a baby boy, reports Newsweek.
Unfortunately, the ex-wife and her partner both struggled with addiction, and she had used drugs while pregnant. That led to the baby, Levi, being born at 33 weeks. The mother died four days later because of complications from her addiction and a COVID-19 infection.
“When Levi was born, we had no idea his mother was pregnant,” Christie told the publication. “No one had heard from her for over a year. Her sister got in touch with us to tell us what had happened and that there was this baby with no one to care for him.”
When Christie found out about Levi, she was convinced he would grow up in foster care. She herself had grown up in foster care, and she wanted to prevent that from happening to Levi. So she and Wesley made the decision to try and adopt the baby instead.
“When my husband called me and told me about the situation, I think he already knew I was going to say we need to take him,” she explained. Somehow, she may have already known that this baby was going to be a part of their family, too.
The couple flew from Ohio to Texas to meet with Child Protection Services and to meet Levi. They had no idea what to expect, but it didn’t take them long to fall in love.
“For three months, I kept having this dream,” she said, explaining it was about a blue-eyed, blonde-haired baby. “Sometimes he was a baby, other times a toddler… But when I walked in and saw this blond-haired, blue-eyed baby, I immediately fell in love. It was a very surreal feeling. This was my son.”
The couple decided they would go ahead with an adoption, even though they knew the process could take a long time. They hoped that because they had already started the adoption process with their other children, it would help, but eventually, the whole family moved to Texas to make things easier.
There was plenty of paperwork, court sessions, home visits, and other details to figure out, along with the fact that Levi’s birth father still had legal rights to decide and sort out. Finally, 16 months later, Christie and Wesley were able to adopt Levi for good.
Now, Levi is two years old, and this blended family feels complete.
“It's a lot to process for a lot of people, but honestly, it seems a lot crazier than it was. At the time, it just made sense,” Christie added.
Sometimes things in life just seem meant to be, and that was clearly the case for the Werts family when they learned about Levi. They recognized that what truly bonds a family isn’t blood but love. And by sharing their love and fighting for Levi, they gave him a chance at a home life he might not have otherwise had.
It’s a nice reminder to those of us who may be without a family or who have a difficult time feeling accepted or safe in the families we do have. If a situation or person isn’t good for you or your mental health, you do not need to continue the relationship. We all have the power to choose who we give our love and energy to.
And if you are considering adoption or becoming a foster parent, perhaps this story is the motivation you need.
Everyone deserves love, and if you have extra love to give, why not take that first step and reach out to a local organization? You never know what kind of a difference it could make in a child’s life, not to mention your own.
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