Jacklyn's Story ~~
I've gone back and forth in my head on whether or not to write this up, but after watching the message of the day on the Bible app, and being the Light for someone else, I decided to do this write up. Mostly, before, I didn't want to do it because I didn't want it to come across as a pity party. I wanted the fundraising for the adoption ask to be specifically that, but I understand that shedding light onto the path toward where we are today have purpose and meaning.
So, where do I begin - someone who never writes long posts or stories! I guess 2015 will do...
At 26 I was abruptly uprooted from Georgia to Florida February of 2015. It wasn't what I planned and if I'm honest, it wasn't what I wanted, but it's what happened. Fast forward to the mid July and I was going to the doctor for pain and distension in my abdomen. I had the doctors scratching their heads, between bloodwork, an ultrasound, more bloodwork and, oh yea, more bloodwork. It finally hit a peak the 1st of August when my doctor told me to go to the hospital where I was promptly admitted. I then found myself in the women's center with the on-call OBGYN that I'd only just met sitting by my bedside telling me that all signs point to ovarian cancer. I honestly can't remember what all he said to me. He had sympathy, as a cancer survivor himself, but wasn't the oncologist and didn't have "the plan." I was visited by other doctors, telling me I had fluid in my lungs and my kidneys weren't fully functioning, that if I didn't have surgery to remove my tumor that I'd need stints put in my kidneys.
My best friend had been visiting me at the time and I remember how weird it was laying in the hospital while she went to my house for the night. When I met with the gynecological oncologist, she told me that my surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, that she wanted it to be sooner but her surgery schedule was already fully booked. She told me the plan of removing the (left) cancerous ovary and that there were chances of having to remove other "things" depending on how it looked once she got in there. She told me there was a chance of removing the right ovary as well. (For a reminder - ovaries are what houses and releases eggs and other hormones in women and there's no such thing as a pregnancy once those are gone). I'm pretty sure I said something along the lines of "ok" and not much more. It's a lot of information to hit you basically at once.
My Tuesday 8/4/2015 surgery resulted in the removal of my cancerous left ovary - it was 5 lbs and over 5"x9" in size - but it also resulted in the removal of my right ovary. It was inflamed and unhealthy looking and my doctor made the decision that she thought best after looking at it. So, here I was - 26. Stage 3C dysgerminoma (germ cell tumor) - at the top age range of when that type of ovarian cancer shows. Stitched up. And only partially through it all. I had immediate appointments to move into the second part of chemotherapy, which is a whole other part of it all.
Something important to highlight is my peace in the hospital. I can't say I didn't have fear, but I can say that it wasn't what consumed me. I had a divine peace that wasn't of my own. I had peace and thoughts that surpassed understanding. I knew I was going to be okay. It wasn't a question. There wasn't any doubt. I knew I was going to be okay. I also knew that there'd be more from this. I couldn't at the time say how or when, but I knew there was purpose in the struggle.
Fast forward through the years of struggle, moving, and relationship changes and the answer on that purpose came in 2020 when I met Sean. The idea of adopting a child had come to me before, but I wasn't ever sure of that being His purpose in my 2015 journey until this time. It took 5 years of heartache, struggle, falls, stumbles, and picking myself back up and brushing the blood and dirt off. When I said the word "adopt" and Sean's response was "yes" - I knew then that that was His plan all along.
We started our adoption journey in 2023. We waited and waited. We applied to more agencies and still, months of radio silence. Months of absolutely nothing. We went through not just one, but two Home Study renewals, when finally, our Social Worker was sitting at our dining room table during our 2025 renewal and was simply shocked at how much we've been waiting. She made a couple suggestions on additional steps so we could get matched. After prayer and advice, we decided to sign up with a consultant one more time. It was also right around this time I heard a struggle and prayer from a friend in our life group - she and her husband were moving for work and struggling to sell their house. She told us that she'd prayed to God that if it was His will, their house be on the market by the end of the month, and if that didn't happen, they trusted that it wasn't His will for it to sell and they'd visit other avenues. His hand showed when the house wasn't under contract and they ended up having a neighbor a couple doors down needing a house to rent, as his current houses owner wasn't renewing his tenancy, and he also signed a 2 year contract - which happens to be when their employment contract ends and they plan to return to the area.
This sparked a thought in me that I would never have done or thought of before.
I prayed to God, if it truly is Your will that we adopt, please have us matched by July. If we're not matched by July, I will tearfully, painfully, and reluctantly release that plan and close the door on it.
With signing up with our new Adoption Consultant, we finally were receiving potential birth mom situations and we finally were presenting our profile book. But we kept getting passed on and other families were chosen.
July 28, 2025. My best friend, Erin, and I are on our way to Maine for our first ever girls trip. We realize while on the plan that "this" is the weekend 10 years ago she was visiting me when "it" all happened. We reminisce and get excited for our upcoming excursions. While we're mid-air, somewhere 10,000 feet above, our consultant sends another prospective Birth Mom situation, and it isn't until about 10:30 that night that I've had a chance to talk to Sean about it and we reply "yes" to present our profile to her. We even ended up submitting our profile to another mom at the same time.
July 30, 2025. I get a phone call from our adoption consultant asking a few questions about follow up information in our profile book when she then says "Well, she picked you guys." I was shocked. Silent. She even asked "are you processing" because I don't think she expected my blank "okayyy." Tears, phone calls, and praise followed. And more realization about God's divine plan.
I hope you've read this far because it's taken a lot of pause and sweaty palms for me to get this out and this far . . . you guys. 10 years. 10 years of things no one would ever plan for their life. 10 years for pain to turn into purpose. I have no doubt about His hand in it all. I don't find it ironic that my July prayer came to fruition at the end of the month, 10 years after I was going into the hospital for emergency ovarian cancer surgery. I don't find it ironic that we waited 2 abnormally long years to match with this birth mom. I don't find it ironic that it was 10 years from surgery day to signing the adoption contract. I find it divine. I find it holy. I find His hand in it all.
We have about 3 months till the due date, at which time, we're prayerful for this match to come to fruition in the form of placement and bringing the baby home. We're prayerful for His mighty hand to continue to work in ways that we can't understand. And honestly, you guys, that's in the fundraising too. I can't tell you the emotional tumbleweed of matching with a situation that totals $56,0000. It's a big number, but I know this is God's plan and we'll continue to pray prayers of both thanksgiving and asks.
I'm hopeful that you've read this far and if you did, thank you.
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. Matthew 5:16
I've gone back and forth in my head on whether or not to write this up, but after watching the message of the day on the Bible app, and being the Light for someone else, I decided to do this write up. Mostly, before, I didn't want to do it because I didn't want it to come across as a pity party. I wanted the fundraising for the adoption ask to be specifically that, but I understand that shedding light onto the path toward where we are today have purpose and meaning.
So, where do I begin - someone who never writes long posts or stories! I guess 2015 will do...
At 26 I was abruptly uprooted from Georgia to Florida February of 2015. It wasn't what I planned and if I'm honest, it wasn't what I wanted, but it's what happened. Fast forward to the mid July and I was going to the doctor for pain and distension in my abdomen. I had the doctors scratching their heads, between bloodwork, an ultrasound, more bloodwork and, oh yea, more bloodwork. It finally hit a peak the 1st of August when my doctor told me to go to the hospital where I was promptly admitted. I then found myself in the women's center with the on-call OBGYN that I'd only just met sitting by my bedside telling me that all signs point to ovarian cancer. I honestly can't remember what all he said to me. He had sympathy, as a cancer survivor himself, but wasn't the oncologist and didn't have "the plan." I was visited by other doctors, telling me I had fluid in my lungs and my kidneys weren't fully functioning, that if I didn't have surgery to remove my tumor that I'd need stints put in my kidneys.
My best friend had been visiting me at the time and I remember how weird it was laying in the hospital while she went to my house for the night. When I met with the gynecological oncologist, she told me that my surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, that she wanted it to be sooner but her surgery schedule was already fully booked. She told me the plan of removing the (left) cancerous ovary and that there were chances of having to remove other "things" depending on how it looked once she got in there. She told me there was a chance of removing the right ovary as well. (For a reminder - ovaries are what houses and releases eggs and other hormones in women and there's no such thing as a pregnancy once those are gone). I'm pretty sure I said something along the lines of "ok" and not much more. It's a lot of information to hit you basically at once.
My Tuesday 8/4/2015 surgery resulted in the removal of my cancerous left ovary - it was 5 lbs and over 5"x9" in size - but it also resulted in the removal of my right ovary. It was inflamed and unhealthy looking and my doctor made the decision that she thought best after looking at it. So, here I was - 26. Stage 3C dysgerminoma (germ cell tumor) - at the top age range of when that type of ovarian cancer shows. Stitched up. And only partially through it all. I had immediate appointments to move into the second part of chemotherapy, which is a whole other part of it all.
Something important to highlight is my peace in the hospital. I can't say I didn't have fear, but I can say that it wasn't what consumed me. I had a divine peace that wasn't of my own. I had peace and thoughts that surpassed understanding. I knew I was going to be okay. It wasn't a question. There wasn't any doubt. I knew I was going to be okay. I also knew that there'd be more from this. I couldn't at the time say how or when, but I knew there was purpose in the struggle.
Fast forward through the years of struggle, moving, and relationship changes and the answer on that purpose came in 2020 when I met Sean. The idea of adopting a child had come to me before, but I wasn't ever sure of that being His purpose in my 2015 journey until this time. It took 5 years of heartache, struggle, falls, stumbles, and picking myself back up and brushing the blood and dirt off. When I said the word "adopt" and Sean's response was "yes" - I knew then that that was His plan all along.
We started our adoption journey in 2023. We waited and waited. We applied to more agencies and still, months of radio silence. Months of absolutely nothing. We went through not just one, but two Home Study renewals, when finally, our Social Worker was sitting at our dining room table during our 2025 renewal and was simply shocked at how much we've been waiting. She made a couple suggestions on additional steps so we could get matched. After prayer and advice, we decided to sign up with a consultant one more time. It was also right around this time I heard a struggle and prayer from a friend in our life group - she and her husband were moving for work and struggling to sell their house. She told us that she'd prayed to God that if it was His will, their house be on the market by the end of the month, and if that didn't happen, they trusted that it wasn't His will for it to sell and they'd visit other avenues. His hand showed when the house wasn't under contract and they ended up having a neighbor a couple doors down needing a house to rent, as his current houses owner wasn't renewing his tenancy, and he also signed a 2 year contract - which happens to be when their employment contract ends and they plan to return to the area.
This sparked a thought in me that I would never have done or thought of before.
I prayed to God, if it truly is Your will that we adopt, please have us matched by July. If we're not matched by July, I will tearfully, painfully, and reluctantly release that plan and close the door on it.
With signing up with our new Adoption Consultant, we finally were receiving potential birth mom situations and we finally were presenting our profile book. But we kept getting passed on and other families were chosen.
July 28, 2025. My best friend, Erin, and I are on our way to Maine for our first ever girls trip. We realize while on the plan that "this" is the weekend 10 years ago she was visiting me when "it" all happened. We reminisce and get excited for our upcoming excursions. While we're mid-air, somewhere 10,000 feet above, our consultant sends another prospective Birth Mom situation, and it isn't until about 10:30 that night that I've had a chance to talk to Sean about it and we reply "yes" to present our profile to her. We even ended up submitting our profile to another mom at the same time.
July 30, 2025. I get a phone call from our adoption consultant asking a few questions about follow up information in our profile book when she then says "Well, she picked you guys." I was shocked. Silent. She even asked "are you processing" because I don't think she expected my blank "okayyy." Tears, phone calls, and praise followed. And more realization about God's divine plan.
I hope you've read this far because it's taken a lot of pause and sweaty palms for me to get this out and this far . . . you guys. 10 years. 10 years of things no one would ever plan for their life. 10 years for pain to turn into purpose. I have no doubt about His hand in it all. I don't find it ironic that my July prayer came to fruition at the end of the month, 10 years after I was going into the hospital for emergency ovarian cancer surgery. I don't find it ironic that we waited 2 abnormally long years to match with this birth mom. I don't find it ironic that it was 10 years from surgery day to signing the adoption contract. I find it divine. I find it holy. I find His hand in it all.
We have about 3 months till the due date, at which time, we're prayerful for this match to come to fruition in the form of placement and bringing the baby home. We're prayerful for His mighty hand to continue to work in ways that we can't understand. And honestly, you guys, that's in the fundraising too. I can't tell you the emotional tumbleweed of matching with a situation that totals $56,0000. It's a big number, but I know this is God's plan and we'll continue to pray prayers of both thanksgiving and asks.
I'm hopeful that you've read this far and if you did, thank you.
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. Matthew 5:16