Project Cuddle

My husband and I heard about Project Cuddle in Jan 2007. We sent our info in to become a rescue family and two months later we got the call about our daughter. She was born three weeks later.

The women with Project Cuddle were so supportive to us and to our daughter's first mom and grandma. They were quick to return our phone calls, give us updates and just offer their time and support in a variety of ways.

Its clear that they have a heart for women and babies. They are there to support women whether the women choose to find an adoptive family or choose to raise the baby on their own.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Our Experience with Project Cuddle


We love to share our daughter's story! She was conceived in rape and God has made something beautiful from such an ugly situation. Despite how she was conceived God has a plan for her life and we are so excited to be a part of it! Please do not exclude a child because of the way they were conceived - they are just as precious! God is the creator of them just the same. Her name is Kinsey which means "Victorious Spirit", so appropriate for her life.


My life would not be complete without her in it.....

How it Happened: My husband and I heard about Project Cuddle through an adoption board online and decided to send our info in to become a "rescue family"! We sent our stuff into them in January 2007 and we were very open as to what type of child we would be open to. We were open to a child of any race, either gender, open to HIV, rape situations, no prenatal care and open to unknowns.

Two months after we sent in our application, picture and Dear Expectant Mother Letter we got our first call about a possible situation! They called us on Monday, March 26th, 2007 about a 14 year old hispanic girl, due with a baby of unknown gender in three weeks!!! They called us with that information and wanted to know if we wanted our letter to be presented to her! We said yes we would and they said that they would call us with her decision on Wed. Wed rolled around and she called to tell us that the young mother had selected our family! Because of her age they wanted her to make sure that she had made the right decision and its what she wanted, so they had her look at 5 more profiles and she selected us again

She had no prenatal care because she just found out she was pregnant in the 7th month of pregnancy (feb) and so her first doctor appointment was March 30th. A woman from porject Cuddle accompanied her to her first appointment and would stay in touch with her. They said her due date was May 4th but that she would have the baby two weeks early due to her age and the fact that its her first. The next week they said her due date was May 12th (still expected two weeks earlier than the due date). Well on April 20th Kyle says he has a "feeling" that we will get "THE CALL" on our anniversary April 23rd. On April 23rd at 3:10pm we received THE CALL that I expected to be an update on how she was doing, but instead they were calling to tell us that she would be induced that night at midnight!!!! We had nine hours to book a flight, fly to California, rent a car and get to the hospital before baby is born!They expected baby to be delievered at 7am.

PREPERATIONS: Once we were matched we had to hire an agency or a lawyer to do the legal and paperwork. We called the agencies Nightlife & Bethany Christian Services (both Christian adoption agencies in southern California - Bethany is located all over the United States). We also called a Lawyer and found out that we just had to hire one or the other in California if we were going to finalize the adoption in our state because we would have to hire a lawyer in our state for that. We were able to get a personal loan from the bank with low interest over 5 years.
So....
*We hired Bethany Christian services for $4,000
*We hired an attorney in our state for $1,200
*Plus, plane tickets, hotel, car rental

The RUSH! We booked a flight to fly out of Chicago at 10:15pm, arrived in LA at 12:15am (3:15am Indiana time), we rent the car and drive an hour to the hospital arriving at 2:15am (5:15am IN time). WOW!! All the nervousness and excitement is taking its toll! :-) The women from Project Cuddle were there with the young mother while she was in labor and they took turns around the clock to be there for her! It was absolutely wonderful. Anything she would need they would help her with! They were there when the baby was delievered 18 hours after they had induced her. They came to the hospital and saw our daughter and came to encourage us. :-)

After the Birth: We were able to be in the hospital for her birth - we were in the delivery room next door to where she had our daughter and as soon as she was delivered they brought her straight to us!! We got to see her examined, cleaned up, and I got to cut her cord! We also got to stay in the hospital over night with her in our own room (because they had enough rooms available). The young mother chose not to see her at delivery but we met her the day afterwards and she agreed to meet her daughter on day three so we could take pictures together! Although there was so many unknowns associated with our daughter and her delivery and health - our daughter was completely healthy and is a very content baby :-) We love her with all that we are :-)

Open or Closed: It was our desire to have an open adoption with her family but they did not want to. The mother of the young girl did want to meet us (I think for confirmation that they made the right choice) and so we met with her a few times over the few days! She became comfortable with us and agreed that her daughter could meet us and that maybe they would someday in the future write letters. I don't know what happened but God is good and they were more open to exchanging letters and receiving pictures. If they didn't want pictures or letters I was going to make them a scrapbook for the day they would someday contact us. Kinsey is three months old and each of us has sent the other 5-6 letters in these three months. We send each other pictures and I am so thankful they view us as an extended family :-) They send pictures of our daughter's mother when she was a baby and toddler too which will be special for our daughter to see when she grows older.

I love to see the resemblences between them :-)

ICPC: We had to stay in the state until the inter-state compact was sent from California to our state and they signed off on the adoption and called our agency in California. Typically this takes 7-10 days and you must remain in the state until you are given the okay to leave. Our daughter was born on a Monday and her mom couldn't sign the relinquishments until she was discharged. She had to stay in the hospital until Friday due to an infection. So the relinquishments weren't signed until then - which meant they couldn't send the paperwork until the next day. Monday our state received the stuff and Tuesday we got the call to leave! Soooo... somehow we were able to leave a day after they received the paperwork - which is a miracle!

Project Cuddle is amazing! They desire to keep children from being abandoned by offering help to expecting mothers, whether the women want to place for adoption or keep their baby.

UPDATE: September 2011:
We continue to have an open relationship with our daughter's family and are incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. Our daughter is now four a half years old and we have made an effort to make it "normal" that she is adopted. When she was two years old, she could tell you whose tummy she was in :) She has even been overheard sharing with her 5 year old cousin, her adoption story. Sharing how she was in C's tummy but she couldn't take care of her, so God sent her mommy and daddy to C, to be our daughter's parents. She loves that we flew on a plane and brought her home. Its beautiful hearing an adoption story through the eyes of a child. We want her to know that she was ALWAYS loved, and ALWAYS cherished - by EVERYONE in her life. She is a treasure. Her mommy loved her enough to give her life, I know one day our daughter will see the significance of what she (her mom)has gone through. We are thankful that she is our daughter - she is amazing!

Their Website is: http://www.projectcuddle.org/

Toll Free Number is: 1-888-628-3353

(1-88-to-cuddle)

My email is kcg2005@gmail.com

Despite how she was conceived God has a plan for her life and we are so excited to be a part of it! Please do not exclude a child because of this type of situation - they are just as precious! Her name is Kinsey which means "Victorious Spirit", so appropriate for her life.






10 comments:

Ohio_Momto3boys said...

That little lady is beautiful!
We have open adoptions with our three sons' families (letters, pictures, phone calls, emails, etc.) and all our kiddos are black american. They were all inner city births. Their moms all consider themselves part of our family and they know they'd be welcome anytime. For the moms, it has been enormously helpful to have contact with us (helps with grief, gives a feeling of security of choice); for us, we've had access to medical info and social cues (ex: our oldest son was slow to speak but his birthmom said all the boy relatives all started talking at 3... sure enough... full sentences at age 3). WE love it.

Enjoy that baby. She's delightful

Katie in Ohio
mom to three boys, 4, 2, 9 months
eteacher99@yahoo.com

Leigh said...

What a beautiful baby, and such a happy smile. Congratulations!

LL said...

Oh what a beautiful baby. My husband and I have been looking at Project Cuddle and one of my online firends sent me a link to your blog. Thank you so much for sharing the story of Kinsey.

God bless,
Lisa

Anita said...

We just finished our packet and have it ready to mail to Project Cuddle tomorrow! Thank you for sharing your story!

Unknown said...

What a beauty queen-a true miracle!

Julie said...

We received the link to your blog from Jan at Gateway Woods --love her :) We have been "waiting" for a year and a half to adopt a second child. We are prayerfully thinking about sending info. to Project Cuddle --- thanks for posting your story (you are a good writer). We have been blessed with adoption, and it is a blessing to hear other stories as well.
Curious as to how the cost for Bethany was only $4,000?? Is it because the birthmother (or 1st mother) didn't go through them?
Also, do you have suggestions for how much to commit to pay for room and board and medical?
(If any of those questions are too "private" I understand....don't feel obligated to provide answers)
May God bless you and your family!

Shine said...

Crystal, Thank you! You just helped us decide to use Project Cuddle! Thank you, your story is wonderful!

Unknown said...

Sorry I do not check here :) if you have any questions please email me. I have no issues sharing. Thereason bethany was so cheap is because we already had an adoption situation :) so we only had to pay for paperwork.

Unknown said...

Sorry I do not check here :) if you have any questions please email me. I have no issues sharing. Thereason bethany was so cheap is because we already had an adoption situation :) so we only had to pay for paperwork.

Melissa said...

YOUR STORY COULDN'T HAD COME AT A BETTER TIME FOR ME. MY HUSBAND AND I JUST STARTED THE HOME STUDY PROCESS SO WE COULD SEND OUR APPLICATION TO PROJECT CUDDLE. I WANTED TO REACH OUT TO PPL THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SAME JOURNEY THAT WE ARE STARTING ON OURSELVES. IF YOU CAN PLEASE GET IN CONTACT WITH ME (MCAMACHO07107@GMAIL.COM), BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.