“Life is a sacred gift worthy of our protection,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis when he signed Florida’s 15-week abortion limit into law. It was April 2022. Just two months later, the Supreme Court would issue its Dobbs decision returning the issue of abortion to the people and elected representatives. But Florida was not hesitating to take action. The Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality Act would protect unborn children at a point when science shows they feel pain – moving Florida forward, while states like Colorado and California were taking steps backward by establishing laws to expand late-term abortions.
Against this backdrop, Ashley and her husband Dusty were considering adoption. They had experienced several years of infertility and were not comfortable with the genetic testing that would have been required to pursue IVF. So at a marriage retreat, Ashley’s husband brought up the possibility of adoption.
The couple met with a local adoption agency in Florida and were asked if they were serious about going through with an adoption. Ashley and her husband agreed to pray about it for two weeks before moving forward.
On Father’s Day, Ashley and Dusty went to a local kids’ boutique. Taking a leap of faith, Ashley decided to buy a baby outfit. She asked the lady working at the boutique if there were any gender-neutral clothes.
“Do you not know what you are having?” the lady asked.
Ashley responded, “No, we don’t, we are adopting.”
The lady then said, “Oh really? I’m adopted!”
Ashley and her husband talked to the woman about her adoption story and subsequently noticed an adoption journal in the store. To Ashley, this experience felt like an answered prayer affirming the decision to adopt.
However, the adoption journey was not without obstacles. Ashley and Dusty weren’t in an optimal financial position to complete their adoption, and they were waiting on additional funds before moving forward. After a marriage group meeting, however, Ashley and her husband felt emboldened to take another leap of faith and sent the initial payment to the adoption agency the next day, even though it would clean out their bank account.
The next morning, when the transfer was going through, Ashley and Dusty heard the news of the Supreme Court’s decision. To this day, they both believe that this was the final sign they needed to go through with the adoption.
Ashley and Dusty were officially placed on the adoption waitlist on September 1, 2022.
After time passed without hearing much from the adoption agency, Ashley called to check in. The adoption agency told her that there wouldn’t be much communication until she and Dusty were paired with a birth mother. Ashley and Dusty both relied on their faith in God as they waited, knowing that whatever their own desires and timeline, they would just have to be patient.
Just weeks later, Ashley was at work as her husband called her. When she didn’t pick up, he texted, “Answer the phone now.”
Ashley immediately called Dusty back and learned that a birth mother had been chosen for them to be adoptive parents. Their son was born the day before. They soon learned that their son’s birth mother considered an abortion at Planned Parenthood when she was 22 weeks pregnant, but the abortion did not happen because of Florida’s 15-week limit.
One day after they received the call that they would be parents, Ashley and Dusty were able to see their son. When they entered the hospital, a nurse came up to them and asked what they were going to name their son, to which they responded: “Jacob.” The nurse said, “You will never believe this, but all of the nurses have been calling your son Jacob prior to your arrival.”
Today, Jacob is a smart and brave almost-2-year-old who, Ashley says, is lots of fun and loves to laugh. He enjoys anything sports related, especially throwing, and he’s incredibly intelligent. “It boggles my mind how smart he is,” said Ashley.
Baby Jacob has always been a very happy, content child with a big personality. He’s sensitive but also very independent, his parents say. “He’s loving, very loving,” shared Dusty. “He changes the way I live my life because I want to live it for him.”
Ashley said that Jacob made her realize how beautiful adoption is, and he is such a special addition to their family, entire extended family and community.
Ashley and Dusty know that if it were not for Florida’s protections for unborn children, Jacob likely would not be here and they are grateful for his life. Not only that, but thanks to the Dobbs decision, thousands more children like Jacob around the country are protected today.
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