Alex Carson
Michael and Karen Faherty
Michael and Karen are a couple from Delaware. They met when they were both students at the University of Scranton. They were both members of the Reserve Officer Training Corps and went on to join the military.
Having a Family
Michael and Karen dreamed of having a family, but things weren’t as easy for them as it is for most. After trying for four years to have a baby with no success, they went to see a specialist. They found out that infertility was plaguing their attempts to conceive. When they found out that they couldn’t conceive a child of their own, they decided to try adoption.
A Long Process
At first, the couple questioned their decision to adopt because it was a long and daunting process. After talking about it for a while, they agreed that it would be worth the work. The couple met with the adoption agency, Adoption Makes Family. They were told that the process could take up to a year. Michael and Karen figured that since having a baby would take over 40 weeks from conception to delivery, that they could handle a year of waiting. They just wanted to be parents and decided to do whatever necessary to make their dream come true.
Taking Things In Stride
The first thing that the couple did was hire an adoption attorney. They heard from other couples who had adopted that it was good to have an attorney protecting their interests. Next, they went through all of the paperwork, the medical exams, the psychological exams, and they got letters of reference from friends and family members. Karen says that she couldn’t believe how much work went into adopting a child who had nobody to care for them. She says that anyone can get pregnant and have a baby, but to adopt a needy child, you had to jump through hoops. She didn’t understand why there was so much involved in the adoption process, but she was willing to do everything she was told. Both Karen and Michael were sure that all the work would be worth it in the end because they would be able to hold their baby finally.
A Home Visit
One of the last steps that the couple needed to complete was a home visit. The adoption agency had to check out the couple’s home to make sure that it was child-friendly. The adoption agency was going to be making sure that they had a nursery set up for the baby, complete with everything that their adopted child would need. They also wanted to make sure that the house was adequately child-proofed, to be sure that the baby would be safe in the home. Michael and Karen worked hard to get the house ready for the home visit. They knew that if they passed this part of the process, that it wouldn’t be long before they had a baby of their own. Karen says that she spent days cleaning the house so that it would be spotless. They checked the nursery over and over again to make sure that everything was perfect. They even had a professional come in to completely baby-proof the home. The couple was ready for the inspection.
The Big Day
On the day of the inspection, the couple woke up feeling anxious. They wanted everything to go flawlessly during the inspection so that they could finally adopt a child. They were expecting a representative from the adoption agency to come to their home that afternoon, but when they heard a commotion outside, they couldn’t figure out what was happening.
The Commotion
The couple was in the house waiting for the adoption agent to come for the inspection when they heard fire trucks outside. There were at least 30 firefighters outside the house, and they were Micheal’s coworkers, as he was a firefighter himself. When Michael and Karen looked out the window, they saw the fire trucks and heard the firefighters singing, “Little Red Wagon.” It was a song that Micheal had learned the previous year at the academy. When the couple went outside, they saw an ambulance pull up in front of the house. They didn’t know what to think.
The Baby
Michael and Karen went outside to talk to the firefighters when the ambulance doors opened. Inside, was the head of the adoption agency, Dean Kirschner, and he was holding a baby in his arms. Michael and Karen were confused until Dean told them that the baby boy in his arms was their baby. The couple named him, Michael Terrance Faherty III. When Dean put the baby in the couple’s arms, the firefighters said, “welcome to your forever home,” in unison. It was the most incredible surprise the couple ever received. When this couple saw 30 firefighters out front, it seemed like their adoption plans lay in ruins. They had no idea that their dreams were about to come true.
