Stork Central

Board member Angela Martinez and executive director Elizabeth Jurenovich travelled to Blacksburg, VA at the end of last month to represent the Abrazo community at the memorial service for adoptive mother Susan Marmagas, who bravely contended with ovarian cancer for several years before passing away on 12/21/18. Susan and her husband Bill had adopted twice through Abrazo, and never missed bringing their daughters to Camp Abrazo, despite her illness. She will forever be fondly remembered by our community, and greatly missed by all of us, including their daughter's birthbrother's adoptive family, the Salinases, and their other daughter's birthsister's adoptive families, the Scott Wise family and the Linda Perkins family. Bill and Tasia and Elektra, you three are being lifted in all our prayers! Abrazo was saddened to learn last night of the death two years ago of birthmother Angela Lewis. Angela had placed here twice, so her children are growing up in the same adoptive home, and we lift the adoptive family in our prayers along with Angela's mother, her children and her siblings, as they manage this news and deal with this loss.

Abrazo was saddened to learn last night of the death two years ago of birthmother Angela Lewis. Angela had placed here twice, so her children are growing up in the same adoptive home, and we lift the adoptive family in our prayers along with Angela's mother, her children and her siblings, as they manage this news and deal with this loss.

It's our first placement of the New Year, but it was already extra-special. That's because this beautiful birthmama was referred to Abrazo by her cousin, who also placed her baby here years ago, so their entire family supports this decision-- and loves the adoptive couple so carefully chosen to be the proud new parents of this precious baby girl! The adopting parents are graduates of our August 2018 orientation weekend, Bag 'Em and Tap 'Em, so they've come a long way in less than half a year, and we can't wait to see how they grow as a family. Blessings, all!

Christmas came upon us so quickly, we didn't even get a chance to post our two (yes, TWO!) placements on Christmas Eve... born to two birthmoms who were friends, who were both due next year yet who somehow each delivered on the same day, in the same hospital! The first placement we did on Christmas Eve was that of a beautiful baby boy for the first for one of our latest orientation groups, the Sausage Smugglers (October 2018)... And the second (and third) placements of that day were a set of twin boys, who were placed with graduates of our Bag 'Em & Tap 'Em orientation of August 2018. Congratulations to both sets of proud parents, and blessings to these three fine boys and their loving birthmamas.

It’s been an amazing week for This Is Me Excited (February 2018), as the two sets of experienced parents from that group both saw their dreams come true in one week’s time, after months of waiting patiently for the “right” match to come along. For the couple who was waiting for a daughter only, their prayers were answered by a single mom of a daughter who birthed another baby girl and elected to place. For the Abrazo againers, a match that seemed anything but certain became an example of faith rewarded, when a birthcouple’s dedication to the couple of their choice made the adoptive couple the proud parents of their second son. Blessings to both these sweet newborns, to these adopting families, and also to the special birthfamilies who made both placements possible.

All's well that ends well-- and that certainly applies to the last of our August 2017 orientation group, KEEP IT QUIET: TRIED TWICE IN THE MORNING, who joyously met the newborn daughter they'd long dreamed of this evening! Her birthmama had joined Abrazo's program a month ago, but had fallen out of contact largely, until she gave birth this weekend and came to the decision that adoption truly was the best choice she could make for her baby. The againers who had waited so patiently for their second adoption dream to come true were more than happy to rush cross-country, and tonight, they are a grateful family of four! Blessings, all... truly, good things DO happen for them that wait!

These againers were to have joined us for orientation this month, but when an expectant mother came to Abrazo weeks ago seeking a Texas family for her baby boy, they were ready. And so today, her beautiful baby boy became their second son, and instead of coming to orientation, they’ll join us for Camp Abrazo, instead— as a family of four! Blessings, all!

Abrazo's last orientation weekend of 2018 will be in October, at the Hilton Garden Inn... we must have your completed inquiry form, your application, and all supporting documents on file in order to confirm your registration. If you're interested in being one of Abrazo's adoption success stories in the year following this October's orientation, call Martha at 210-342-5683 and talk with her about how you can be one of the lucky folks getting in before year's end.

When they first matched with the dear expectant mama who chose this then-childless Tennessee couple from our This Is Me Excited orientation of February, 2018, the due date seemed a long ways off... but several months gave them ample time to truly "become family" with the prospective birthmom and her relatives, which became something truly precious to them all. Because of this, they gathered around the precious baby girl born here this week not as near-strangers, but as family, and that's only fitting, for "family" is what they'll surely be, from here on, too. We wish all of them every joy as their relationship grows, and we thank them for living out their promises to forever raise this child in an environment of love and honesty. Blessings, everyone!

Three weeks ago today, they were one if the hopeful couples attending our August 2018 orientation weekend, Bag ‘Em & Tap ‘Em, wondering if and when this process would work for them? Still, for whatever details may not have been in place yet, their hearts were in the right place, already. That was the first thing a newly-delivered mother saw, when she looked over profiles this week, and today, her tiny baby boy has become theirs, as well. We wish them Godspeed as they grow as a family, and we celebrate their beloved new arrival.