DENI & TOM
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW US!
We have so much respect for the brave and loving choice you are making by considering adoption for your child. We can’t possibly imagine what this journey is like for you, but please know that whatever your decision, your love for your child will be known by all.
The following pages are just a snapshot of who we are. What we hope you will take away from this is that we are dedicated, adventurous, and family-focused. We love our families more than anything, and we are so excited to add a child (and grandchild!) to our mix. Though we can’t know what you are feeling right now as you look through these pages, we thank you for being here. We hope to provide the love and support you need to make this process as smooth and easy as possible for you and your baby, no matter what decision you make.
HERE IS OUR STORY
We met almost seven years ago in Abu Dhabi in the most classic fashion of modern romanceTinder!
Tom had been living and working as a software engineer across the whole Middle East for about eight years, having more recently settled in Abu Dhabi.
Deni had been living in the UAE for nearly eleven years, first as a cabin crew with Etihad Airways but more recently leading their training academy for new and promoted crew.
Though both of us were ready to settle down, neither entered our initial dating with the expectation things would move as quickly as they did! Both initially under the impression we were ready to move home, we instead fell quickly in love, which ended up extending our stays in the Middle East another couple years.
Our first trip together!
PROPOSAL & WEDDING
After sixteen months of dating, Tom had never been more sure - Deni was who he wanted to spend his life with. Though cautiously confident Deni would say ‘yes’, Tom was nevertheless surprised to hear her excitedly say ‘no!’ in response. In reality, ‘no’ is the informal version of ‘yes’ in the Slovak language. Though Tom is a basic Slovak speaker and knew this fact, it was nevertheless a surprising response that we still joke about to this day!
We got married October of 2019, at a lovely castle venue just outside Deni’s hometown of Bratislava - we wouldn’t have changed a single detail!
MEET DENI
as told by Tom
Deni is the most caring and dedicated person that I know. Her deep love for her family and friends is evident in everything that she does, from her on-call availability to lend an ear, to ensuring she makes it to visit them regularly, whether in the US, Slovakia, the Middle East, or beyond. She has always been supportive of my career and passions, while ensuring she pursues projects of personal and professional development throughout, regardless of life circumstance.
If forced to distill her personality into a short list of words, I’d choose empathetic, dedicated, creative, selfless, and family-oriented.
The above is most simply reflected in the fact that she is the godmother of four different children (and counting!). Her genuine joy in caring for her nieces and godchildren makes me know she is ready to be a wonderful, caring mother to your child.
MEET TOM
as told by Deni
I feel so fortunate to have Tom as my partner in life, and I am excited to share a bit about him with you.
Tom is a kind, loving, and dedicated husband who brings so much joy and stability to our family. In everyday life, he is my rock. He is empathetic, funny and incredibly caring. We work together as a team to overcome any challenges that come our way, and he makes me laugh even on the toughest days.
He also has a very close relationship with his parents, and even when he is busy with work, he always shows that family is his priority.
It’s also been heartwarming to watch Tom build loving relationships with our nieces and god-daughters - I know he’s going to be a loving, nurturing and supportive dad.
Our Nieces
THINGS WE LOVE
TOM LOVES
Surfing
Cycling
Reading
Coffee
DENI LOVES
Interior Design
Horse riding
Drawing
Cooking
OUR HOME London
As a result of Tom’s software engineering work, we find ourselves temporarily living in London for the next couple of years! The move was quite seamless, as our time in the Middle East meant we had a large collection of mutual friends already living here, compliments of the immense cultural and economic diversity the city offers.
London is often described as “a collection of many villages, rather than a single city”, and we could not be happier with our “village” of Shad Thames, in Bermondsey. A mere 30 second walk from the worldfamous Tower Bridge, we live in a two bedroom warehouse conversion of what used to be a Victorian coffee and tea warehouse - a perfectly fitting backstory for our home! Your child would begin their life in one of the most dynamic, historic, and vibrant cities in the world.
OUR HOME Florida
Though Deni grew up in Bratislava and much of Tom’s family lives in Ireland still, his American side largely lives between Ormond Beach, FL, and throughout Georgia in Augusta and Atlanta. Though work and travel has taken us around the world (a few times over!), home is very much our beachside apartment in Ormond Beach, amongst Tom’s parents, godparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins.
We get back to the United States regularly to visit family, and make a point of getting to Florida for Christmas. Your future child would very much know Florida, and their family there, to be both home and an underpinning of their identity.
WHY ADOPTION
From the moment we met, we knew we wanted to build a family filled with love and shared experiences After facing some unexpected challenges with natural conception, we began to explore other ways to bring a child into our lives. This journey led us to the beautiful possibility of adoption.
Adoption, for us, is a way to start a family that is created by love and commitment, not just by biology We are excited about the opportunity to provide a nurturing, supportive, and loving environment for a child.
We have so much love to give and are ready to share our lives, traditions, and adventures with a little one. We dream of guiding them through life’s challenges and joys, always being there with open arms and loving hearts
Walking with our Niece
MEET FERGUS
Fergus is our newest addition, a juvenile Bedlington Whippet who still believes he’s a puppy. “Beddy Whippets” are a relatively unique British cross-breed, but are known for being high-energy, loyal, and loving family pets. Just have to make sure he gets ample daily exercise!
Due to his Whippet side, he’s the fastest zoomie at the park, and otherwise loves taking naps on our feet, playing tug, and chilling on the floor of our local coffee house.
Fergus is great with the kids in our neighborhood, and can’t wait to have a younger sibling!
OUR FAMILY
Our Goddaughters
Tom is Kevin and Patty’s youngest son of three boys. Kevin is a Chicago boy who joined the Army through college to support his dream of becoming a doctor, spending his career as an anesthesiologist. Patty (Patricia) is a registered nurse who retired to raise her three hectic boys Both are eager to spoil their future grandkids, and can’t wait to relive long days on Florida’s beaches with their little loved ones. Tom’s two older brothers live in Puerto Rico and New York City, both married but without children.
Tom’s Parents and Godparents
Tom’s Family Christmas Dinner
Deni is the younger daughter of Dušan and Maria, with older brother Brano Raised in Bratislava, her family is very close, and though Deni spent her 20’s traveling the world, always made time for daily video calls with her parents, brother, and now grandchildren. They regularly take weekend trips to the Slovak countryside together, visit Deni and Tom in London, and spend each day spoiling their grandkids.
Our Nieces
Deni’s Family
Our Parents
TRAVELING
Both prior to meeting and throughout our relationship, Deni and Tom have both had a persistent urge to travel. This have brought Tom to over eighty countries and Deni to over sixty, with greater than twenty of them being trips together.
When traveling, we typically seek out a combination of athletic challenge and culture - surfing in Sri Lanka coupled with a yoga and meditation retreat, backpacking in Cambodia with tours of their rich ancient history, skiing in Austria accompanied by time visiting Salzburg and other notable sites.
Paris, France
Rome, Italy
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Though we certainly anticipate our travel taking a lovely pause upon being fortunate enough to adopt, we hope to cultivate this same passion for culture, adventure, and wanderlust in our whole family.
Verbier, Switzerland Wilderness, South Africa
Dead Sea, Jordan
Bangkok, Thailand
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
OUR PROMISE
Being parents is the most important thing in the world to us and we can’t wait to welcome a child into our home and share our love, traditions, and adventures
We promise to teach your child:
To be curious about the world
To appreciate the value of family
To see virtue in kindness and honesty
To find courage in independence and responsibility and most importantly, to know they are loved
THANK YOU!
Thank you for your time, and taking a brief look into our lives! We hope it captured the essence of our family, our interests, and hopes for the future
Please reach out with any questions you may have, and we look forward to possibly meeting you someday soon!
