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ADOPTION AND MATERNITY
You Helped Aaron Find His Forever Home Conner and Madison were able to fulfill their dreams of being parents through adoption. Conner and Madison met when they were in middle school, but they quickly knew that they wanted to be married and create a life together. Without question, children were going to be part of the plan. The two married after college and moved to New Orleans in 2017. By the end of that year, they agreed that they were ready to start a family. Unfortunately, they were not able to conceive. Disillusioned, the only hope they were given was the prospect of in vitro fertilization treatments, which were unbelievably expensive and gave no guarantees of success. They learned of Volunteers of America’s Adoption and Maternity program and were about to have their home study, a critical first step in the adoption process, in January 2020...but COVID put everything on hold. Not deterred, they connected with the program manager, Lori Arceneaux. She kept them focused and informed and calmed their nerves. “I remember Lori telling us, ‘It’s not if you become parents, but when,’” said Conner. “Her words, and knowing God had a plan for us, kept us going throughout the process.” The wait would end on April 12, 2021, when Conner and Madison received a call from Lori that a baby boy was born. Over the next two weeks, the couple met the birth mom, a moment they will always cherish, and she chose them to be the baby’s parents. Their family was complete when baby Aaron came home on May 16th. Now, over a year old, Conner and Madison can’t remember what life was like before Aaron’s arrival. Thanks to your support, babies like Aaron are finding their forever families right here in southeast Louisiana.