He drove her to the hospital when she went into labor. They were given a nice, spacious maternity ward there. Now, all they had to do was wait.
After a few hours, he saw his beautiful babies for the first time. And he immediately realized that the children weren't his.
Meet Aaron and Rachel Halbert
Aaron and Rachel were working as Presbyterian missionaries when they started dating. They fell in love and got married.
They both wanted children of their own, but Aaron was infertile and couldn't give his wife what she wanted the most. They considered trying adoption, but Rachel wasn't so sure.
Two Children
She wanted to birth her children and prayed for a miracle. Then, a few months later, the couple was met with the opportunity to adopt two beautiful babies.
She and her husband adopted the children and soon felt like they were their own. Still, Rachel felt like she still needed to give birth to at least one child.
Low Chances
Aaron and Rachel visited the best doctors in the city for help, but they all told them the same thing. They wouldn't be able to have children of their own.
Rachel spoke to her friends from her hometown, and they gave her some advice on the matter. Then, suddenly, Rachel had something to tell Aaron. She just wasn't sure how he would take the news.
Pregnant
Rachel was pregnant. She wasn't sure how it happened, but she was now carrying a baby. Aaron was at a loss for words when he heard the news.
He couldn't wait to become a father for the third time! But after getting a check-up, the doctor mentioned something that surprised him.
Artificial Insemination Process
The doctor told the couple that Rachel was pregnant from an artificial insemination process. Aaron and Rachel had chosen ethnic-minority embryos since those don't get picked often.
Rachel wanted to be inseminated with two embryos to increase her chances of getting pregnant. And now she was pregnant with two children. Little did they know, this was just the beginning.
Giving Birth
After nine months, Rachel felt contractions and asked her husband to drive her to the hospital. The staff at the hospital was very professional, and the labor went very smoothly.
However, the doctors noticed how surprised Aaron was when he saw his babies. They were not what he was expecting.
C-section
The doctors performed a C-section for the safety of the newborns and the mother. And they immediately noticed something that made them gasp.
They had never seen anything like that before. Seeing how worried the doctors looked, Aaron and Rachel began to panic. Did something happen to their babies?
Feeling Worried
"What's wrong?" Aaron asked. "Are the babies okay?" The doctor looked him in the eye and said something that left him speechless.
They had triplets! But that wasn't all.
Not Prepared
The couple hadn't planned for this. They only picked two names because they thought that they were having twins. Now, they would need to think of one more name.
But how had this even happened? After all, Rachel had only been implanted with two embryos!
The Explanation
The doctors explained that one of the embryos had split again, making triplets. Aaron burst into tears while holding the babies in his arms. He couldn't believe how beautiful they were.
But there were more surprises in store for this young family.
Ryley, Anne, and Whitley
In 2016, Rachel gave birth to Ryley, Anne, and Whitley. Even though they weren't prepared for triplets, it turned out to be even better.
Rachel and Aaron were ecstatic when they brought their babies home. But sadly, their happiness would be short-lived.
Feeling Proud
Although the couple didn't share the same ethnicity or DNA with their children, they were proud to be their parents.
“In our minds, we are just living out our dream. A dream that may not look like the average family, but one that we are thankful could come true in light of our country’s history,” Aaron said. But did their parents support them?
The Beauty Of A Multi-Ethnic Family
"The beauty of a multi-ethnic family is found there, in the fact that the differences are the very thing that makes ours richer and fuller. It pushes you to think in a new way about how you think, speak, act, and live," he continued.
"There is something beautiful and inspirational about being the only white face sitting and chatting with some of my African-American friends as my son gets his hair cut on a Saturday morning." But what did their families think?
Support
“It’s been heartening to see virtually all of our friends and family express overwhelming support for our family and the unusual ways we’ve built it,” Aaron continued.
However, the new parents soon realized that not everyone around them would be as supportive as their family and friends.
Disappointment
Some people didn't think that a white couple should have a multi-ethnic family. "A black mother looked at us and just shook her head," said Aaron. "And an elderly white woman looked at us with disgust."
But Aaron and Rachel didn't care what others thought of their beautiful family.
Reactions
“There will always be the older white woman in Walmart who stared at us with sheer disgust or the African-American mother who looked at us and just shook her head,” Aaron told Washington Post.
But fortunately, they also had good experiences. The young parents were aware that not everyone would agree with their decision.
Not Bothered
Rachel and Aaron are aware that not all people like diversity. But, they don't care about their opinions.
“One of the central themes of Christianity is, after all, that God, through His Son, is calling people from every tongue, tribe, and nation,” Aaron said.
Grasping Diversity
“Grasping diversity will make the world stronger as we marvel at God’s creative genius on display through his people’s varying pigments, personalities, and proficiencies,” he continued.
“Our differences are cause for celebration, not scorn.” However, they also had something to say about embryo adoption.
Embryo Adoption
Rachel and Aaron believe that adopting a child is just as important as adopting an embryo. After doing some research, they discovered that there are millions of embryos around the world waiting to find their parents.
Rachel's embryos had been frozen for 12 years!
All Children's Lives Are Valued
“We were not saying that those lives are any more important than the lives of the babies and children waiting to be adopted all across the world," Rachel said.
"No, they are not any more important, but they are no less important either. All of our children’s lives are valued.”
Difficult Decision
Although they were happy with their decision to adopt an embryo, they warn that it was not an easy process.
“Embryo adoption can also be very difficult for the donor family. I know the decision to donate your frozen embryos for adoption is probably the hardest you’ll ever make," explained Rachel.
Perfect Choice
"It can be so painful to know that someone else is raising your biological children." The couple said it was the perfect choice for them, however.
"The experience is beautiful and unique," Rachel explained. She hoped to have four children but didn't expect it to happen so fast. But how does she cope with five kids?
Not An Easy Job
"My days are filled with feeding five hungry kiddos, changing lots of diapers, tending to household duties, shepherding little hearts," explained Rachel.
"Loving on and playing with all five, doing/learning how to do the hair of four beautiful girls and one handsome little guy, and finding a minute or two to eat some food myself." But there's one more thing that everyone wants to know.
The Most Important Question
People want to know if Rachel and Aaron will adopt more kids in the future. “We’ll see what the future holds. For now, we’re enjoying this phase of life right now,” Rachel explained.
Five kids surely keep them occupied already! But how is the family doing today?
New Beginnings
After the triplets were born, the family moved to Tegucigalpa. The pair works in the capital and help those who are less fortunate.
Although Rachel and Aaron said they have equal responsibility in taking care of their kids, Rachel is still a full-time mom. People from all around the world thank the couple for giving these children a chance at having a loving family.