Who Is She?
She watched as her daughter twirled and leaped around the room. She clapped, bursting with pride as the music stopped and Evie came rushing towards her.
Suddenly, Evie froze staring wide-eyed out the window behind her. She turned around to see what her daughter was looking at. There stood a beautiful young girl who looked exactly like Evie peering back.
Haunted
38-year-old Gina Crotts from Utah had assumed that the hardest part of her life was behind her.
As a loving wife and mother of four, she had come a long way since the traumatic events of her past. But something haunted her. A dark shadow that kept her up at night, tossing and turning in bed until she woke up in a sweat.
Terrors
Gina experienced her first night terror 18 years ago, right after the incident. They have been recurring ever since. It’s always the same dream; she’s alone, on trial in a big dark and gloomy courthouse. She sits on the defendant's chair explaining herself over and over.
No one hears her. They look at her with disgust and shame. No matter how hard she tries to explain, they won't listen.
Decisions
Every time, she wakes up in a panic just as the hammer hits to announce the verdict.
She still feels the need to reassure herself that what she did back then was right. She accepted her decision and its consequences. She made the best choice given her circumstances at that time. But sometimes she looks around at her family and a wave of regret and guilt hits her so hard she can’t breathe.
Alone And Afraid
For years, she told no one. She was afraid of her own family’s reaction if she told them the truth.
Gina was only 19 years old when she found out. “The double red lines on my pregnancy test kept presenting itself, in my mind, like flashing neon lights. Positive. Positive. Positive. That $6.99 plastic stick read everything about me, my past, my future, and who I would be labeled as for the rest of my life,” Gina wrote.
Defining Moment
She knew that she wasn’t ready to be a mother. She was still a child herself. At the time, she kept repeating, “I’m fine. I can do this. It’s ok. I’ll be ok”. But she wasn’t ok. She was facing a moment that would both shape her life and shatter her world forever.
As she saw it, she had two choices. And neither were for the fainthearted.
Not Ready
After a lot of thought, Gina decided to carry the baby to full term and give her up for adoption, never to see her again. But that’s not what would happen.
“The whole pregnancy leading up to that one moment of delivery that’s supposed to be joyous”, Gina said. “It was a mix of grief and happiness… but knowing what was coming after, a lot of heartache.”
18 Years Ago
Gina couldn’t part from her. She begged for just one night to say goodbye forever. Little did Gina know, it was only a goodbye-for-now.
“She spent a night with me and my family in my parents’ home before placing her the next day,” Gina recalled. That was the last time she saw her. Now, it's 18 years later and she’s sitting in her youngest daughter's dance class.
Look Alikes
When Gina had Evie, she hoped having another daughter would finally put her mind to rest about what had happened all those years ago.
However, the opposite happened as Evie reminded her of her unknown daughter. They looked so alike. So it was no surprise that Evie was the one who recognized the girl outside her dance class.
The Girl Outside
Gina watched as Evie (now 13 years old) participated in her dance class. When the music ended Evie rushed towards her doting mother.
But someone else was watching Evie from the window behind Gina and Evie stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes locked hers. Gina turned, following Evie’s eyes. Her heart dropped.
Recognition
Gina was staring at the daughter she had last seen 18 years ago. She recognised her immediately. She looked just like Evie.
Gina wrote: “I was sitting with my back to the window, I turned back and that single wall and six feet were all that was between us.” But would her estranged daughter recognize her?
Hesitation
“I was shocked at first, then a second later full of sheer excitement, then hesitation in case she didn’t want to see me,” Gina wrote.
“I stopped at the door, I didn’t want to walk out and see her walking away because she wasn’t ready. Her adoptive dad gave her a choice, I didn’t want to confuse her and needed to be sure it was what she wanted.”
Fork In The Road
With her heart pounding out of her chest, Gina waited painstakingly. She took a deep breath and stepped outside, hoping her unknown daughter would still be there.
“I could have run out there in a heartbeat, but I was cautious for her feelings,” she explained. “When I opened the door, she was standing in front of me.”
A Question
“The first thing I asked her was, ‘Are you happy?’ she said ‘Yes’ and we were hugging, I had to pull away because I wanted to look at her,” Gina continued.
“We couldn’t help but stare at each other, as we talked for longer, we would just look at each other and laugh. It really is wild to think about the odds and was such a great moment for me, I feel very fortunate.” But how did they all recognize each other?
She Knew Her Sister
But how had Evie recognized her half-sister if she had never met her? Well, Kalyn’s adoptive parents had been kind enough to send Gina updates. Every year, they would send a photograph.
Gina said: “I would receive a letter and a few pictures every year, I was given quite a bit of detail on how she was doing, how her life was going and more. I got to know a little of how happy she was, her hobbies and seeing the pictures helped to settle my heart.”
Open And Honest
Gina had never wanted to keep her children in the dark about their sister. In fact, Evie even kept a photograph of Kalyn in her room.
Gina said: “It was our decision not to surprise our children with their big secret sister and for them to know everything about her. Kalyn was a part of our lives before meeting again, she wasn’t there but it always felt like she was with us.”
Bonding
After the chance encounter at Evie’s dance class, Gina and Kalyn exchanged numbers. The pair then bonded over text messages. Gina felt like she was getting to know her daughter all over again. “We are very fortunate it played out in this way, I’m very aware most birth moms don’t get this experience and I’m very fortunate for how my story ended up,” Gina said happily.
“Placing her for adoption didn’t mean I forgot about her but pushed me to be a better person, I wanted to be someone she would be proud to meet someday.
Kalyn's Thoughts
“I’m pretty overwhelmed but just excited to see where the relationship goes from here,” Gina added. But just what does her daughter, Kalyn, think?
Kalyn, a senior in high school, said: “When I first met everyone, walking into the door I felt wrapped in so much love. Here were all these people who had been loving me for 18 years, and I was just meeting them.”
'Angel Gina'
Kalyn had grown up knowing about ‘Angel Gina.’ She kept a binder filled with letters from Gina and her family and even had a framed picture of her biological mom.
She had always longed to meet her -- but she never imagined that it would happen like this. But what had drawn Kalyn to that dance-class window on that fateful day?
Fateful Encounter
Kalyn had taken ballet classes in her younger years and had remained fascinated by ballet. Naturally, she was drawn to the window, where she could see dancers performing. She recalls wishing that the girl obstructing her view would move out the way. Little did she know that was her biological half-sister chatting to her birth-mother, who she would meet moments later. Gina wrote a book about her incredible story, titled: “A Seemingly Unfillable Heart.”
This next heartwarming adoption story will have you reaching for the tissues.
Helping, Loving Hand
Kelly DeGarmo might not have gone through the system, but as a foster parent, she had seen exactly what that system could do to children of any age.
But it was for that very reason she and her husband, John, wanted to reach out and help as many kids as they could.
The Meanest
Through the years, they had watched over 60 children come and go.
Some had happy endings. Others didn’t – and those were the hardest to handle. However, Kelly had no idea that she would soon meet the meanest child she had ever come across.
Unique Problems
While opening your doors to youngsters in need sounds wonderful, it comes with certain hitches that are not for the faint of heart.
Each child comes not only with the issues that naturally appear with the age bracket, but also a unique set of problems that develop from being given up, abused, or just being a foster kid in general.
Angry Kid
Kelly waited anxiously one summer morning. They were due to have another child come into their home in Monticello, Georgia.
Her name was Brailey and from the moment she stepped into the foyer, she knew this one was going to be a challenge. It started with the only word the little girl knew how to say...
Not Her Fault
Little Brailey would scream, “Shut up!” at every interaction or even for no reason at all. It broke Kelly’s heart. It was clearly the by product of the foster environment.
But that wasn’t all. The tantrums were violent, and often involved breaking things. But Kelly had a secret – and ace up the sleeve.
Warm, Safe Space
Kelly made sure there were crafts and coloring books – anything to spark creativity and distract from the current hardships.
On top of that there was a bright friendly room, fluffy pillows, and a private television with enough movies and shows to sink a ship. The next key was Kelly’s own children.
Kid’s Help
Grace and Cassy had also come with their own drama, but after living in a house full of love, their fears subsided and true, loving personalities came through.
The girls embraced the newest addition and became fast friends. As time passed, and Kelly watched the group bond, she came to a decision – one her husband shared as well.
Adopted Girls
What was the secret that they had been keeping during the start?
Their two daughters weren’t long-term foster kids. They were adopted member of the family. The DeGarmo’s house was so full of love, they wanted nothing more than to take this new little girl in. However, the anger and lashing out was still there. So, Kelly rolled up her sleeves and prepared for the long haul.
Welcoming Brailey
It was hard at first. Each barrier had to be handled with care and compassion. As little Brailey stayed with them and could finally understand she was safe, they popped the question.
They wanted her to become a permanent part of the family. But would the meanest child ever accept them?
Special Girl
Fast forward a few years and the answer is astounding.
Now 9 years old, Brailey has become one of the nicest, happiest kids they had ever met. Even more amazing was how she had an astounding level of empathy and kindness for each new kid that came through their house. It was clear she would grow up to be something amazing.