From an Empty Car Seat to a Full House: Shawn and Shannon’s Incredible Story [S5E3]

Shawn and Shannon’s story began with multiple heartbreaks, but their desire to create and grow a family persevered past the disappointments, and they are now parents to three beautiful children.

After failed fertility treatments left them feeling disheartened, they were told that adoption was the best option. They decided to pursue foster care first but landed on private infant adoption. At the same time, an episode of ADOPTION NOW got them interested in embryo adoption. On this episode, Shawn and Shannon dive deep into their story and the heartbreaking and heartwarming decisions one is faced with when trying to have children. They share why they decided to listen to their heart and God for answers, and how their ‘empty car seat experience’ ultimately ended up leading to the creation of their family.

Here are just a few of the most impactful parts of the episode:

[#1 The Devastating Nature of Shawn and Shannon’s Failed Fertility Treatments ]

• Since her first date with Shawn, Shannon expressed her strong desire to be a mother. And shortly after marriage, they tried their best to have children. But after a year of not conceiving, they decided to see a fertility specialist.
• They started with fertility treatments and then went to IUI, but were again unsuccessful.
• Still steadfast and determined to get pregnant, Shawn and Shannon would begin In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment. And despite the confidence of Shannon’s doctor, they were not successful.
• Yet despite the hardships faced and the tragedy of being called the night before their last round of IVF, when Shawn and Shannon were told not to come in because none of the embryos had continued to divide, they still didn’t lose hope.
• Shawn and Shannon were overwhelmed with emotion and frustration during their fertility treatments--feeling helpless but ultimately, they maintained faith and hope despite the tribulations they experienced.

[#2 Their Decision for Adoption ]

• Shortly after suffering a year and a half of frustration and tribulation with failed fertility treatments, the newly-married couple set their sights on adoption as a viable option for parenthood.
• They went through the state first, but this proved to be the wrong route for Shawn and Shannon because the state forbade fertility treatments alongside the foster-to-adoption process.
• Also, Shawn points out the difficulty of not being able to finalize the adoption for a couple of years with the possibility that the child would be reconnected with their biological parents. As a first step, they decided they weren't emotionally comfortable with a foster-to-adopt dynamic.

[#3 Finding the Right Agency and the Importance of Leaving Good Impressions ]

• For Shawn and Shannon, it was Bethany Christian Services that became the adoption agency they would immediately fall in love with. And just two months later they were matched with an expectant mother!
• Despite suffering hardship and tragedy with the disruption of their first private infant adoption, they showed the necessary resolve and persevered despite all odds. In the episode, they chronicle just how difficult this period of their lives was. But it was also because of their positive mentality and patience that they were ultimately rewarded in the end.
• Truly, as Shawn and Shannon have shown through their story, showing grace in the face of disappointment can become very tangible blessings. It’s all about maintaining faith and understanding that your baby’s on the way. It’s only a matter of time!!

[#4 Details on Their Overseas Embryo Adoption Experience]

• As shared in the episode, embryo adoption is a way to adopt a baby with DNA different from your own, but of course, you still get to carry and deliver the baby yourself!
• Shawn and Shannon decided on going to Prague to undergo the process. They were sent the medication through the mail and it was all needle-free, unlike the IVF treatments that Shannon had undergone.
• The embryo adoption, including the plane tickets to Prague, was only around $7,000 to $9,000, which is so much less expensive than in the U.S. And the couple has nothing bad to say about the whole process. It was smooth and now, because they had twins they’re an extremely happy family of five!!

More details at:

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ADOPTION NOW is produced and distributed by Simpler Media