Six years ago, Denise Livingston's life came crashing down around her. One day, she was a happy stay-at-home Mom with a husband and two children. The next, she was left with but a shell of her being.
In July 2003, Denise's husband, Wiley Reed, and their two sons -- Morgan and Parker -- died in a plane crash.
For many, such a painful loss would prevent them from opening their hearts ever again. Not for Denise.
For the past six years, she's dealt with the pain by establishing the Wiley Morgan Parker Fund - a fund specifically geared to help others enlarge their families through adoption. To date, the fund has provided thousands of dollars in grants that have helped place 13 children into loving families.
"It's been cathartic for me. After the accident, I knew I wanted to be a Mom again, but wasn't ready," says Denise.
Until now.
Recently, Denise and her second husband, Steve, returned from Ethiopia with their five-year-old son Gierma. "He found us," says Denise.
Originally leaning toward adopting a younger child, the couple was given information on Gierma and didn't hesitate when offered the opportunity to adopt him. "We opened our hearts to him and he opened his to us."
Gierma's journey to adoption is all too common in Ethiopia. Because poverty and starvation are rampant in this African nation, parents are forced to give up their children in order to survive. "Gierma's biological mother made a courageous decision and we're grateful to her," says Denise.
After looking into domestic adoption, the Livingstons settled on adopting internationally. Their research led them to a small, local nonprofit, International Adoption Net (IAN), which focuses on personal attention. "We specifically wanted to work with an organization where we weren't just a number. We wanted to be kept informed every step of the way. IAN has been great in treating us as expecting parents and not a number," says Denise.
Established in 1999 by Joan Strauss, IAN currently places approximately 100 children annually from a variety of countries including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Ethiopia. IAN is also considering adding Nepal to the roster of countries the organization represents. "We have come a long way in ten years, though we have never lost sight of our mission. We have stayed small and dedicated to our clients as we have added and changed programs to ensure we are helping as many orphan populations around the world as our office can handle," says co-founder and executive director Joan Strauss. In July 2008 IAN became a fully Hague Accredited adoption agency, ensuring that their adoptions meet the highest standards.
Denise's advice to prospective adoptive parents is to do your research regarding the countries to adopt from, the adoption agencies to work with and adoption issues so you will be prepared as much as possible. Also, be patient, "Trust in the process."
"I am so lucky to have another chance at happiness," says Denise. Even though Gierma is part of her life today, Denise has not forgotten Wiley, Morgan and Parker. "They're still in my heart and in my life. But Gierma is an amazing gift to us," Denise explains.
IAN will hold its 10th anniversary dinner celebration, silent auction and fund-raiser on November 14th from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Wellshire Inn. Tickets are $75 per person. For tickets or more information about the dinner, call 303.691.0808. For more information on adopting or IAN, visit
www.internationaladoption.net; for more information on the Wiley Morgan Parker Fund, visit
www.wileymorganparker.org.