Stephanie and Jeff decided to become foster parents after the loss of their second child, Blake, and the birth of their third child, Ayla. When a week had passed, they ran upon a newborn girl who had been born on Blake’s actual birthdate.
Prior to the birth of their first child, Kenley, in 2014, Jeff and Stephanie had been married for close to three years when they became parents for the first time.
Yet in only a single year’s time, they were blessed with another child when Stephanie gave birth to Blake, the couple’s second daughter, who they affectionately referred to as “Blakey.”
The new parents were concerned when they saw that their newborn child, Blake, had difficulty with her muscles a few weeks after she was born even though everything else in the family seemed to be going well. When expressing their worry to a physician about the fact that their daughter could not keep her head up without assistance, the parents received the response that the infant just needed further practice.
But, Blake’s difficulties persisted, and at the age of six months, after much questioning and investigation, Jeff and Stephanie were informed that their gorgeous child was suffering from a condition known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
Baby Blake was diagnosed with SMA Type I, the most severe kind, due to her age and the fact that she had not shown any signs of recovery since she was born. When the parents found out that the sickness was incurable, it left them feeling completely devastated.
Jeff and his wife were left in shambles when they learned that their child’s illness was incurable. They were at a loss to explain what had happened or why it had occurred, and they worried that they had failed in their duty to protect their child.
After sobbing together for a few weeks, the couple finally came to the realization that they needed to keep their composure for the sake of their children and do all they could to rediscover the joy in their lives together.
The four members of the family participated in every activity that they could think of, from going to amusement parks and beaches to going camping and even to parties. They looked for joy and laughter wherever and wherever they could find it in an effort to numb the anguish and anxiety they were feeling.
While Stephanie wasn’t sleeping, she would spend many nights fixating her gaze on Blake and dreaded the moment when she would cease breathing. Blake took her last breath sadly just one week before she would have turned 11 months old while she was being held by her father and listening to music.
Following Blake’s passing, her thoughts nearly tore her mother apart, leaving her feeling void and broken in the heart. On the other hand, Stephanie said that their daughter has imparted both bravery and power to her that she was previously unaware she had.
She and her husband came to the conclusion that the best way to honor their child’s memory was to spend the remainder of their life loving others deeply and spreading acts of kindness whenever and wherever they could.
Jeff and his wife made a pact that they would never stop telling people about her enduring spirit and love, as well as all the joy she displayed while she was still alive.
The couple learned that their daughter Stephanie was pregnant exactly six weeks after Blake passed away. On the other hand, she was petrified that she might miscarry the baby when she was still grieving over Blake’s loss.
Ten weeks later, a test was carried out, and the results provided the parents with the much-needed reassurance that their third child did not have SMA.
Eleven months after the loss of their second child, the couple received their third daughter Ayla and named her “Blake” in honor of their eldest child. The couple had suffered the loss of their second child.
A little over a year later, when Stephanie was browsing through her Instagram feed, she came across a post that discussed adoption. As she was reading, she became aware of the tremendous need for secure homes for children in precarious situations.
After some study, she and her husband came to the conclusion that they should acquire a foster license and make themselves available to a kid who was in need of assistance.
Over a period of around four months, the couple finally obtained their license, and then, two days later, on Blake’s birthday, all three of them remained at home together as a family to celebrate and remember their daughter.
The next day, Stephanie got a phone call from a social worker who told her about a newborn girl who was looking for a family to adopt her.
On the other hand, when Stephanie learned that the baby was just one day old, which meant that she was born on Blake’s birthday, she sobbed into the phone as she spoke to her husband. Everly Joy’s adoption was completed a year after they made the joint decision to have the baby. They named her Everly Joy.
When asked whether Everly sharing Blake’s birthday made her feel better or reduced the pain of losing her second daughter, Stephanie explained that despite her belief that the sisters have a special connection, Everly could never replace her older sister even though she believes the sisters have a strong bond. Blake’s birthday was on Everly’s birthday.
She only became more receptive and loving as a result of her relationship with Blake, and had he not been in her life, she never would have had the opportunity to meet Everly. For this reason, she thought that in some way, they were destined to cross paths with Everly.
The fact that she is able to love all of her children and their biological father despite the loss of one child and the adoption of another is the greatest gift that has come into her life.
