Meet the Team: Laronda Southworth

Meet the Team: Laronda Southworth

Meet Laronda Southworth, our Adoption Coordinator and CEO. Laronda never set out to work in adoption. In fact, before this chapter of her life began, she was part of the leadership team at a telecommunications company. But when she and her husband decided to grow their family through adoption, her path—and her purpose—changed forever. Their journey started in 2004 with…

Sierra and Anthony’s Adoption Experience: A Birth Parent Story

Sierra and Anthony’s Adoption Experience: A Birth Parent Story

Every birth parent adoption experience is different—shaped by timing, circumstances, and the deep love parents have for their children. For Sierra and Anthony, adoption was not a simple decision, but a thoughtful and intentional one made during a challenging time in their lives. Their story reflects both the complexity of adoption and the importance of having compassionate, ongoing support throughout…

Katie & Zac’s Adoption Story: When the Journey Leads You Exactly Where You’re Meant to Be

Katie & Zac’s Adoption Story: When the Journey Leads You Exactly Where You’re Meant to Be

Katie and Zac are high school sweethearts who always knew they wanted to be parents. After experiencing unexplained infertility, the couple decided to pursue adoption to build the family they felt called to have. What they didn’t know was that while their journey would include deep heartbreak, it would ultimately lead them exactly where they were meant to be—forming unexpected…

From Foster Care to Forever Family: Allen & Claire’s Journey

From Foster Care to Forever Family: Allen & Claire’s Journey

A story of patience, trust, and the courage to remain open through uncertainty When Allen and Claire first began their journey to parenthood, they brought with them something invaluable: perspective. As foster parents for four years, they had already learned one of adoption’s most crucial lessons—that love often requires letting go of control and trusting the process, even when it…

Finding Strength in Selfless Love: Cassie’s Story

Finding Strength in Selfless Love: Cassie’s Story

Cassie, a mother of five, wasn’t prepared to find herself facing one of life’s most challenging decisions. After years of personal growth and development, she and her husband were building a new chapter of their lives together when an unexpected pregnancy changed everything. “We didn’t want to tell anybody at first,” Cassie recalls of the moment they learned the news…

From Waiting to Wonder: John & Rebecca’s Journey to Parenthood Through Adoption

From Waiting to Wonder: John & Rebecca’s Journey to Parenthood Through Adoption

Parenthood is a journey full of highs, lows, and unexpected turns, but for John and Rebecca, the path to becoming a family required extraordinary resilience. Their first child arrived after months of anticipation, and the joy of becoming parents made all the waiting worthwhile. When they decided to grow their family again, they faced an even longer wait over several years, before reconnecting with Laronda at Courageous Hearts, who helped them quickly match with their second child.

Annie’s Adoption Journey as a Single Mom

Annie’s Adoption Journey as a Single Mom

When Annie started her adoption journey, she prioritized agencies where birth moms were supported, loved, and centered in the adoption story. This was not an easy find for her especially as a single mom, however, after a few bumps in the road, she would find the perfect fit at Courageous Hearts Adoptions. At age 25, Annie learned that because of…