For Sara Baker, adoption is more than just a profession—it’s deeply personal. Nearly nine years ago, she received an early morning call that would change her family’s life forever. Her sister, Jenna, and brother-in-law, Ben, had been hoping to adopt again after welcoming their first daughter from China. When Sara’s phone rang that day, it was Laronda with news of a baby girl in Louisiana who needed a family. Without hesitation, Sara and her family packed their bags, drove across state lines, and embraced the whirlwind of the adoption process firsthand.
The journey was anything but simple. Sara’s niece, whose birth mother experienced the challenge of addiction during pregnancy, spent over a month in the NICU before she was stable enough to go home. Even after discharge, the challenges continued—Jenna and Ben had to manage a complicated at-home medical wean, a daunting process that few adoptive families are prepared for. But with consistent care and support, their daughter has now become an energetic, intelligent middle schooler, and her birth mother successfully achieved sobriety and is doing well.
For Sara, witnessing Jenna and Ben’s unwavering commitment to their daughter reinforced a truth she carries into her work: adoption is not about perfection or predictability. It’s about love, resilience, and saying “yes” to the unexpected. Today, as an advocate at Courageous Hearts Adoptions, Sara uses her firsthand experience to support both birth parents and adoptive families, ensuring they are equipped for every part of the journey—including the unforeseen challenges that come with it.
This blog was originally developed and written by Harness.
