Brittany: An Open Adoption Built on Love and Trust

At 2:19 AM on July 27th, Brittany gave birth to a healthy baby boy. At the hospital were John and Kayla Eichelberger, the adoptive family who had been supportive figures since being selected by Brittany during her pregnancy. In the delivery room, the three gazed down together at the boy they chose to call Finnley.

John, Kayla and Brittany were embarking on a new journey together. After getting to know each other during the pregnancy as John and Kayla joined in on ultrasounds and other doctors appointments, the three were now entering into an open adoption.

“Every second of waiting, hurt, sadness…every emotion you may feel while waiting will be worth it. In fact, we don’t even think about those last three years. Adoption is love!”

— Kayla

What this meant is that John and Kayla would be the guardians of little Finnley, but Brittany would get to see her son grow up. While she decided early in the pregnancy she was not ready to become a parent herself, through meetings and open communication with John and Kayla, she can have a connection and bond with Finnley. Brittany, John and Kayla decided this was the best outcome for everyone.

John and Kayla had been trying to adopt an infant for years. After many empty hopes and heartbreaks, they received a confirmation from their counselor that they’d been chosen once again. However, this time, they had been the only couple chosen.

Starting with their first match meeting, Brittany, John and Kayle were 110% honest and up front with one another. When Brittany first decided to place her baby, she did not want an open adoption. As a mother of two children, she thought it best to remain open in order for the three siblings to build a relationship together in the future, but she was unsure on openness for herself. Quickly after meeting, this changed. The connection was so instant, so strong, that they all knew open adoption was meant to be. They became inseparable, building love, trust and in the end, a family.

On the day Finnley arrived, they celebrated together. Brittany’s two children, Koda and Amirah, were in awe of their baby brother. In a heartwarming moment, the two siblings sat together, holding him and loving him completely. As a family, they will never forget that special memory. Finnley’s birth was an affirmation of the new family they had created together—One of a child, parents, birth mother, and siblings. Now, they lovingly refer to themselves as the “tribe.”