Sometimes, families grow in unexpected ways. Such was the case for long-term Children’s Home donors Larry and Sue Turner.
Just over two decades ago, their then 26-year-old daughter discovered she was pregnant and felt unprepared to raise a child on her own. The surprise came in the midst of an already challenging time: Larry was working in Texas and Sue was balancing her nursing career at home in Minnesota while caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s Disease.
“Our family knew we needed some support. I remembered that a couple of my colleagues had worked with Children’s Home and had very positive experiences,” recalled Sue. “So I encouraged my daughter to reach out.”
That outreach resulted in a thoughtfully planned open adoption facilitated through Children’s Home. “It felt like we had a right-hand person to support us,” Sue shared. “It was clear they wanted everything to work well for both families.”
Children’s Home’s commitment to fostering openness helped the Turners create the beautiful, expanded family they have today.
“It’s been 21 years and our families have really grown together,” shared Sue. “Early on, we didn’t know how much to be involved,” added Larry. “But today, we have a very positive relationship with our grandson and his family, and that stems from how it started in the beginning – it was very crucial to have the support of Children’s Home.”
Ensuring families have access to the many resources provided by Children’s Home inspires the Turner’s generosity. “We want to be sure that the things we care most deeply about are funded. We want other birth parents, adoptive parents and families to be able to access the support of Children’s Home,” reflected Sue.
“As our grandson has grown-up, we’ve seen how important this work is, and our giving has grown,” said Larry. “And we want people to know that open adoption can be positive for both families,” added Sue. “Two families can grow into one.”
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