“I was 39, he was 38, we tried to get pregnant right away,” says Lori. “After a year, we had a fertility workup. We found out that my husband has a translocated chromosome that would make conceiving very difficult, plus there was my age factor.”
The couple explored their options with IVF and PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis), but the fertility specialist cautioned that even with genetic pre-screening, their chance of getting a good embryo to implant for a full-term pregnancy was very slim.
The couple had already experienced the pain of an early miscarriage, and they decided that being parents—not being pregnant—was most important to them. Working with the Adoptions from the Heart agency, they brought Edi home from Guatemala in September 2006.
“We were shocked that an international adoption could cost $30,000 and more,” says Lori. “I was thrilled when
I learned that Rodale had an adoption benefit, and in fact, it increased to $5,000 during the course of our adoption. This was a huge help.” She continues, “When we decided Edi needed a sister, it was even more expensive, and again the Rodale benefit was a huge help.”
While readying themselves for their first trip to Moscow in August 2008 to arrange Irina’s adoption, Lori discovered that she was pregnant.
Irina was home by Christmas 2008, and Sam was born just a few months later, on April 5, 2009. “No company adoption benefit needed this time,” jokes Lori.
“The adoption benefit was great,” adds Lori. “But I am even more grateful for my employer’s flexibility in terms
of taking time off. And I really adore the Rodale on-site child care center—it’s not something that I ever dreamed I’d be using.”
A version of this story was originally published in the Summer 2015 issue of Conceive.
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