The Carroll’s journey to parenthood began more than twelve years ago. Dina had several medical issues leading up to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) their ninth year of trying to conceive.
“After I tried IVF with no luck we began to look at opening our options. We decided to look into adoption,” said Dina Carroll.
“Going through an agency can be expensive and after the IVF we didn’t have the funds. But truly our desire from the beginning was to adopt through a ministry or from a birth mom that needed us.”
“I put it out there that we were looking to adopt. I made flyers, sent emails, connected with others online.”
After three years the couple heard of a birth mother interested in adoption.
“I got a call from a friend from Missouri about a baby that her pastor’s family was caring for. The birth mom was deciding whether or not she was going to put her up for adoption. I went there and met the baby and spent sometime with her,” said Carroll. “Shortly after I arrived back home I found out she had decided to keep her. I was sad but understood completely.”
“I said Lord ‘I give this to you and you will make this happen because your Word says you knew me before I was even created. So you know the perfect child for us. You gave us this desire to adopt so I give it to you.’”
On Easter of 2010 Carroll decided it was time to update her information on a website called cafemom.com. The website is used by mothers, adoptive parents and mothers-to be can connect.
Within 12 hours Dina had a response from someone she calls simply, “her angel.”
“The lady asked me if I had considered using an agency. I replied with concerns about the expenses of going through an agency. She asked me to contact my CPA about something called an ‘Adoption Credit.’ I did. He had never heard of it but said he’d look into it. A few days later he called to tell me that if we adopted through an agency before December 2011 we could use the Adoption Credit to help with expenses,” said Carroll.
“I thought about calling the lady back but first I wrote down a long and thorough list of questions. I’d plan to go out for the day that day but the Lord wanted me to call her because I just could not get out the door,” she said.
When I finally called her - it was such a blessing, she answered all my questions before I even asked them and the cost for the process was exactly what the Adoption Credit would be - Exactly! To the penny!”
“And after all we’d been through she also let me know that the agency was actually a ministry. Their mission is to help birth moms and care for them during and after pregnancy. They provided for them in a caring environment and at the third trimester, the birth moms choose for their child to be adopted or to keep them. The ministry offers them profiles of prospective adoptive parents that will provide a good life for their child - or if they wish to keep their child - the ministry helps them get started and guides them through the process of offering a good life for the child. It was just as my heart desired! She was an angel to tell me this; my angel,” Carroll said.
“Marty and I were at peace about it. It felt right. We did the interview and our profile went up Labor Day of 2010. In a month we were chosen by four birth moms. But on Oct. 4th, I’ll never forget it, I was standing in the shoe department at TJ Maxx and my cell phone rang. I answered it and walked out side to hear the head of the mission group tell me that we had been chosen as adoptive parents for a baby girl due December 23rd.” “She told me to pray about it. Marty and I prayed all week end and knew that this was our baby. This is it!”
“We got to know the birth mom from across the country and she decided to come here and deliver in Calhoun.”
At 36 weeks, the day after Thanksgiving, the birth mom took a train across the country for four days to Georgia. When she arrived the train motion had caused early labor.
“She had contractions for a week and then Dr. Morgan said it was time. Our baby girl was born Saturday, December 4th at 3:30. She was a healthy five pound blessing.
We named her Juleyanne Elizabeth Carroll. She is such a happy, loving child,” she said.
“She was born in my heart not in my tummy.”
“As a mother you worry if desiring a better life for child through adoption is the right thing. It is hard to see that your child can have a good life without you but when the Lord’s involved, the process of adoption is truly divine order.”
Now Carroll said her heart’s desire is to help and minister to others looking into the adoption process.
“I would love to help somebody else start something like this in Calhoun. If anyone needs help they can reach out to me. Any one seeking help or that needs encouraging can contact me at 770-548-7153,” she said.
The reason I told my story is to help others out there see that adoption is an awesome option and that life is precious.”
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