FLORIDA ADOPTION AGENCY — Josephine Series — Part 1 of 3 — HEART TO HEART ADOPTIONS
From Addiction to Motherhood: One Birth Mother's Story — Part 1
Josephine had been in recovery for two years when she found out she was pregnant. She was already six months along. This is the story of how she made an adoption plan from a position of love, not desperation.
A moth woke her at 2 AM, two weeks after placing her daughter.
The faint flutter of a moth woke Josephine. She lay in the soft dark. Lights from distant Florida traffic splashed colors on the wall. Sleep evaded Josephine despite her exhaustion. The baby was only two weeks old, and Josephine’s body hadn’t recovered.
How she got back on her feet after ten years of addiction
Josephine speaks reverently of her two-week-old daughter. “I spent ten years as a hard-core addict. I was never careful. I never thought of the consequences. I never thought I could get pregnant. And then, from somewhere on the other side, this little girl chose me to carry her. What a privilege.”
The cramped room where she lay trying to sleep had belonged to Josephine’s boyfriend, Marlo before he was imprisoned. Two blocks away, was her former room–a shared bathroom with strangers at her boarding house and a mold-filled hole in the wall. At least here, she had her own tiny bathroom.
She did not know she was pregnant until she was almost six months along
Josephine can see the looming Florida, luxury 24-story hotel where she worked just a few blocks away.
Three years ago, Josephine had stumbled into the iconic hotel, desperate for work. “I’d just gotten out of rehab,” she recalled. “They had thrown me out of the halfway house. I had nothing but the clothes on my back. I had one outfit. I told my boss, ‘I know I look crazy right now. If you give me the chance, I’ll work my ass off.’ They gave me a chance.”.
"I love the people I work with. Florida has been good to me."
the new mother said. “I love the beach here. I have a little weird community that makes me feel whole. My boss is a saint. I have so much to live for. And a daughter that chose me to carry her.”
The 34-year-old mother admits she didn’t know she was pregnant until she was almost six months along.
“I called Marlo,” Josephine said. “He had just got locked up. I told him we were going to be parents. He has a little girl. She is almost four. His baby’s mother didn’t tell him she was in labor and abandoned the baby in the hospital. He’s been trying to get custody of the baby.”
What do you do when the father doesn't want the baby to be adopted?
“Marlo was excited about the opportunity to be a father again,” Josephine said about her boyfriend.
After learning she was pregnant, the tired hotel worker had spent the evening with a laundry cart, moving her belongings to Marlo’s apartment. As his jail sentence loomed, he had signed over the rental to Josephine.
Affordable housing is hard to find,” she said. “You have to jump on it when it comes.”
“I was exhausted from moving into a room only slightly better than the previous one. I’d live in a rooming house as a child. We’d ended up in a state-funded facility.”
Looking around the room and asking: how long does this cycle last?
“I kept looking around the room, wondering how long this cycle would last. Would I be able to raise a child and stay clean? What if I went back to heroin?”
Adoption Choices
Can a woman in recovery place her baby for adoption?
Yes. Whether you are in recovery or still struggling with addiction, you have the same rights as a birth mother. We have worked with many women in various stages of recovery. You do need to realize that if the baby has drugs in their system, you will need someone there to take responsibility for the child until you are clean.
Will my past affect the adoption process?
Heart to Heart works with women from all circumstances. Your history does not disqualify you from making an adoption plan or from having access to the full support Heart to Heart provides.
What if I discovered my pregnancy late? Will it every be too late to make an adoption plan?
No. Heart to Heart works with women who discover their pregnancy at any stage, including late in the third trimester or women who are already parenting. Call 877-437-3424 right now if your situation is urgent.
What does it feel like to place a baby when you love them?
Choosing adoption is always going to be a difficult decision. As as Josephine’s story reveals, it can also be one of the most unselfish decision you can make. Josephine’s story is an example that grief is real, but so is a life of peace. We are always there to work with you through the post-placment period.
Can I get housing help if I am in recovery and pregnant?
Yes. There are, of course, laws that prohibit paying for a child. But certainly there is financial assistance for housing, food, medical care, and other pregnancy-related expenses is available to birth mothers in Florida regardless of their circumstances. Call 877-437-3424 to talk about what you need.
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Whether you're just starting to explore or ready to talk, our compassionate team is here to listen and support you—without pressure or judgment.
You don't have to do this alone.
We're here to walk beside you—every step of the way.
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801-563-1000
Reviewed by licensed adoption professionals at Heart to Heart Adoptions.
Wendy Knowles, Birth Parent Support Specialist
Michelle Barrus, Birth Parent Support Specialist
Jodi Grizzle, LCSW
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