For Fermanagh couple Alan and Gemma, the choice of adoption may not have been the first option to grow their family, but the journey has been an extremely positive and rewarding one for them and their birth daughter Grace. Baby Nathan, their son, has brought them so much joy and he has been given the chance of a life he may not have had otherwise.

Speaking about the reasons for becoming adopters Gemma said: “We wanted company for Grace and I suppose we went out on thinking of ourselves first of all but once we went to the adoption training and looked further into adoption and got more information on it we realised it wasn’t just about ourselves but about thinking about a child that needed a home.”

However the initial meeting they attended in Newry was what really opened their eyes to what becoming an adoptive parent was all about.

“Definitely for me it was the thing that swung the whole thing. I had reservations,” explained Alan. “I wasn’t sure but after we went to that training course, after we came away from it my opinion changed on the whole thing. It goes much deeper when you enter into the process of adoption.”

“We realised we would be able to give a child a good life,” added Gemma. And so the journey began for Alan, Gemma and their daughter Grace. A journey which they fully embraced with Grace as they educated themselves and fully participated in the process.

The process was intense and opened up many things about them which had led them to this point in their lives.

And through a scheme run by the Health Trust called ‘Home on Time’ where children come home as babies they met Nathan and in October 2017 he officially became a part of the family.

At certain times it proved challenging as they waited for the final part and the adoption to complete.

“We let the Trust get on with paperwork, the red tape, the legalities. Our priority first and foremost was caring for Nathan. So we just got on with that,” explained Gemma. And in their own words, it was a “match made in heaven”.

“We love him. Grace loves him. Everybody loves him.”

For those who are planning on becoming adopters Alan and Gemma’s advice is very simple: be open minded, be honest and be prepared to for the things you don’t want to think about because inevitably you will have to.

“There is so much more to get out of it than not doing it,” said Alan.

“The whole thing has been positive for us as a family and obviously for Nathan,” added Gemma. “We’re giving something to Nathan but he has given us far more.”

“Our family feels complete,” said Alan.

Eventually Nathan will be told about his life story, but that is something a long way down the line. When the time comes, he will be ready.

“He will be strong. He has his identity. He is here and is our son. It was just meant to be,” said Gemma. “I wouldn’t change any of it,” added Alan.

From the October 15 to October 21, the first ever Adoption Week in Northern Ireland is being held as organisations across the country highlight the need for adoptive placements for children in need of a forever family. The campaign is about celebrating adoption and sharing inspirational real life stories from local families as they aim to encourage more people to think about becoming an adoptive parent and consider whether they can provide a forever home to a child or children. If you would like to find out more about adoption contact the Western Trust Adoption Team on 028 8283 5114 or email anita.birney@westerntrust.hscni.net.

Visit the Regional Adoption and Fostering website on www.adoptionandfostering.hscni.net or telephone 0800 0720 137 for more information and support in considering adoption or fostering. You can also download information packs, read profiles of children waiting for a home and read how adoption has made a difference to people.