We have decided to adopt a boy from Ethiopia.  I have always been intrigued by international adoption but I thought more and more about it during my graduate studies in public health.  In one of my courses I was assigned to work in a group to develop a pseudo-business and apply our management knowledge.  My group decided to develop an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  As I researched the country and the need for adoption, I realized that it was something I would want to do.  I talked to Nate about it and he also started to get excited about adoption.

Nate and I were in the process of saving our money for IVF.  We both did not like the fact that less than half of IVF procedures were successful.  As we weighed the options (IVF vs. adoption) we tried to look at the decision objectively.  We could create a life through IFV or we could find a child (who would otherwise not have a family) through adoption.  If we were to choose IVF, a child would still be out there without a family and opportunities that we could offer.  We could have chosen to adopt through LDS Social Services, but we know there are numerous families on the waiting list, and the children who are placed will go into good, loving homes.  But in Ethiopia, there are millions of children who will not have that opportunity.  The disparities between the US and Ethiopia are alarming.  Here are a few Ethiopian statistics:

• 4.8 million orphans
• 12.3% of children die before their 5^th birthday
• 50% of all children in Ethiopia will never attend school
• 88% of all children in Ethiopia will never attend secondary school
• Highest HIV/AIDS population in the world
• Doctor to child ratio: 1 per 24,000
• Life expectancy: 41
• Only 24% of households have access to safe drinking water
• GDP: $630

We are confident in our choice to adopt from Ethiopia (while also respecting other people’s decisions such as IVF, domestic adoption, foster care, etc).  We know there is a long wait ahead of us, but we know it will be worth it.