Betsey’s Point of View
My husband and I adopted our daughter Rylyn from Taiwan when she was just 8 months old. She made me a mommy. This is our story.
There are very few things in life I’ve felt truly called to, and adoption has always been one of them. It was something that had been on my heart for many years. I still remember the pivotal moment my husband and I shared by Reedy River Falls in Greenville, South Carolina. After countless conversations, he looked at me and said he was ready—he wanted to adopt too. “Let’s do this!” we said. Our neighbor, who worked with an adoption agency in Greenville, connected us with families who had adopted from Taiwan, and that’s where our journey began.
At the time, we weren’t yet 30, which meant many countries wouldn’t allow us to adopt. Taiwan required adoptive parents to be at least 20 years older than the child. Once our home study was complete, we worked directly with a small orphanage in Taiwan that prayed over each child and thoughtfully matched them with families. Then, the moment came—I got the call that we had been matched with our daughter Rylyn. I was teaching first grade and checked my voicemail during lunch. I tried calling my husband more than 20 times, only to reach voicemail. After school, I rushed home and opened the nursery door we had prepared, and there he was—my husband with tears in his eyes and a photo of our beautiful baby girl.
As our travel date to Taiwan drew near, I reached out to my sister, who lived in Charlotte and already had four children, to ask if she could come with us. I needed guidance as a first-time parent, and without hesitation, she said yes. Looking back now, I can’t even imagine leaving four young kids behind to fly halfway across the world for two weeks, but that is exactly how selfless she is.
A week before our trip, I discovered I was pregnant with our son. Traveling with morning sickness, long flights, and anticipation was a whirlwind, but nothing could compare to meeting Rylyn for the first time after a year of waiting, praying, and paperwork. Walking into the Home of God’s Love and seeing her sleeping peacefully in her crib, I remember gently touching her tiny fingers and realizing in that moment that my life had changed forever.
From the very beginning, Rylyn has been one of the most thoughtful, generous, and empathetic people I have ever known. She has taught me more about love, patience, and giving than I could have imagined. Later that year, our son was born, and our family went from zero to two children in the same year—a surprise, yes, but an absolute blessing.
Four years later, on a quiet Christmas afternoon, I remember sitting in bed and receiving an email from the Home of God’s Love. My heart raced—I thought it would announce that Rylyn had a sibling. It did not. It was only an update and a request for our current address, but I remember the anticipation vividly.
In 2015, I became pregnant again unexpectedly. I felt a mix of excitement and sadness, knowing that our hearts had been drawn to adoption and wondering if this pregnancy might change that. Sadly, we lost the baby around 11 weeks. It was a difficult time for our family, filled with grief and longing, yet it eventually helped us move forward in our adoption journey.
A few months later, we began the adoption process for a daughter in China. On the same day we received approval from China, the Home of God’s Love reached out with news: Rylyn’s birth parents in Taiwan had another child from three years earlier and asked if we would consider adopting him. We were shocked but said yes immediately. Navigating two international adoptions at once was daunting, but our hearts were ready. However, after months of waiting, the birth parents changed their minds. It was heartbreaking. After raising Rylyn for more than three years, I understood the complexity of their decision, yet I asked them to reach out if anything changed.
In 2017, we adopted our 2.5-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, from China. That same year brought unexpected challenges: my husband lost his job, I discovered I carried the BRCA2 gene mutation, and we sold our home. I underwent a preventative double mastectomy, and we embarked on a 2.5-month journey across Europe with three young children without a home or jobs lined up. It was the adventure of a lifetime but filled with unknowns. Eventually, we returned to the U.S. and settled in Georgia.
Over the next few years, I continued to follow up with HOGL about Rylyn’s brother but received no response. One evening, Rylyn shared that when she blew on dandelions, she always made the same wish—for a brother. That moment prompted me to reach out once again. A few months later, I learned that he had been placed with a foster family in Taiwan. I was overwhelmed with sadness and confusion. I had prayed for him for years and dreamed of him joining our family.
In 2019, my sister announced plans to adopt again. Deep down, I asked her if she would consider adopting from Taiwan. Though it was a big ask, we discovered that it was possible. By God’s grace, after nine months, my sister’s family was matched with Rylyn’s biological brother. The day they were matched, we shared the news with Rylyn on our back porch. COVID-19 delayed the process, and it took nearly two years before he finally joined our extended family.
In November 2021, my sister and her husband traveled to Taiwan to finalize the adoption. After almost six years of waiting, Rylyn’s brother, Z, became part of our family. Though it’s different than we imagined, we’ve come to understand that families take many forms. Z is kind, silly, and thoughtful, and I feel immensely grateful to see him as part of our lives. Adoption has taught me that it’s love, not circumstance, that truly makes a family.
Rylyn’s Point of View
My name is Rylyn. I am adopted, and I have a biological brother I didn’t know about until recently.
One evening, my mom and dad asked me to meet them on the screened-in porch. I wondered what this could be about—I hadn’t done anything wrong! When I sat down, they explained everything: I had a biological brother, and my aunt and uncle in Charlotte, North Carolina, would be adopting him. They hadn’t told me before because they weren’t sure it would happen and didn’t want me to be sad.
Months earlier, I had been calling my brother Brennen “En-Chen” while on vacation, never knowing that was his actual name. I also told my mom that when I blow on dandelions, I always make the same wish—for a brother. I was both shocked and excited to discover that my wish had a real answer.
Meeting Z was exciting and strange all at once. Normally siblings live with you, so having him join our family as a cousin felt different. When my mom drove me to Charlotte in December 2021, it was just the two of us. Z had just arrived in his new home and had spent six days there. I was nervous but curious. Watching him interact with my cousins was fun and heartwarming, and he even helped me carry my suitcase to the car. Adjusting to a new country, language, and family is challenging, but I could already see his kind and playful spirit.
I feel incredibly lucky and thankful to finally meet my brother after all these years. Our story shows that love, patience, and persistence can create family in the most unexpected ways. Adoption isn’t just about giving a child a home—it’s about embracing love in all its forms.
