Festival of Life Banquet
The Informed Choices Pregnancy Centre held its annual banquet at the Church of Our Lady hall. In addition to ticket sales, funds were raised at the Festival of Life Banquet through a silent auction. Prizes from handmade quilts and furniture to a portrait sitting and jewelry were on offer. Cora Lee Schultz took to the stage with Dwight and Marci Cameron to speak about their adoption story. Shortly after getting married, the couple decided to start their family. They had many problems and were told that they had a very small chance of conceiving children naturally. They looked into their options and decided that adoption might be a solution. There were reservations; they weren’t sure if they could love a child that wasn’t theirs biologically. The system took time, up to seven years. There was a fear of the unknown and they weren’t sure how they would react in the future if their child rebelled against them. While waiting for social services to contact them regarding an adoption, they decided to try In Vitro Fertilization. Amazingly, only six weeks after they had completed the application process, they were contacted and told they had a match with a young woman. She had a list of requirements that seemed too demanding, yet Dwight and Marci matched all her criteria. They were a biracial couple; they were young; they were Christian, and they had done missionary work. At the same time, they found out that the IVF had worked, and they were forced to withdraw their application from social services, as it was a requirement because Marci was pregnant. The birth mother was adamant, however that the Camerons raise her baby, so she withdrew as well, and the adoption was done privately, with the help of lawyers. The Camerons now have three daughters. Their oldest meets with her birth mother on a regular basis, and there is a special bond that exists between them. They have learned to respect the power of prayer, as they relied on it when they wanted to start a family. They realized that their fears were unfounded, as they fell instantly in love when their first daughter was born. They have words of advice for anyone considering adopting or giving up a baby for adoption. Be realistic. Know your needs and those of the child. Be open to circumstances. Things don’t always work out the way you plan. Allow yourself to feel in the moment. Don’t bottle things in. Once you have made your decision, be strong. Stay with it. Following the interview, there was a brief musical interlude, provided by Tami Elliot, her daughter Abbie Reuss and family friend David Walhstrom. Informed Choices Pregnancy Centre is looking for help. There are opportunities to volunteer, to serve on the board, or to provide partnership through financial support. Contact them through their website www.icpcmoosejaw.ca or on Facebook.