‘We gave our son a sister for Christmas’
Stacey Lindsey made her little boy’s dream come true with a special gift left under the tree
Owynn Lindsey was desperate for a little brother or sister, and every year he would ask Father Christmas to make it happen.
Sadly, his mum and dad, Stacey and Adam, had been trying for another child, but had suffered five devastating miscarriages.
So the couple began looking into adoption – but kept it a secret from Owynn, now 12. He didn’t find out he was a big brother until a few weeks before Christmas 2017, when his parents brought home their new daughter, Naylee, and put her under their Christmas tree to surprise him.
Stacey, 43, says, “Every year, Owynn would write to Santa asking for a brother or sister.
“Adopting Naylee was a dream come true and to bring her home at Christmas time made it even more special.”
Stacey and Adam had Owynn in 2007, and soon after started trying for another baby. She says, “It just wasn’t happening for us. We’d seen doctors and tried fertility drugs, with no luck.”
LOVING HOME
By 2017, the couple started looking into alternative ways to add to their family.
Stacey says, “In June 2017, we were researching adoption, but we knew it could take a very long time. Then my sister said she knew of a local teenager who was pregnant and desperate to find a stable, loving home for her child. I immediately asked if she could put us in touch.”
Days later, Stacey and Adam, from Iowa, USA, met up with pregnant Kendra,
EVERY YEAR HE ASKED SANTA FOR A SIBLING
then 17. Unlike in the UK, where adoptions are arranged via agencies with strict regulations, known-child adoptions, which include a child being adopted by a family friend, are common in the US.
Stacey says, “Kendra was young and didn’t feel ready to become a mum. We knew giving us her child was a huge decision, but I wanted her to know we’d be there for her whatever happened, and that we would raise her child as though it was our own.”
Stacey and Adam supported Kendra throughout the pregnancy while keeping it a secret from Owynn, in case something went wrong. They knew Kendra could change her mind about keeping her baby and Stacey says, “We consulted with solicitors, who advised us not to get our hopes up, but I went along to scans with Kendra and kept copies of her ultrasound scans. We became really close friends.
“We prepared for a new baby but kept it quiet from Owynn. We explained Kendra’s visits by telling him that she was a new friend who we wanted to help.”
On 6 December 2017, Stacey was there as baby Naylee was born. She says, “As I held Naylee, I felt a rush of love.”
Two days later, the couple brought her home. Stacey says, “I’d dressed Naylee in an outfit saying ‘baby sister’ and placed her on a blanket under the tree.
“When Owynn saw her, he was so shocked. I explained that Kendra was letting us adopt Naylee. He said, ‘I don’t need any more presents, she’s everything I wanted.’”
AMAZING MEMORIES
Six months later, Naylee’s adoption was formalised. Stacey and her family still keep in touch with Kendra.
Stacey says, “This year, Naylee will be old enough to join in with decorating the house, and Owynn will love getting excited with her.
“Christmas is always a special time of year but, for us, it has amazing memories of completing our family.”
By Alexandra Meyer