Katie Page thought it was the end of the world when she and her ex-husband got a divorce during her thirties. She did not know what to do next. Were her dreams of starting a family ever going to become a reality? The next thing she did would end up turning her life upside down… as well as the lives of others!
Single Mom Notices Something That Changes Her Foster Children’s Lives Forever
Lost In The World
Katie Page comes from Birmingham, Alabama. She was in her mid-thirties when she had to experience a very difficult challenge in life. She was feeling very unfulfilled with life and she had a hard time figuring out what to do next. She dreamt of a perfect family and life, but it did not seem like she would get these things anytime soon. She needed to start anew and turn her life around while she could. There was no way she could stand it for much longer.
Lost In The World
A New Chapter
If she wanted to accomplish the dreams she had, she knew it was important for her to start over. This is why she moved somewhere else even if she had friends and career opportunities in Alabama. She embarked on a soul-searching mission in 2015, after which she decided to make important life changes. It was high time that she moved somewhere and begin a new chapter there. Luckily, she received a job offer that was going to make this a reality. She then moved to Denver, Colorado to begin working in commercial construction. The job offered to her was the integrated service manager of GE Johnson.
A New Chapter
Her New Home
She had a good feeling with the choices that she had made. There was nothing else for her to do but live her life and work on her dreams. She bought a 4-bed ‘fixer-upper’ house that needed a lot of renovations. She decided to work on it by herself. “The house I bought would require extensive work to transform into my vision and most of which I would have to do myself in order to afford it,” Katie explained. She also told one of her pals that the huge place was meant for ‘more’… What could she have meant by this?
Her New Home
Keeping Herself Busy
She needed a lot of money to make her new house a success, although she did not mind this so much. In fact, she thought that doing the repairs on her own was a great way to avoid spending her money carelessly. Hopefully, this was going to help her get her life back on track. She did not enjoy living in such a big house by herself, however. She could not help but feel as if there was something missing in her life. Although her marriage has since come to an end, she knew it was not the end of everything. This is why she began to see what her other options were.
Keeping Herself Busy
Searching For Satisfaction
There are a couple of options she had in mind. Even though she was not without hesitations, she took comfort in the fact that there were many methods to go about it. Even though the renovation project took up her time, it simply did not give her the feeling of satisfaction she craved.
Searching For Satisfaction
Infertitlity Issues Of Her Own
She went there under the belief that she would gain a new perspective after she changed jobs and bought a new home. While this did happen, it did not give her what she wanted. After having problems with fertility, Katie started to wonder if adoption was going to be the better option.
Infertitlity Issues Of Her Own
She Loves Kids
She had been searching for a new direction in her life, which is why she started toying with the idea of fostering children. Katie loved kids and believed this might be her true purpose in life. She dreamt of becoming a mother, but it seems like her body was not equipped for pregnancy.
She Loves Kids
Another Prospect
She was finally able to put things in motion after receiving a letter from her new church. It mentioned a seminar that was going to discuss a foster children program. She liked the idea right away. Could this be her calling at long last?
Another Surprise
The Right Path
Katie attended the meeting about the program at her local church. What she heard there tugged at her heart! She knew that this was a path worth considering. Even though she still had some reservations, thinking about it made her heart full.
The Right Path
Her Maternal Desire
It is interesting to learn that she chose a very appropriate date to begin her journey: Mother’s Day 2015! Katie filled out an application form, and this moment changed her life completely. Sometimes, a closed door will take you to a new one. The drastic life change ended up changing her life for the better.
Her Maternal Desire
A Single Mom
Let us not forget that it was very important for Katie to weigh her options before she could get into it. This was important since she was a single woman who just started living in this area. Can she navigate parenthood on her own? Despite everything, she knew she made the right call.
A Single Mom
Making It Official
It did not even take long after she submitted the application before cases started to come in. The foster kids she got were not only kids with no parents, but they were kids who went through alot when they were young as well. When she found out about this, she only felt more determined to do it.
Making It Official
Wanting One Of Her Own
In the year that came after this, she fostered four children. She eventually felt eager to adopt her own kid. While she felt content with just being a foster parent, something inside her craved a more permanent arrangement when it comes to motherhood. She knew it was time to look into adoption!
Wanting One Of Her Own
Excellent Timing
Katie did not wait a long time before she decided it was time to take on a new challenge. It was only two weeks after she mentioned this to a caseworker that she received a very important phone call. It was about a newborn child who got abandoned at the hospital by his birth mother.
Excellent Timing
Destiny At Work
The little boy was no more than four days old. Katie did not even hesitate because she could tell that this was fate at work. She told the caseworker, “I want him!” On top of this, she did not want anyone else to hear about it. When she went to bed that night, she prayed that this baby would become hers.
Destiny At Work
A Short 24 Hours Later
The day after she received that fateful call, the caseworker got in touch with Katie again. She picked up the phone and hoped to hear good news. Was she going to be a mother? In the same day, she walked out of the hospital carrying the four-day-old baby in her arms. Aww.
A Short 24 Hours Later
A Difficult Start
Even though Katie previously fostered a 14-month-old baby, this was the first time she had to take care of someone this age. The newborn needed as much help as possible. She found it terrible that he got abandoned when he was only 4-days-old. However, there was something else that bothered her…
A Difficult Start
Moving Forward
You do not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the boy started life at a disadvantage. Luckily, this was now in the past. It was time for everyone to move on. Katie knew she had to give it her all in order to keep the baby. That is precisely what she did.
Moving Forward
Picking A Name
He had been left to his own devices when he was only four days old. In fact, the baby was so young it did not even have a name just yet. Katie went through the internet to look for something that seemed to fit the baby. It was not as if Katie could simply refer to him as ‘baby boy’ for the rest of their lives.
Picking A Name
Baby Boy Grayson
When she first the baby home, she did not have anything to call him but Baby Boy. This went on for a couple of days until she found the right name for him. Katie did not have that much time to think it through, she just went with her favorite boy name. It was Grayson!
Baby Boy Grayson
At First Sight
As soon as her eyes landed on this baby, Katie fell head over heels in love. Soon after that, she felt an instant connection she could not even explain. It is great to hear that she turned out to be a natural at this parenthood thing.
At First Sight
Her True Calling
She came to realize that her life calling was actually true motherhood! Katie wanted to raise Grayson as her own child. In the past, she fostered many little children who stayed in abusive environments However, they never really lasted long with her. That was what she wanted at this point.
Her True Calling
The Next Step
This realization made her feel more confident when it comes to becoming a good parent. Katie was aware that it was not going to be like fostering in some ways. The next thing to do was to adopt him.
The Next Step
Looking For Answers
Katie had been looking out for Grayson since he was no more than four days old. He eventually won her over as well. He stayed with her for almost an entire year as the caseworkers on the problem of tracking down his birth parents.
Looking For Answers
Searching For His Parents
They looked everywhere they could possibly think of. At any rate, the caseworkers could not locate where his parents were. They even place ads in the newspaper and share links on Facebook. They failed to find his real-life mother. On top of that, no one seemed to be looking for her either.
Searching For His Parents
Officially A Mom
After waiting for quite some time, Grayson finally earned his shot at living somewhere full of love in May 2017. That month, he turned into the legal son of Katie at the age of 11 months. How exciting is that?
Officially A Mom
Struggling
Grayson was the kind of child who needed all of the attention his parents could give him. He was suffering from physical and developmental problems thanks to the drugs he was exposed to. Katie knew that the family was not complete, but he was only eighteen months old when she adopted a new one.
Struggling
Holding Her Horses
In the new few weeks, Katie got a lot of calls and emails about a potential placement. They could do this now because it was her own home. Most of the offers she got were for short term placements. This did not work all that much because she wanted a longer arrangement this time.
Holding Her Horses
He Deserved Her Undivided Attention
Before she could expand the family that she had some more, Katie tried to focus all the energy it could muster on the baby boy. Grayson did not deserve anything less than her attention, so she made sure to give him that. He appeared to be having a blast on his first day… at least that is what it looks like.
He Deserved Her Undivided Attention
Something Unexpected
Katie knew that she wanted to get a bigger family along the way. However, she did not seriously consider the act of adoption until he was a little older now. She decided to take advantage of that.
Something Unexpected
A Life-Altering Phone Call
Just a month after she took in Grayson, Katie got another call that was very important to her and everyone else. She did not know it yet, but this call was going to change lives!
A Life-Altering Phone Call
Hannah Is In Need
The person on the other end of the line told Katie that another newborn baby was discovered at the hospital. Needless to say, the mother was looking for someone who would call give the baby what it needed. She learned that this baby was called Hannah. Katie knew she had to do something then!
Hannah Is In Need
Despite Her Reservations
Katie learned a couple more things about Hannah. For one, the baby was also exposed to illegal substances when she was still in utero. Aside from that, it was the same hospital where they found Grayson. She knew that it might hurt them if she asks for help, but there was nothing else to do.
Despite Her Reservations
Yes Or No?
After she talked about this topic with her coworker, Katie started to get some déjà vu. During the interview, she explained, “During all of the phone calls I made that afternoon, the phrase ‘I know I am crazy, but God is telling me to say YES’ kept coming out of my mouth.” Did she say yes this time?
Yes Or No?
First Meetings
Katie felt both overwhelmed and scared at the time. However, her gut instinct told her to consider bringing home the baby girl they found at the hospital. In only a couple of hours, they dropped off the little girl at her house. For the first time ever, the little girl met Grayson and Katie.
First Meetings
Not A Coincidence
Katie welcomed little Hannah into the house. It was then that she noticed the name of the mother on the baby records. How was it possible that she had the same name as Grayson’s birth mother? She went through the discharge papers again and took note that the birth mothers had similar dates of birth too.
Not A Coincidence
What Her Gut Said
This little girl had some pretty medical conditions that came from the drug exposure he suffered. “[The caseworkers] told me her story, which was really similar to Grayson’s,” Katie said. While Grayson and Hannah did not look anything like each other, she felt convinced her there was something there.
What Her Gut Said
Something Seems Fishy
“Grayson is half African American with beautiful darker skin and dark curly hair,” she mentioned on her blog. She added, “Baby Girl has a pale white skin tone with straight red-blonde hair.” It was true that her children had different appearances, but she could not shake off the suspicion that they were related.
Something Seems Fishy
She Was Determined
Sadly, it was not going to be easy to learn the truth about her son’s birth mother. While his first name was the same as that of Hannah’s mother, the surnames were different. On top of that, the birth dates of the mothers did not align perfectly. Katie felt very determined to figure out what was going on here.
She Was Determined
What Are The Odds?
In fact, Katie could not help but tell her caseworker about her suspicions. However, she was told that it was not very likely that Grayson and Hannah were real-life siblings. What do you think? Was Katie on the wrong path the entire time?
What Are The Odds?
Getting Answers
Anyway, she knew that fate might smile at her some more if she talked to the caseworker for her son. She asked him to handle Hannah’s case too. After they went looking for answers for several months, they finally managed to track down the birth mother.
Getting Answers
Anxiety And Nerves
Katie felt anxious when she went to talk to the birth mother of her daughter Hannah. As soon as she saw the biological mother, Katie knew she was looking at the mother of her soon too. How was this possible?
Anxiety And Nerves
Figuring It Out
From the moment her eyes landed on the birth mother, she “knew instantly” that she was also the same person who gave birth to her lovely son. However, Katie knew that there was nothing more important than behaving calmly in this situation.
Figuring It Out
A Striking Resemblance
As they continued to talk, the birth mother told Katie a couple of things that only confirmed what she had been thinking all along. The woman mentioned that she once had to give up on a son without filling out the records. Katie also considered the fact that she had a striking resemblance to Grayson on top of everything else.
A Striking Resemblance
The Confirmation
Katie continued to ask her a couple of other questions. She learned that this woman had a few children already. She even had a baby boy she did not report to the police right away. After this meeting, she informed the social worker about what she just learned. The caseworker then confirmed that the last name the birth mother used when Hannah was born belonged to a relative of theirs.
The Confirmation
Putting The Pieces Together
The pieces were now falling in to place. However, they still had to wait for the result of this test if they wanted to put any doubts to worst. They eventually received the results of the DNA test. It revealed that Grayson and Hannah truly were half-siblings!
Putting The Pieces Together
Grayson And Hannah
Katie was stunned by the fact that this happened without even planning ahead of time. A caseworker looked into it and then confirmed that Grayson and Hannah were truly siblings through their mother. It goes without saying that Katie was thrilled to learn such a thing.
Grayson And Hannah
A Miracle
“What if the baby girl had gone to another family?” Katie wondered aloud in her blog post. “We would have never found her or Grayson’s mother. The connection would have never been made! I could not believe the miracle that had just happened.”
A Miracle
She Acted Quickly
After confirming that her two kids were actual biological siblings, Katie knew that there was no way the law was going to separate them ever again. She did not want to risk it, so she had to work fast!
She Acted Quickly
The Adoption Process
Apart from this, Katie was already head over heels for Hannah. You could say the same thing for her brother! Katie wanted to make everything official. It was now time to go through the process again.
The Adoption Process
Officially Her Mother
Katie brought Hannah and Grayson with her when she attended the courtroom hearing on the 29th of December in 2018. When it wrapped up, it was official at last. Hannah was now her legal daughter. More importantly, she was going to grow up alongside Grayson!
Officially Her Mother
A Beautiful Family
Katie, Grayson, and Hannah all made one amazing family together. There was nothing that made Katie happier than reuniting the siblings. When she went into foster care, she did not have a single clue that anything like this was going to happen.
A Beautiful Family
Like A Glove
Hannah spent about two years in foster care before the adoption process was finally over. At last, she now had a home of her own. She fit in so well with the Page family. It sure sounds like destiny wanted this incredible family to get together.
Like A Glove
The Ideal Addition
“I was happy to just give Grayson a life, and I thought that that was big, but I didn’t feel like that was enough,” she explained, “So to give him a sister, I couldn’t imagine anything better.” We do not think anyone made a better candidate for the newest addition to their family.
The Ideal Addition
A Family By Fate
This was the way Kate described the family she formed: “They were meant to find each other, that’s pretty clear. I think God intended that from the beginning. If they weren’t related, Hannah would not have stayed with our family. She would have been placed with other relatives.”
A Family By Fate
A Born Natural
When she embarked on this new chapter in her life, she did not know that she was going to be the mother of two children this soon. Still, she did a great job. It seems like this was her true calling in life! She was a natural parent and liked to care for the kids. However, this was not the end of it all…
A Born Natural
Another Surprise
The motherhood story had more in store for Katie, however. It did not end with her adoption of Hannah. We are sure you want to know what this means! Thirteen months after Hannah entered the world, Katie received yet another incredible phone call.
Another Surprise
Their Birth Mother
This phone call came from an adoption agency. They had something to tell Katie that was going to change her life and that of her children. Apparently, they needed to tell her something about the birth mother of her children.
Their Birth Mother
A Million Thoughts
Katie started to worry for the birth mother. Was she unwell? Did she change her mind and want to raise the kids instead? These were some of the things that worried her. She needed to take a deep breath before she learned what actually happened.
A Million Thoughts
Their Baby Brother
When Katie got the call from this adoption agency, she learned that Grayson and Hannah’s birth mother gave birth to a new baby boy! Although Katie had not been planning on taking on three children, she did not want to leave the newborn on his own. What was she going to do about this situation?
Their Baby Brother
Some Deep Thinking
The revelation meant that her children now had another sibling that was in need of a home. Katie could not believe the piece of news she just heard. However, did she have the means to raise another child on top of Grayson and Hannah? Three kids seem a little like overkill.
Some Deep Thinking
A New Edition
After thinking about the matter long and hard, she decided that she had no choice but to reunite the little boy with his siblings. She took in the newborn boy and began the adoption process once again!
A New Edition
Welcome To The Family
Katie decided to take on more leap of faith by bringing the newborn boy home with her. Called Jackson, he did not have any problems fitting into the household. It only took a few months before the baby captured the hearts of Katie, Grayson, and Hannah. Their mother wanted to make it official at last.
Welcome To The Family
The Adoption Process Was Under Way
The 9th of June in 2019 was a big day for Katie. On Instagram, she posted that they had set the court date for the adoption process. For now, she was simply glad that Jackson was with them. This at least gave her the opportunity to watch him grow up while they waited.
The Adoption Process Was Under Way
Protecting His Privacy
With the adoption process still going on, she had to be careful about the privacy and safety of her little ones. This was especially true for her social media profiles. When the incredible adoption story came out, Katie started to get a lot of media attention. She did not want anything to hinder the adoption process, so she avoids showing the face of the youngest child every time she posts about her family. Katie does this by putting blurs or stickers on top of Jackson’s face to ward off unwanted attention.
Protecting His Privacy
A Happy Family
They could not do anything but wait for the result of the adoption process. The kids lived in harmony in the big house. Hannah had since turned two. She is now a very energetic little girl who lives for dolls, clothes, and shoes. She is also fond of playing with her brothers and wants to be just like her mother! How sweet is that?
A Happy Family
A Social Butterfly
On the other hand, Grayson is now three years old and set to go to preschool in no time. He is a bit of a social butterfly and likes meeting new folks. He wears glasses in order to fix his lazy eye. Could this be a side effect of his drug exposure when he was a fetus? At any rate, it sure looks good on him!
A Social Butterfly
No Longer A Single Mom
Fairly recently, Katie made a pretty big announcement on her Instagram account. She talked about another family member! The caption read, “While I can’t share his face as I vowed never to post him on social media so I could get him to take a photo with me, I can share how grateful I am for him.” Katie first met her mystery man through her pastor, and they have been going out for a year by then. He was always around to help her through all the “craziness of foster care” and the other roadblocks she had to face. Aren’t you glad to hear that there is someone out there to support her through this?
No Longer A Single Mom
Responsibility After Responsibility
Katie also got help from other people. It was not going to be easy to raise three kids on your own, of course. She thanks her mother, sister, and roommate for taking over. This was very important because she did not stop working at her full-time post.
Responsibility After Responsibility
Multiple Jobs
Apart from raising the children and holding down a full-time job, Katie has also worked hard on the house. Can you believe that she was able to launch a small business even though she was already busy with everything else in her life? She has a website by the name woodandgrace.net. On top of that, she also serves as an independent consultant for Rodan and Fields, a skincare company.
Multiple Jobs
A Flexible Arrangement
The company Rodan and Fields deals with skincare, makeup, and beauty products. This gig allows Katie to work remotely, so she gets additional income. This is important if she wants to make ends meet! However, does she even get the time to kick it back with the kids?
A Flexible Arrangement
Future Changes
At one point, Katie explained, “I am hopeful that one day this opportunity will give me the chance at the freedom to spend more time with my children and one day expand our family even more. My current traditional career path doesn’t make my dreams seem possible…so I began to consider ways to supplement that complimented my lifestyle and was flexible.”
Future Changes
Sharing Her Life
It is easy to see that Katie was someone who has her heads on her shoulders. She uses various social media platforms to the benefit of the independent businesses under her name. Apart from her Facebook and Instagram profiles, she also likes to use her website woodandgrace.net to discuss her personal journey. She often talks about interior decoration and home renovation there.
Sharing Her Life
They’ve Changed My Life
On the website, you will also find her talking about the personal journey of adoption and foster care that she went on. “The last 35 years has been far from easy or the ‘perfect’ life, but it has been mine and has always been driven by my ‘CRAZY’ dreams,” she explained on the blog. “If people only knew how my children have changed mine far more than I could ever have imagined.”
They’ve Changed My Life
Some Extra Help
She thanks her business decisions for getting enough money to pay for everything that the kids need. Katie even wants to get a live-in nanny to ensure that the kids are cared well for. According to here, it is important for foster moms to accept certain frustrating situations and even a lack of communication. Katie said that she cannot imagine going through this situation without the help of her faith as well. If she did not have it, it was going to be very unmanageable for her.
Some Extra Help
Staying Determined
Katie herself is a foster care advocate. She is outspoken about it as well. She has delivered encouraging messages about how much fostering has changed her life for the better. “I don’t know if I believed in miracles for sure. I have no doubt now,” Katie mentioned when she appeared on Good Morning America.
Staying Determined
Still In Process
Right now, Katie is still waiting for the adoption process to be finished. She cannot wait for Jackson to be her official son. “It takes patience beyond what I feel I have sometimes. It makes me and those who support me angry some days. But encounters/relationships with the children make it worth the hard times.
Still In Process
A Life-Changing Experience
It is a little hard to believe that Katie’s story all began when she decided to adopt a little boy called Grayson. If it weren’t for her, we are sure there was no way the three siblings would find each other. She said, “It is my greatest adventure and I can’t imagine my life without this experience”.
A Life-Changing Experience