Names have been changed for privacy. February 28, 1988 was a leap year. I remember that night well. I was 19 at the time, living with mom and dad, attending college, and working. My co-worker, a 16 year old girl, had just given birth to this tiny, pink skinned, strawberry blond haired baby. She had her a couple of hours prior to the 29th. I held her baby in my arms and kissed her tiny cheeks. Me and two other friends vowed to help Jenny and her baby. Jenny was told by her mother that if she chose to keep her child she was not welcome to return home. We were able to find a place for Jenny and her child to live. A year later Jenny asked me if I could babysit for an extended period of time. I asked her how long she needed me to help. She said she wasn’t sure, she couldn’t care for Amanda any longer and she would be placing her up for adoption. I told her I had friends, who already adopted a boy, that would love to have a little girl. The proper arrangements were made and Jenny flew with Amanda from Florida to New York where she relinquished custody. Several months passed and Jenny decided she had a change of heart- she wanted her child back. It wasn’t a difficult decision for me as to who should have the child. While Amanda was in my care I recognized the signs of neglect, as did my mother, and Amanda’s daycare provider. Several years down the road we would find out the extend of the neglect. In elementary school it was determined that Amanda was deaf in one ear as a result of an untreated ear infection. She had learning difficulties, was asthmatic, we believe due to Jenny or her friends smoking in front of Amanda, but the biggest shocker was finding out that Jenny was snorting Cocaine during her pregnancy. Jenny never made it to court, and custody was awarded to the adoptive parents. It was never hidden from Amanda that she was adopted, and she made it very clear that she wanted to be reunited with her biological mother. I ran into Jenny years later and relayed the adoptive parents her contact information. Several years ago Amanda and Jenny were reunited. Amanda decided to live with her biological mother. In less than a year she returned back to her adoptive parents, and told us she was thankful that she was adopted. Sadly, as time passed, Jenny’s ‘s life did not improve. Today I got a call from Amanda. She told me she’s having a baby. I cried tears of joy. 26 years ago a tiny little soul had been placed in my life unexpectedly. Things could have gone so wrong in her life, but they didn’t. She was raised with so much patience, so much care, so much love…. and now she’s having her own family. I know Amanda is going to be a terrific mom. Seldom do any of us get to witness the events that lead up to a mother’s decision to place her child up for adoption and get to see the outcome. I was lucky in that I got to be part of that child’s life and now part her child’s life. Sometimes there are happy endings.

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