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SINGLE MOM NOTICES FASCINATING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HER TWO FOSTER BABIES AND WHAT SHE DISCOVERS CHANGES THEIR LIVES

Posted by Bill Rippel on June 26, 2021 - 2:04am

After Katie Page divorced her husband in her early 30s, she felt as if she were lost. The perfect life and future family that she had always dreamed of no longer seemed as attainable. She made the brave decision to move across the country and start a new life. After landing a great new job and buying and fixing up her own home, she was happier than she had been in a long time.

However, there was still something, or someone, missing from her life. After realizing that her dreams of becoming a mother could still become a reality – she decided to take on the selfless decision to become a foster parent. This decision lead to a life-changing experience for not only herself but the two amazing children she brought into her life.

Kate Page from Birmingham, Alabama, was in her mid-thirties and going through a challenging point in her life. Her marriage had recently ended, and she was feeling unfulfilled with her life; struggling to find herself and her path in life.

The perfect life and future family that she had always imagined having was suddenly put on hold. She was looking for a new beginning, wanting to make a significant change in her life. She felt completely lost.

Time for Change

She knew that the only thing she could do was to start over entirely, and despite having friends and opportunities in Alabama, she needed to get out. In 2015, after doing some soul-searching, Page decided to make some significant changes to her life. To begin the new chapter, Katie needed to relocate.

She received a job offer that seemed like the answer to her problems. Katie moved across the country to Denver, Colorado, and started a new job in the commercial construction industry. She took a job working as an integrated service manager for the construction company GE Johnson.

New Beginnings

Katie was feeling positive that she had made the right decision in order to turn her life around and accomplish some of her goals. She bought a four-bedroom ‘fixer-upper’ home that would require extensive renovations, much of which she’d have to complete 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 recalls telling her friend that the large four-bedroom home was meant for ‘more,’ even though she had yet to discover what ‘more’ meant at the time.

Staying Busy

Renovating the home would cost a lot of money, but for Katie, that was a good thing: so as to avoid unnecessary spending, she would need to do repairs herself, which would compel her to stay occupied and focused as she rearranged her life.

Living alone in the large home, even with all the life changes she’d made so far; she felt something significant was still missing. Even after her marriage had ended, she was aware that there were still opportunities that she could take. So, she decided to figure out which ones were worth examining.

Searching for Fulfillment

She believed a new house and changing jobs brought a new perspective. After struggling with fertility issues, Katie always toyed around with the idea of adopting. Now that she was looking for the right change in her life, she began to look into the idea of fostering children.

A New Idea

Katie received a letter from the church she had recently joined. It described an upcoming seminar that would detail a program for fostering children in need. Katie felt immediately drawn to the idea. She felt she had found her cause.

The meeting about foster care at her local church pulled at her heartstrings and convinced her it was the right path to take. Even though she was nervous to become a foster mom, the thrill of the possibility filled her heart.

A Maternal Desire

On Mother’s Day 2015, Katie bravely filled out an application, and it changed the course of her life forever. Within every ending is the potential of a new beginning, and this one no less: the drastic life change offered Katie the possibility of shifting directions and doing something radically new with her life.

She had to carefully weigh her options before rushing into it. After all, she was a single woman in a new environment. Katie decided she was going to become a foster mom.

It’s Official

Shortly after her application was processed, Katie began receiving cases. The foster kids that came to her were not only children without parents but children who were suffering from traumas that they had gone through at a very young age.

A year later, after fostering four kids, Katie found herself wanting to adopt a child of her own. While she was content with being a foster parent, She wanted to make parenthood a permanent part of her life. She was fostering children in hopes of adopting a child.

Perfect Timing

Not long after she made her big decision, life presented her with the right challenge. Only two weeks after revealing her desire to adopt a child of her own to her caseworker, Katie received a phone call about a baby who had been abandoned by his mother at a nearby hospital. The baby was only four days old.

Without even needing a second to think about it, Katie knew this was the moment she was waiting for. She told the caseworker, “I want him!” and begged the worker not to contact anyone else. Within 24 hours of receiving the call, Katie walked out of the hospital with a four-day-old baby boy.

A Tough Beginning

Katie was currently fostering a 14-month infant but had never cared for a newborn. The poor baby needed help, and fast. As if his young age wasn’t bad enough, doctors soon discovered that the baby had been exposed to drugs in the womb.

The baby boy had been exposed to illegal substances but luckily wasn’t showing signs of withdrawal. Fortunately, after some tests, it was announced that the drugs would not have long-term effects on the child.

Choosing a Name

This four-day-old baby boy had a traumatic start in life. Even though Katie was already taking care of a 14-month-old, she knew that she would need to give everything she had to care for this new and suffering baby.

Considering that the baby had been abandoned at four days old, he didn’t have a name, at least not yet. At first, Katie called him Baby Boy but without much time to ponder names, decided to give him her favorite boy’s name, Grayson.

Love at First Sight

Katie had fallen in love with Grayson the second she had laid eyes on him and felt a connection that she couldn’t explain. Katie turned out to be a natural at parenting.

She slowly began to realize that the feeling was true motherhood and she wanted to raise Grayson as her own. She had fostered young children that had grown up in abusive situations, however, they never stayed for long. So, she decided she wanted a child that she would never have to say goodbye to.

Searching for Answers

Since Katie had been caring for Grayson since he was just four days old, he had earned a special place in her heart. Grayson stayed with Katie for 11 months while caseworkers searched for his biological parents.

Katie and the caseworkers searched for Grayson’s mother and father, but the information left at the hospital never led to anyone. No one answered the ads posted in the newspaper or came back to the hospital in search of the boy that had been left that day.

Official Mom

In May 2017, finally getting the loving home he truly deserved, Grayson became Katie’s legal son at 11 months old. Little did they know their adventure together was just beginning.

Grayson needed her full attention since he struggled both developmentally and physically from his drug exposure. While Katie knew her family was not complete yet, she decided to wait until Grayson was at least a year and a half before taking in another foster child.

Waiting to Expand

Multiple calls and emails came in over the next couple of weeks about potential placements since her home was now open again, primarily for emergency short term placements.

Katie wanted something long-term, but something kept telling her it wasn’t the right time quite yet. Even though Katie knew that she eventually wanted to expand her family further, for the time being, she wanted to focus on Grayson. Her son deserved her undivided attention.

Unexpected Surprise

Katie knew she wanted a bigger family, but planned to wait a while until Grayson was older to look into another adoption. Looking at all the space in her home, Katie knew she wanted to put it to good use.

Just a month after officially adopting Grayson, Katie received another phone call that would change her, and Grayson’s, life forever. Katie was told about a newborn baby girl who was also abandoned by her mom and urgently needed a home. The baby was left at the hospital with the name Hannah.

Following Her Heart

Hannah had also been exposed to drugs while inside the womb and abandoned at the same hospital as Grayson. Katie knew she needed to help once again, even though she wanted to focus on Grayson. After talking to the social worker on the phone about the baby girl, Katie felt like she had Deja Vu.

Katie recalls; “Over the next 10 minutes and subsequent 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.”

Strange Similarities

Katie felt scared and overwhelmed at the same time yet her gut told her to open her heart to the possibility of taking in this beautiful baby girl. Hours later, Hannah was dropped off at Katie’s house and had found a home with her and Grayson.

Soon after bringing her home, she noticed the mother’s name on Hannah’s baby bracelet; it was the same memorable first name as Grayson’s birth mother. While looking over Hannah’s discharge papers, she realized the birth mom also shared a similar birth date as Grayson’s birth mom.

But How?

The baby girl’s drug exposure and medical conditions were identical to Grayson’s. “[The caseworkers] told me her story, which was really similar to Grayson’s,” Page said. Though Grayson and Hannah don’t look anything alike, Katie had a sneaking suspicion that her two newly adopted children were somehow related.

“Grayson is half African American with beautiful darker skin and dark curly hair,” Katie wrote on her blog. “Baby Girl has a pale white skin tone with straight red-blonde hair.” When looking at these two beautiful children, you would never suspect that they were related, but Katie had a hunch that she could not shake.

Determined to Learn the Truth

The truth would be difficult to uncover because Grayson’s birth mother had listed a different last name and her date of birth was off by one-day from Hannah’s mother when she left him at the hospital. Katie became so determined to learn the truth and was on a mission to track down Hannah’s birth mother.

She told the social worker that she suspected that Grayson and Hannah could actually have been born to the same mother. However, the worker did not think that was likely and thought that their mother having the same name was pure coincidence.

Making Progress

Either way, she knew she had to contact Grayson’s caseworker, and requested that she also signs on to be Hannah’s caseworker as well. Through months of rigorous searching, Katie managed to actually track down and meet with the birth mother of the baby girl.

Page anxiously went to meet Hannah’s biological mother determined to get answers. The second they met, Katie instantly knew she was looking at her son’s birth mom, too.

Playing Detective

As soon as Katie met Hannah’s birth mom, she recalled that she “knew instantly” that she was looking at the birth mother of her adopted son. However, Katie knew she had to act calm, and not jump to any conclusions. In the course of their conversation, the girl’s birth mother told Katie information that would confirm her suspicions.

The woman claimed that in addition to the baby girl she had also given to birth to another child; a boy, who she’d given up without records. What’s more, the woman had a striking resemblance to Grayson.

More Discoveries

Katie asked the mother additional questions, learning the woman had several children, including one more, a new baby boy, that she did not report to the county. After their meeting the mother, Katie shared the information with the social worker.

The social worker soon confirmed that the last name the mother had given for Grayson’s birth matched the same last name as a relative of Hannah’s. The puzzle pieces were finally starting to click, and not before long, a DNA test confirmed – Grayson and Hannah were in fact siblings, born to the same mother.

Biological Siblings

Katie couldn’t believe it was possible that she ended up with siblings randomly. A caseworker looked into it, and a DNA test determined Grayson and Hannah were half-siblings. Katie was thrilled with this discovery.

“What if the baby girl had gone to another family?” Katie asked 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.”

Determined to Adopt

After confirming that Hannah and Grayson were, in fact, biological siblings, Katie knew she needed to keep them together. She did not want to risk any chance that they would be separated again.

Not only that but Katie was already head over heels for Hannah and how happy she made Grayson. She was ready to make it official and began the adoption process to officially introduce Hannah into their family.

Mother of Two

On December 29, 2018, Katie, Grayson and Hannah all went to the courtroom and after an emotional hearing, it was official. Hannah was Katie’s daughter by law and would be raised together with her brother.

They were a beautiful family of three and Katie could not be happier to have helped reunite Grayson with his long-lost sister. When Katie began this journey of fostering children, she never imagined such an unbelievable story would come out of it.

Fitting Right in

Hannah had spent almost two years in foster care before finally finding the home it was clear she was meant for. And she was fitting right into Katie’s life. It all felt as if building this beautiful family was meant to be.

“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 said. “So to give him a sister, I couldn’t imagine anything better.”  Hannah was the perfect addition to their growing home.

A Family Meant to Be

Katie later told People Magazine, “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.”

When Katie started this journey, she did not see herself becoming a mom of two so quickly. That being said, Katie flourished as a mom. It was if this was her calling. She was a natural and loved taking care of her beautiful children. Little did she know, however, her crazy story into motherhood was only just beginning.

One More Surprise

Katie’s adventure did not end after Hannah’s adoption. 13 months after Hannah was born, Katie received yet another phone call that left her in complete disbelief. The phone call was from the adoption agency, they had more news for Katie that would change her growing family’s life for the better.

They called to inform Katie that Grayson and Hannah’s mother had recently given birth to another baby. Grayson and Hannah now had yet another sibling that was needing a home. Katie could not believe her ears. She was not sure if she could handle yet another child just yet.

Another Baby Sibling

When the adoption agency called Katie, they informed her that Hannah and Grayson’s mom just had another adorable baby boy. Although Katie did not plan on becoming a mother of three, she could not bear leaving this little boy without a family.

She felt it was her job to reunite him with his siblings. Katie immediately took in the newborn and once again began the adoption process to add yet another member to the family.

Welcoming Jackson

Katie once again took a leap of faith and took in the new baby. Just like Hannah, the beautiful baby boy named Jackson fits right in. In just a few months, Jackson managed to capture the hearts of Katie and her two children.

Katie could not wait to make it official and legally become Jackson’s mother. On June 9, 2019, Katie posted on her Instagram account stating that they have a court date set up to start the paperwork for the adoption process. In the meantime, Katie is relieved that the baby is home with her and they are able to watch over him and see him grow.

Better Safe Than Sorry

While the adoption process is still ongoing, Katie is being very careful to ensure the baby’s privacy and safety on her social media pages. Since word got out of her adoption miracle story with Hannah and Grayson, she has been getting a lot of media attention.

In an effort to ensure the adoption will be approved, Katie has refrained from showing Jackson’s face on her social media pages. She covers his face with a white heart or blurs it out in order to censor him from unwanted public attention.

One Big Happy Family

While waiting for the adoption to clear, Grayson, Hannah, and baby Jackson continue to live a beautiful life with Katie. Hannah is already two years old and has grown to be an energetic girl who loves dolls, shoes, and clothes. She also loves taking care of her baby brothers and wants to be just like her mother.

Grayson just recently turned three years old and will soon start attending preschool. He is growing up to be quite the social butterfly and he loves meeting new people.

Not so Single Mom

Recently, Katie revealed on her Instagram page that there is yet another addition to this growing family. She wrote, “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.”

Apparently, Katie and this man of mystery have been dating for a year after meeting through their pastor. He has been by Katie’s side through the “craziness of foster care” as well as the surprise new addition to the family. We are so happy to see that Katie has loving support in her amazing adventure of motherhood.

More Responsibilities

Katie has had plenty of help and support while raising the three babies on her own. Her mother, her sister, and her roommate have been there all along while Katie has maintained a full-time job in the construction industry. Throughout the process of raising her kids, Katie has also been endlessly renovating her home.

She has also added more responsibilities to her plate- Katie is now a small business owner- running a website called woodandgrace.net, she is also working as an independent consultant for Rodan and Fields skincare company.

Flexibility

The beauty company Rodan and Fields which sells skincare and makeup has allowed Katie to work remotely and on her own hours while gaining additional income to help with the rising costs of her family.

“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,” she says.

Happy to Share

Katie has used her social media pages such as Facebook and Instagram to help promote her independent businesses. On her website, woodandgrace.net, Katie shares her personal journey. Her blogs feature her renovated home before and after her efforts, showcasing her extraordinary interior decorating skills.

Katie also shares her personal journey of fostering and adopting her three children. “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 writes on her blog. “If people only knew how my children have changed mine far more than I could ever have imagined.”

A Little Help

These business decisions have allowed Katie to finance the additional help needed for her babies. She plans on hiring a live-in nanny to give the kids some additional TLC.

Katie says being a foster mom requires acceptance of very frustrating situations and a lack of communication. Without faith in some higher power, Katie states this situation would be almost unmanageable at times.

Not Giving Up

Katie has also been an active advocate on social media about foster care. She frequently posts encouraging messages about how fostering has changed her life. “I don’t know if I believed in miracles for sure. I have no doubt now,” she told Good Morning America.

Katie is still waiting for the adoption process to become official so little Jackson can be legally part of the family. “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. It is my greatest adventure and I can’t imagine my life without this experience,” she says.

Waiting for The Adoption Day

Most recently, Katie took to her Instagram page in order to update her many followers on Jackson’s adoption. She captioned one of her posts saying that they were on track for a November adoption. She later even shared her countdown saying, “T minus six weeks.”

Katie continued by writing, “Final negotiations start this week which is the final step before adoption. Our goal date is National Adoption Day, November 22.” It’s clear to see just how excited she is to officially be a mother of three beautiful and loving children.

Brotherly Love

Unfortunately, Katie and Jackson did not make their goal but that does not mean that Katie has lost hope. She continues to love and care for her three growing children and can not wait for Jackson’s adoption to finally come to fruition.

One thing’s for sure after such a long journey, they both definitely deserve a happy ending. 15-month-old Jackson is getting along famously with his older siblings. In one photo Katie showed how well Jackson and his big brother play together.

Important Milestones

In the meantime, while Katie waits for Jackson’s official adoption, life goes on in their household and all three children are blossoming into amazing, well-behaved children, each with their own standout personality. Jackson and Grayson even love to playfully wrestle. Despite their big age gap, they really don’t differ too much in size.

As most excited parents do, Katie also documented Grayson’s recent milestone, his first day in preschool. In the post, Katie wrote, “I can’t believe how big he is and how much he is thriving and growing. We can’t wait to see how much school helps him make even more leaps forward.”

A Real Sibling Bond

Katie also likes to document the ever-growing bond between biological siblings, Grayson and Hannah. It’s really no wonder that destiny brought these two back together as it seems that they are now adorably inseparable and are always looking out for each other.

Katie is happy to acknowledge and share their beautiful bond with the world. She only hopes that their friendship remains strong as they grow older and that they will always support each other and their little brother. Something tells us, she has nothing to worry about.

Matching Outfit Game Strong!

Another thing that Katie loves doing as a parent is finding these adorable matching outfits to dress their growing family in. Not only are the kids often coordinated, but Katie and her boyfriend also often join in on the fun. We are happy her boyfriend has embraced Katie’s love for coordination.

Looks like Katie is happy to share her love for the Denver Broncos as well. She probably can’t wait until they are old enough to tailgate. We can’t imagine how much fun these family outings must be with this adorable pair holding hands and taking in the scenery together.

Never Forgetting Their Journey

Katie’s story is not only unique and unbelievable but it also has reached the hearts of millions of people. She has been touched by all the media attention that her story has received. She hopes that her children reuniting and find a loving home will continue to impact people across the world.

Not only that, she wants to inspire people to help other foster children “find loving forever homes.” This particular photo is of a page in Good Housekeeping magazine and Katie was especially excited to be included. We are happy to also be part of sharing their story.

Staying Busy

Other than being a dedicated mom and an advocate for foster care and adoption, Katie also stays busy with her own personal projects. This includes becoming an Independent Consultant for the Rodan+Fields skincare line. In this role, Katie writes that she loves being able to “help people live better in their skin and become empowered in their lives.”

Katie is also a proud promoter for the Lily Jade diaper bag line. This includes her sporting the Elizabeth Diaper bag in numerous social media posts as well as posting a full review of her very own bag. As a “full-time working mom” of three, Katie is the perfect person to share this product.

Dearest Daughter Hannah

Katie misses no opportunity to share her praises for little Hannah. It is clear that her entering Katie and Grayson’s family had a huge impact. In Katie’s words, ” I never imagined our house would be quite boring at times without her spunky attitude! I am one blessed mama because of her.”

One unique mommy, daughter milestone that Katie was excited to share was the moment that Hannah wanted to have her hair curled and styled the way her mom has it. Katie was happy to announce that Hannah “sat so still and patiently.” We are sure these two will have many more beautiful moments just like this.

The Big Little Sister

Hannah has really taken on the role of the caretaker of the bunch. Not only for her siblings but for her mother as well. “She likes to help me pick out what to wear and try on my shoes,” Katie writes. She even loves to clean and never hesitates to take a bottle to her brothers or help them tidy up.

Katie finds it essential to share these little details of her life with Grayson, Hannah, and Jackson to the public. She hopes seeing their beautiful family will encourage others to consider adoption and bring this type of happiness to other kids in need.

House Full of Christmas Cheer

When it comes to sharing family moments, the holiday season is no exception. Katie had more than enough little helpers to decorate their Christmas tree this year. The kids are reaching the age that they can truly understand the joy of Christmas and for the first time, Katie needs to figure out how to explain Santa Claus.

 

 

Don Kepple What a beautiful story. Thanks Bill.
June 26, 2021 at 10:53pm
luba66 Lyubov Sultanova Thank you Bill for the touching article.
June 26, 2021 at 6:31pm
Corneliu Boghian good post , thanks for sharing
June 26, 2021 at 6:35am
brian chochola Thank you for posting this
June 26, 2021 at 4:42am
Charles Phillips What a heartwarming story. Thanks for sharing, Bill,
June 26, 2021 at 4:03am