Andrea Morehead/Eyewitness News
Johnson County - Dealing with infertility can be devastating, and for many couples adoption is the only option. But what about the women who hope to experience the miracle of giving birth? Some women are getting a second chance through something called Snowflake adoptions.
Finding a quiet moment in the Robinsons' Johnson County home can be a challenge, but the playful sounds of kids is a dream come true for Todd and Julie Robinson.
"There's a lot of silent moments in our house, but it is not silent now," said Todd.
Marissa, Jody, Braden and Taylor keep their parents on the go. "It's a gift to have these kids," said Julie.
But the Robinsons didn't get this storybook family overnight. Julie went through six and a half difficult years of infertility. "We've learned what perseverance is all about," said Todd.
"It's very hard for me to share this because I've had so many emotions over the years," she said.
Emotionally exhausted from three unsuccessful in vitro treatments, the Robinsons decided to adopt. "We decided maybe pursuing the adoption would be the route that God wanted us to go," said Julie. "We were very happy with two girls and when this other situation came up."
That "other situation" is Braden. "Braden is non traditional and he is just adorable and such a gift," said Julie with a laugh.
Braden is a snowflake baby, meaning he was adopted as a frozen embryo. "It was almost like a little present that came down from heaven because we hadn't thought about it. We didn't even know it was an option," she said.
This option would fulfill Julie's lifelong dream. "Pregnancy was a dream I had since I was a little girl. It's hope; it's a dream that can come true."
The choice of embryo adoption gave Julie that hope. "We just thought - wow, if we could be the adoptive parents and the birth parents that would be an amazing gift."
That gift is now a rambunctious, comical four-year-old. "Braden's even more wonderful than we thought he would be," said Julie.
While embryo adoption isn't new, adoption agencies are spreading the word on the web to let potential parents know about this choice.
"We as physicians honestly have not done a good job in informing our patients about this," said Dr. Jeffery Keenan, director of the National Embryo Donation Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. "Helping families have children is just one of the biggest thrills you can have."
Keenan says he expects to see more of these adoptions as aging couples consider the fate of their frozen embryos. "I would encourage anyone who is going to go through an IVF cycle to decide on do they really want to freeze embryos."
Approximately 400,000 human embryos are stored in cryogenic tanks throughout the United States, and 25,000 are frozen each year.
"You need to be able to decide if you're going to be comfortable discarding those embryos or donating them to another couple, because to be honest with you keeping them in frozen storage forever is just not a possibility - because the parents aren't going to be around forever," said Dr. Keenan.
The Robinsons are thankful for the choice of embryo adoption and hope more people consider it. "You don't know what's going to happen if you don't step through the door," said Todd.
"If I was feeling like I wanted more children I would definitely pursue this again," said Julie. "People will comment and say, 'Wow, that's so great how you planned out their ages' and 'that's so perfect' and I say, 'Oh, you have no idea.' I had nothing to do with it."
After years of infertility the Robinsons had another surprise. Julie gave birth to their own biological child Taylor.
The cost of snowflake or embryo adoptions can be much less than traditional adoptions.
Related links
National Embryo Donations Center
Nightlight Christian Adoptions (Snowflake Adoptions)
Miracles Waiting