“At every life-changing juncture we counted our blessings to be able to pursue both IVF and adoption on our terms. We were and still are very fortunate. We asked our adoption attorney what we would do if we didn’t have the money to pay for this. His response was unacceptable. The option: go into financial ruin, or don’t have a child. We looked at each other and knew that instant that when the time was right we would change those options. We were going to do something to help.”

Becky and Kipp dedicated themselves to starting Helpusadopt.org, a national non-profit offering financial assistance to qualified couples and individuals towards their adoption expenses. The organization’s website and application process officially launches on November 1, 2007, the first day of National Adoption Month.

“When this all came into play” says Becky, “I said, now I have a future. Now I know what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. You can’t get much better than that… I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people on the planet. And five years ago, I wasn’t able to say that.”

Becky isn’t the only one who recognizes the importance of Helpusadopt.org. “Since the end of May, we’ve raised over $90,000 without asking for a penny,” she says. “The response has been overwhelming. I’ve never worked on a project with this kind of response. People understand that this is about family.”

Helpusadopt.org is celebrating its Philadelphia launch at Neiman Marcus on November 1. The New York City launch is scheduled for November 14 at Jimmy Choo. For more information about Helpusadopt.org, visit the website or contact Becky at info@helpusadopt.org.

Copyright © 2008 The Shipley School, www.shipleyschool.org