By Audio edited by Brenna Angel
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-975277.mp3
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Before she married her husband Bob, Nicole Dummitt knew she could not bear children, that she was infertile. That didn't matter to Bob, who had always been open to the idea of adoption.
Here the Dummitts talk about their journey, which started with becoming foster parents. Their first placement child was a 2-year-old boy named Isaiah.
"Isaiah had been through some problems. Isaiah had had his head run over by a car that his mom driving because she lost track of him," says Bob.
Bob and Nicole had Isaiah for nine months and were devastated when the little boy returned to his birth mother.
But soon after, another door opened for the Dummitts when a social worker thought twin boys would be a perfect fit for the family.
"Jacob's left-handed, sucked on his right thumb. Michael's right-handed, sucked on his left thumb. So they could still do their thing," recalls Bob.
"There had been a lot of sleepless nights about the twins and whether we'd be able to keep them or not. That was still very much up in the air," says Nicole.
Some of the twins' extended birth family had considered taking the boys in, but the decision came down to a day in court. Nicole wrote an emotional letter to the boys' mother pleading for an open adoption.
"Just saying, Hey, you know we really want you around and we really can't do this on our own.' In order for us to become parents, somebody else had to lose their parental rights. That was not something we took lightly at all."
The twins' birth mother voluntarily terminated her parental rights. The Dummitts also adopted a baby girl. And just when their family looked complete, Nicole found out that at age 42 that she was pregnant.
The Dummitts are now a happy family of six.