When Katie Page realized that her marriage wouldn't work anymore, she divorced her husband and moved across the country for a fresh start. And while she was happier than ever, something was missing: a family. Katie had always wanted to be a mother. So, she made another big decision and became a foster parent - a choice that turned out to be even more life-changing than she had ever imagined. Read on to discover her unexpected journey (but you might want to get a pack of tissues out first).
Feeling Unfulfilled and Lost
Katie Page from Birmingham, Alabama, was feeling lost as her marriage had recently ended. To her, life was going nowhere and she was having difficulties in determining herself and her path.
Her dream was always to have a perfect life and a loving family, but it was put on hold. Although she knew what she wanted, she didn’t know how to achieve it. She was feeling completely lost and without any directions.
Starting Over Entirely
It was 2015 and after spending some time contemplating about her life, Katie Page knew that her only shot at living a new life was to start over entirely. Although she had friends and many opportunities in Alabama, she knew that she needed to start over somewhere else.
She made up her mind and decided to relocate. She got a job offer to work in the commercial construction industry. She moved across the country to Denver, Colorado and started working as an integrated service manager for the construction company GE Johnson.
Feeling Positive
After making a big decision about her life, Katie felt more positive than ever. She had a great feeling that she had made the right decision that could help achieve her goals. Katie bought a four-bedroom ‘fixer-upper’ home.
“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.” She recalls telling her friends that her home was meant for 'more' though she didn't know at that time what it actually meant.
Doing Work All By Herself
Although she struck a good deal to buy a new home, it still required a lot of renovations. She realized that renovating the entire home would be costly. She decided to complete it all by herself as she knew it would help her stay occupied and focused.
Living in her large home with no one else made her feel that something significant was still missing. She just had to figure out what was missing from her life as she already had a good job and a new home.
Not Feeling Satisfied
Katie thought that renovating her home would keep her busy and motivated, but she didn’t feel satisfied.
Having a new job and home gave her a new perspective. She always wanted to have a great life and a happy family. She strongly started to consider the idea of adopting. She gave quite some time to the idea of fostering children.
It Was Meant To Happen
As Katie was struggling with something that was missing from you her, she joined the church. One day, she received a letter from church which described an upcoming seminar that would include a program about fostering children in need. Katie instantly felt that she had found her cause.
It felt like it was meant to happen. She was nervous at the thought of becoming a foster mom, but she was super excited as well.
Taking a Leap of Faith
Katie’s maternal desire motivated her and she made up her mind to become a foster parent. On Mother’s Day of 2015, she filled out an application. Her decision changed her life as it was the most important decision of her life.
She didn’t make her decision without considering all the options. As a divorced woman, she knew that she was taking on a huge responsibility.
A Start of A Beautiful Journey
Katie’s application was processed and she started receiving applications. What really saddened her was that some foster kids that came to her had no parents and some had already suffered a lot of trauma at a very young age.
She was having the best time of her life. She fostered kids for a year, but now she wanted to adopt a child of her own. The main reason behind adopting a child was that she wanted parenthood to make a permanent part of her life. That’s why she was fostering children to learn more and adopt a child when she feels ready.
Tears in Eyes
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it," is the quote of Paulo Coelho that perfectly sums up Katie's situation. Katie received a special call only two weeks after she revealed to her caseworker that she wishes to adopt a child of her own.
The call was about a 4-day old baby who was abandoned by his mother at a nearby hospital. Katie didn’t think twice and told the caseworker “I want him!” She begged the caseworker not to contact anyone. Only after 24 hours, she walked out of the hospital with a baby and tears of joy in her eyes.
A Difficult Start
Katie was already fostering a 14-month infant and she had no experience of taking care of a newborn. The innocent angel needed help fast because doctors found that he had been exposed to drugs in the womb.
The poor boy had been exposed to some illegal drugs, but fortunately, the doctors did some tests and gave the good news that there would be no long-term effects on the child and he would be fine.
Choosing a Name
As Katie was already taking care of a 14-month infant, she knew that her 4-day-old baby needed the most care in the world. She knew that her adopted baby had already suffered a lot and she wanted to give him everything she got.
Given that the baby’s biological mother abandoned him, he had no name. So, Katie decided to give him her favorite boy’s name: Grayson.
A Connection That Can’t Be Explained
Katie fell in love with Grayson the moment she laid her eyes on him. It was love at first sight. She felt a strong connection with him and her experience of fostering kids helped her as she turned out to be natural at parenting.
Katie had fostered young children that had been in abusive situations. They never stayed for too long and that’s why she wanted to have a child that would never leave her. It can be said that Katie and Grayson both needed each other.
The Search Began
As Katie was taking care of her newly adopted child, the caseworkers were searching for Grayson’s biological parents. In just 11 months, Grayson had made a special place in Katie’s heart.
Even Katie was helping caseworkers in their search for Grayson’s parents. The information the mother provided at the hospital led the caseworkers nowhere. Even the ads posted in the newspaper didn’t help.
Official Mommy
After 11 months of taking care of Grayson and showering him with all the love in the world, Katie became his legal mother in May 2017. Grayson and Katie didn’t know at that time that their beautiful journey filled with adventures had just begun.
Due to drug exposure, Grayson struggled both developmentally and physically. That’s why Katie devoted all her efforts to help Grayson and waited for at least a year and a half before finally showing interest in fostering another child.
Waiting for The Right Time
As soon as Katie showed interest in fostering more children, she received a lot of emails and calls about potential placements for children, mainly for emergency short term placements.
As Katie wanted a kid for the long term, something kept on telling her that she needs to wait because Grayson needed more of her attention. She knew in her heart that her son needed her undivided attention.
Not What Katie Expected
It was clear in the mind of Katie that she needed to expand her family. She was ready to wait to give more time to Grayson. However, she didn’t know that there was another big surprise coming her way.
Just a month after becoming a legal mother of Grayson, Katie received a call about a newborn baby girl named Hannah who was abandoned by her mother at the hospital.
She Knew What She Had To Do
Just like Grayson, Hannah was also abandoned in the same hospital and she had also been exposed to drugs while inside the womb. It was a strange coincidence but Katie was very clear about Hannah as well.
She 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."
The Similarities Were Really Strange
Although Katie had gone through the feeling earlier, she felt overwhelmed and scared. Hannah was dropped off at Katie’s house hours later. She had found a new loving family.
Katie looked at Hannah’s discharge papers and noticed something really strange. The mother name of Hannah’s baby bracelet was the same as Grayson’s birth mother. She also noticed that the birth mom shared a similar birth date as Grayson’s birth mom. Katie was in full-on detective mode.
A Hunch She Could Not Shake
It seemed odd to Katie that the medical condition and drug exposure of Hannah were quite similar to Grayson’s. “[The caseworkers] told me her story, which was really similar to Grayson’s,” Katie said.
Although the babies didn’t look alike, Katie was suspicious that they must be somehow related. No one really noticed it but she could not shake off her hunch. “Grayson is half African American with beautiful darker skin and dark curly hair,” She wrote on her blog. She went on to write; “Baby Girl has a pale white skin tone with straight red-blonde hair.”
Determined to Find The Truth
Katie knew that it was difficult to find the biological mother of Grayson and Hannah as she believed it was the same mother who gave birth to both of them. The issue was that the provided information was inaccurate. The last name and date of birth of Grayson’s mother were off by one day from Hannah’s mother. But Katie didn’t stop there and was keen on finding the truth.
Although Katie told the caseworker that she suspects Grayson and Hannah are born to the same mother, the caseworker believed that it was highly unlikely and considered the same name of the mothers as pure coincidence.
Finally!
Katie wasn’t going to give up on her hunch so easily. She contacted Grayson’s caseworker and requested her to also contact Hannah’s caseworker as well. After months of rigorous search, Katie was finally able to find Hannah’s mother.
Katie was anxious before meeting Hannah’s mother, but the moment Katie met her she knew that she was looking at her son’s birth mother.
Detective Katie
Katie recalls that she instantly knew she was meeting her son’s birth mother as well. But she didn’t jump to any conclusions. She acted calm and the conversation they had was quite helpful. Hannah’s mother gave some information that confirmed Katie’s suspicions.
Hannah’s mother confirmed that she had given birth to another child, a boy, who she’d given up at the hospital without providing any records. This somewhat confirmed Katie’s suspicions and then there was the similarity between Grayson and the woman that strengthened her suspicion.
Discovering More Information
As Katie asked more questions, Hannah’s mother wasn’t hesitant in answering them. She told Katie that she had several children, including one more, a new baby boy, which she did not report to the county. After concluding their meeting, Katie went to the social worker and shared all the information.
Everything soon started to fall into place as the social worker confirmed that the last name provided by Grayson’s mother was the same last name as a relative of Hannah. And then a DNA test confirmed that Grayson and Hannah were indeed siblings.
Born to The Same Mother
It was a really odd coincidence and Katie couldn’t believe it. The DNA test confirmed that Grayson and Hannah were half-siblings. This was thrilling news for Katie and she couldn’t believe her luck.
“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.”
Striving To Add Another Member to The Family
Once Katie knew that Grayson and Hannah were born to the same mother, she had made up mind that she would adopt Hannah so that there is no chance the siblings would be separated in the future. She knew that she had to do everything in her power to keep them together.
It was not only Katie who wanted to keep Hannah, but the little angel was also having a great time with them. Katie was head over heels over Hannah because she made Grayson really happy. So, she started the adoption process to ensure that Hannah becomes an official member of the family.
Welcome To The Family
Hannah was anxious on December 29, 2018 because it was the day the court was going to decide the future of Hannah with Katie’s family. Katie, Grayson, and Hannah went to court. After an emotional hearing, the court made its decision. Hannah became Katie’s daughter by law.
Katie felt like the happiest person in the world. When she began fostering children, she never imagined that one day she would be able to adopt two kids. They looked like a happy family that was eager to start a new journey of their lives together.
A Beautiful Family
Hannah became a part of Katie’s little family after spending two years in foster care. The moment she came into Katie’s house, it felt like it was meant to happen.
Hannah was a perfect addition to their family. “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.”
It Was Meant To Happen
Katie 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.”
Katie couldn’t have anticipated in a million years that she would become a mother of two so quickly. It seemed like she was destined to become a mom. And unsurprisingly, she flourished at it. She didn’t over try at becoming a mom as it all came naturally to her. She didn’t know that it was just the start of a beautiful journey filled with happiness and great memories.
That's Not It
Katie didn’t know that her crazy story was only going to get crazier and better in the coming months. After Hannah adoption, Katie got a call from the adoption agency. The adoption agency had news that would change her family’s life.
The adoption agency wanted to inform Katie that the biological mother of Grayson and Hannah had given birth to another baby and that infant needs a home. She was in disbelief and wasn’t sure if she could be able to handle another child with already two growing children in the home
Same Old Routine
Once the adoption agency informed Katie about a newborn baby boy, she knew that she could never see that boy living without a family. Although she had no plans at that time to become a mother of three, she had to make a quick decision.
Katie felt like it was her job to make sure the siblings are not separated. So, she wasted no time and started the adoption process.
Taking a Leap of Faith Once Again
Katie had little time to make her decision and she didn’t have to think a lot about it. She took a leap of faith and decided to bring in the beautiful baby boy named Jackson. In no time at all, Jackson made Katie fall in love with him. Even half-siblings, Grayson and Hannah, were happy to see him.
On June 9, 2019, Katie informed her followers on Instagram account with a post that stated that the paperwork for the adoption process has started and they have a court date set up as well. As the adoption process started, Katie was just happy knowing that Jackson was with them.
Better Be On The Safe Side
As the adoption process started, Katie knows that her adoption miracle story is getting a lot of media attention and that’s why she has started to be very careful about the privacy and safety of the babies on her social media pages.
She made sure there is no unwanted attention or hurdle in her way to adoption Jackson. So, she uses white heart or blurs Jackson’s face until the approval of her adoption request.
A Happy Family
As the family is waiting for adoption approval, they continue to live a happy life. Grayson has recently turned three and has grown to be a caring, loving boy. He loves to meet new people and is on a path to becoming a social butterfly. He is going to attend preschool soon.
Hannah is already a two-year-old energetic girl who just loves to play with dolls. She takes care of her brothers and hopes to become like her mother one day.
Another Addition to The Family?
It seems like Katie’s family is growing pretty amazingly. She revealed on her social media account that there is yet another addition to her beautiful family. “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,” she wrote.
It looks like the mystery man and Katie have been dating for almost a year. They met through their pastor. We are so happy to find that the mystery man has been with her throughout the craziness of foster care and also when there was a surprise addition to her family.
A Busy Home
Although Katie is raising three babies on her own, she has had a lot of help from her friends and family. She is a hard-working woman and it is really amazing to see how she has managed all this so perfectly. Her mother, sister, and roommate have been really helpful to help in raising the kids while she had maintained a full-time job in the construction industry. And she has been renovating her home all along as well.
Today, Katie is a small business owner as she runs a website called woodandgrace.net. She is also providing her consultancy services to Rodan and Fields Skincare Company.
Working From Home
The skincare company Rodan and Fields sells makeup and skincare products. The company has allowed Katie to work remotely and it has helped her take care of her children and earn from home.
She says, “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.”
Sharing Personal Journey
Katie is not only using social media to promote her business but to also share her story to inspire others. On her business website, she has shared her personal journey along with with her renovated home, her incredible interior renovating skills, as well as her before and after efforts.
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.”
Additional Help
Katie understands that her business has allowed her to finance the additional help for her adorable babies, but she knows that additional help is needed. That’s why she is hiring a live-in nanny to give some additional love and care to the kids.
Katie believes that being a foster mom can become almost unimaginable at times and having faith in the higher power has always helped her get through difficult situations.
Foster Care Advocate
Katie has used her story to inspire others and create more awareness about foster care. She frequently says that fostering has helped change her life for good. “I don’t know if I believed in miracles for sure. I have no doubt now,” she told Good Morning America.
“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. As Katie waits for the final decision on the adoption of Jackson, we hope Jackson remains with his siblings and become a part of a great, loving family.