New Zealand’s adoption laws are more than 60 years old and currently under review to ensure they take into consideration modern values and practices. Sharon Stephenson talks to two people about their adoption experiences
In a tiny North Shore bedroom, dwarfed by shelves of colourful onesies and neatly folded cloth nappies, Rebecca Simpson* starts to cry. This is the nursery the 35-year-old and her husband Matt set up two years ago for the child they hoped to adopt. Instead, the room has become a shrine to the child they will never have.
“Being a mother was all I ever wanted, but after five miscarriages and a decade of heartbreaking, failed fertility treatments, we decided to turn to adoption,” says Rebecca.
The couple assumed they wouldn’t have to wait long for a baby: they owned their own home, had good jobs (Rebecca as an account manager, Matt as a senior public servant) and a bank account ending with several zeros.
But at their first information session with Child Youth & Family (now Oranga Tamariki), the couple’s confidence burst like a balloon on a bed of nails.
“They told us there were very few babies available for adoption in New Zealand because no-one puts their kids up for adoption any more,” explains Rebecca.
The social worker warned them they could end up waiting for up to 10 years. “And even then there was no certainty. They said birth mothers get to choose from as many as 100 couples so not to pin our hopes on it.”
Despite driving home that night in floods of tears, Rebecca and her husband of eight years filled out their profile and underwent the expensive and time-consuming process of medical and police checks.
And they waited. Rebecca says her husband told her not to get excited, “but I was obsessed with the idea of giving a baby a home. We have so much love to give and I know there are lots of kids out there who badly need it. It seemed like a no-brainer”.
この記事は NEXT の May 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は NEXT の May 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Caitlin Cady Shares Her Journey
Caitlin Cady always liked being in control, so the thought of meditating scared her. But once she sat down and let her thoughts leave her mind, it proved to be incredibly important to her health. She shares her journey
The Wright Direction
Back on home soil after her stint in NYC, Rebecca Wright shares with Monique McKenzie what she thinks the future holds for the US, and why she is proud of the positive role modelling New Zealand offers her young daughter
View From The Top
She’s just turned 50 and Hilary Barry is feeling happier and more comfortable in her own skin than ever before. The Seven Sharp host sits down with Phoebe Watt to talk about gratitude and why she won’t let the odd barb bring her down.
How To Magnify Your Meal
There are certain natural foods that offer higher nutrients than others, but how do we know which to choose? Anna King Shahab looks at how we can make choices that are backed by science.
My big BREAK
Sometimes things come together in ways we could never have imagined. Sharon Stephenson speaks to three Kiwi women about the pivotal moments that helped launch their careers and businesses to success
MOTHER AND SISTER
Linda Armstrong attended the Linwood Islamic Centre every Friday and on the day of the Christchurch mosque attack she confronted the shooter, asking him to stop. Now her daughter Angela Armstrong is going back over her mum’s footsteps to learn more about her conversion to Islam and the community she loved
The Acid Test For Anxiety
Microdosing involves taking tiny amounts of illegal psychedelic drugs such as LSD or magic Microdosing, the practice of taking tiny amounts of illegal psychedelic drugs, is being hailed by some as a new form of therapy. We separate the shamanism from the science in pursuit of the truth
Queen Of The Beehive
Tova O’Brien is living her career dream, leading Three’s all-female political team in parliament. She tells Sharon Stephenson about reporting from Europe’s hot spots, landing in jail, and what they really talk about in the press gallery
Passion Project: How To Write A Romance
Have you ever secretly thought you could be the next Nora Roberts or Diana Gabaldon? Award-winning Kiwi romance novelist Bronwyn Sell takes you through her 10-step plan
The End Game
Everyone has their own approach to goal setting, but do some work better than others? Monique McKenzie shares the methods that will help you get to where you want to be.