The Adopted Son Who Almost Wasn’t
Releasing in 2026
The Adopted Son Who Almost Wasn't, Infertility, Faith and the Blessing of International Adoption is the unfiltered story of Christine and John’s fight for a family. As they navigate the maze of disappointing fertility treatments, a parallel adoption pursuit starts to feel like a divine answer. But as one devastating road block after another jeopardizes the placement of a baby into their arms, they are often left with desperate prayers and tears.
A powerful memoir of tender faith and the miraculous journey to parenthood, this book will touch your heart and remind you that sometimes, the greatest blessings are born out of the toughest battles.
A Glimpse Inside the Story
Seated at the end of our table at dinner, I don’t hear the conversation between Mark Drummond and Mr. Brinks, our adoption director, until it starts to get loud.
Suddenly, Mark jumps up from his chair, knocking it over. He threatens to use his political connections back in New York to have Mr. Brinks’ adoption license pulled if we don’t receive our babies the next day. That apparently crosses a line that sends Mr. Brinks to his feet as well. He forcefully volleys back, “I’m canceling the adoptions, period!”
Hearing this breaks me. I begin to weep uncontrollably and slide out of my chair to find a private place to collect myself. But in this bustling Vietnamese city there doesn’t appear to be anywhere to be alone.
So, this is how all the months of waiting and uncertainty are going to end? It rattles my faith in God and sends John and me to our knees that evening in surrender to His timing and purpose here. God has got to have a good reason if we are to leave Vietnam without our son. Though eighty percent of me doesn’t believe that will happen, twenty percent of me unfortunately entertains the enemy of my soul, doubt.
The next morning in our hotel room, the phone rings. It’s our adoption facilitator Lan. I expect resolution from last night’s drama with the assurance that we can still adopt Lucas soon. But I am instead stunned to be chastised for crying the prior evening in un-Vietnamese-like fashion for a woman. I’m an American, not Vietnamese I want to tell her, but don’t. Being from the U.S. just adds to Lan’s disdain for us and poor treatment during the adoption proceedings.
How on earth did she even know I was crying atop the famous Rex Hotel the night before? Does she have spies? Our emails, phone calls, and now our outings, all seem to be monitored. What about our baby? When will we be able to hold him in our arms for good?
The Journey Included:
- The sterile maze of fertility treatments
- Failed plans to adopt a baby from Korea
- Social Services pushing us to take in a near grown teen
- The pitfalls of domestic adoption
- Months lost with our son due to multiple cancelled trips to Vietnam
- John’s job loss and the fear we would be ineligible to adopt and unable to pay the fees
- The devastation of 9/11 resulting in the Vietnamese government’s fears to release babies to New Yorkers
- Pressure from Lan to adopt a second baby
- Lucas contracting and still recovering from a deadly illness that killed four other babies in his orphanage
However, our path to parenthood was never meant to be a straight line but an uphill climb of tested faith in God and a hard-fought spiritual battle for the release of our baby into our arms.
Through the lens of personal near-devastation, national tragedy and long suffering, The Adopted Son Who Almost Wasn’t reminds the reader that the most profound blessings are often forged in the hottest fires. This memoir will touch your heart, proving that even when the road is paved with heartbreak, the destination is worth every tear.
