Birth Mother Reunites 17 Years Later and Sings at Daughter's Wedding

Emily was 16 years old when she told her mother she was pregnant. That conversation could have gone many directions, but her mother immediately wrapped her arms around Emily and said they would get through it together. This response of unconditional love without judgment became the foundation for Emily's journey through one of the hardest decisions any young woman faces. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, host Donna Pope explores Emily's story of placing her daughter Beth for adoption at 16, building a life with her own family, and experiencing an unexpected reunion 17 years later that led to singing a duet at Beth's wedding.

Birth Mother Decision Making with Family Support and Faith  

Emily felt scared and shocked when she discovered her pregnancy. She had a good relationship with her parents and told her mother right away, receiving the love and support she desperately needed. Emily also had a testimony of her Savior and knew she could turn to Him for help. She recognized immediately that this situation was bigger than herself and would affect another human being for their entire life. Even as a young woman, she felt the weight of motherhood responsibility and wanted what was best for her daughter.

Emily had watched her Young Women's leader recently adopt a baby girl, witnessing the joy that adoption brought to that family and the love the child received. This glimpse of what her daughter could have through adoption helped Emily consider that path, though she felt scared to say it out loud. Ultimately, she followed her gut feeling that placement was best for her daughter. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, birth mothers who receive supportive counseling and make informed decisions report more positive long-term outcomes.

Emily began counseling at LDS Family Services immediately. Her counselor emphasized that this decision belonged to Emily alone and met with her parents to make clear they could not pressure her in any direction. Emily's parents respected this boundary and remained supportive of whatever she decided. When considering her options, Emily knew the birth father was also 16 and a great guy, but she didn't see a healthy lasting marriage in their future. She wanted her daughter to have a family strong in the gospel who could teach her about the Savior and the plan of salvation, and she wanted her daughter sealed to that family.

Spiritual Confirmation Through Choosing the Adoptive Family  

Emily's social worker gave her a stack of adoptive family profiles and asked her to narrow it down to two or three families. Reading through them, Emily felt every single family was amazing and deserved a baby. She also sensed there was one right family for her daughter and wanted to choose correctly. Emily noticed she kept leaning toward families with a little boy already because her older brother had been hugely supportive and protective during this difficult time. She wanted her daughter to have a big brother.

Emily narrowed her options to two families, each with a three-year-old son. When she asked her parents how to choose, they taught her about personal revelation by saying she would know which family kept coming to mind when lying in bed at night. Emily tested this guidance and found one picture kept appearing in her thoughts. Even when she tried to push that image away and think of the other family, it wouldn't work. The picture stayed stuck in her mind, and she recognized God was sending a message.

The face-to-face meeting with Bill, Denise, and three-year-old Billy provided confirmation beyond words. Emily felt like she already knew them, experiencing an instant family bond and trust. She describes feeling like she had one foot in heaven with the veil very thin between them. As they exchanged gifts, Emily realized she'd made her daughter a quilt and Denise had made her a fabric-covered photo album using the exact same baby print out of thousands of options across dozens of fabric stores. Research shows that birth mothers who feel spiritual confirmation about their adoption decision experience better emotional adjustment long-term.

The family asked if Emily had thought of any names for the baby. She assumed they would choose the name, but they wanted her input. Bill liked Sarah and Denise liked Elizabeth, so they considered Sarah Elizabeth. However, whenever they asked their son Billy what the baby's name would be, he insisted on Beth no matter what they suggested. When they opened the gift from Emily's grandmother, the inscription read Love Grandma Beth. Everyone started crying, realizing Billy was right and Beth was her name. This connection became even more special when Grandma Beth passed away about eighteen months later, and everyone felt she became Beth's guardian angel.

Placement Day and Six Months of Tears Without Doubt  

Emily felt very scared before delivery but found the experience went fairly smoothly despite a few complications. When she heard Beth's first cry, she felt instant love and sensed God's love for her daughter. Emily tried to stay present and not think about what was coming, holding onto precious moments with Beth. Family visited including Grandma Beth, cousins, and the birth father's family, making the hospital time special.

During one moment alone with the baby, the birth father suggested they could still keep her and he would step up. Emily had that temptation moment to change her mind but had received too many signs from God that adoption was the right path. When the time came to place Beth with her family at the agency, Emily requested to hand her daughter to her dad first. She placed Beth in Bill's arms, walked out the door, got in her parents' car, and cried the whole way home.

Emily cried probably for the next six months. She describes it as the most heartache and painful experience she ever had to go through and wouldn't wish it upon her worst enemy. On the darkest nights when she couldn't sleep, she never doubted her decision. She remained willing to make that sacrifice because she knew Beth was where she needed to be, and God gave her moments of peace that brought comfort. As The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches, spiritual guidance helps birth mothers navigate adoption decisions with confidence in God's plan.

Emily learned to separate Beth before placement from Beth after placement. When she received pictures and letters from the adoptive family, she felt overjoyed, happy, and grateful with peace and joy. But when she thought about their time in the hospital and how much she missed her baby, the heartache came. That first six months to a year involved a constant daily mix of peace and joy alongside heartache, grief, and loss. Emily had to trust that God was in charge of this journey and would help them through.

Building a Life and Unexpected Reunion Through Ancestry DNA  

A couple years after placement, Emily met her husband. They married in the Bountiful temple and had children together. The family moved out of state for about seven years, which felt like a fresh start. While Emily had shared stories about Beth frequently in Utah, she didn't tell anyone in their new location, not even closest friends. She's not exactly sure why, though she notes people are becoming more open about adoption in recent years. When they moved back to Utah, Emily and her husband told their children about Beth in case the topic came up.

Emily's husband had been understanding and supportive from the beginning. A couple weeks after they started dating, she told him about Beth, nervous he might judge her but knowing he had a strong testimony of the Savior. His first response was empathy, saying that must have been really hard. He wanted to know about Beth, looked at all the pictures and letters, and has been involved ever since. He loves Beth like a daughter despite never meeting her as a baby.

On Beth's 17th birthday, Emily felt impressed to write a letter checking in as Beth approached 18. She brought the letter to the agency and while walking away, she had the strongest feeling that stopped her in her tracks. Something big was happening, and she half expected to see Beth walk through the door. She also felt an overwhelming sense that God needed her to do something to help other birth mothers or adoptive families. A few days later while preparing to record her first song, Emily felt impressed to record and rewrite Beth's song she'd written years earlier.

At that same time, Emily's sister did Ancestry DNA because her adopted husband wanted to find his birth family. They discovered Beth on there, though Emily felt hesitant at first not knowing if Beth wanted contact. Her sister suggested that since Emily hadn't been receiving letters, maybe this was God's way of helping them find each other again. Emily reached out to Denise on Facebook with no pressure, just offering her information. Denise immediately responded, thrilled and excited, saying Beth had been wanting to meet Emily and hoped she could make it to her high school graduation just months away.

Full Circle Moment Singing at Beth's Wedding  

Emily and Beth started building their relationship through emails, both being cautious and slow-moving people. When they met in person, it felt like family with no time passed, just like the original face-to-face meeting 17 years earlier. Emily's husband attended along with Beth's parents, and Emily felt grateful seeing Beth as a beautiful, loving, smart, kind, and talented young woman with everything Emily had wanted for her.

Emily's husband says it's surreal looking at them together because Beth looks just like Emily did when they first met. They share similar personalities and musical talent, connecting deeply through music. Emily describes her relationship with Denise as amazing. Denise explains she doesn't feel jealous seeing Beth have special moments with Emily because Beth is God's child and He allowed both of them to be part of her life in different ways. Both roles are beautiful and important, with things each woman can provide that the other cannot. Together they make a beautiful team.

Beth asked Emily to sing at her wedding, an honor Emily never thought she would experience on earth. Every opportunity Beth gives her feels like a huge blessing. Two days before the wedding, Beth mentioned at a bridal shower that she was going dress shopping that evening because she didn't feel pretty in her current dress. Emily offered to go along with her daughter Kira, and they scrambled on Saturday night trying to find open bridal shops. Both their phones died because neither remembers to charge them, which Emily laughs about being genetic.

Emily randomly found a woman who rents wedding dresses out of her basement five minutes from her house. They showed up at 8pm, stayed for two hours, and Beth found the perfect dress that fit without alterations. Emily kept thinking about how she never imagined dress shopping with her daughter who she placed for adoption. At the wedding while singing their duet, time seemed to stand still. Emily and her husband both felt like they were witnessing a miracle, looking around wondering if anyone else saw what they were seeing.

Emily had flashbacks from 25 years earlier, wondering if God knew they would be there at that time and in that way. Maybe that's the peace He spoke to her soul. Maybe that's why she could make the decision and never doubt it, knowing Christ would somehow make it right. Emily doesn't claim to know how God works or how spirits work, but somehow her spirit knew it would all be okay.

Faith-Based Support for Birth Mother Decisions  

Emily's advice for young women facing similar decisions is simple. Trust your feelings and let God guide your life. She remembers being very scared, and in hindsight can say she knew, but it was a process. Little by little, God put things in her heart through feelings and thoughts that built up to her decision over time. Once she made the decision, He was quick to confirm it. Looking for moments when God is trying to speak and trusting those feelings matters because He knows you and will help guide you.

Emily emphasizes she could not have written a story this beautiful if she tried. God knows us, knows our hearts, knows what we need, and can see the beginning from the end. The experience has strengthened both Emily's and Beth's testimonies. Emily remains very close with Beth's adoptive parents, and after the wedding they all shared how beautiful the full circle moment was for everyone involved.

For birth mothers considering adoption or seeking support during pregnancy and placement, connecting with faith-based resources provides essential guidance. Visit eternalfamilyadoptions.org to access resources specifically designed for Latter-day Saint birth mothers navigating adoption decisions. Emily's story proves that with faith, family support, and trust in God's plan, birth mothers can experience peace through placement and the possibility of beautiful reunions when the time is right.