Open adoption makes lifesaving difference

From nola.com, another story of a bone-marrow transplant needed by an adoptee, a mixed-race adoptee who would have difficulty finding a non-related donor -- this one happily a better ending than most because an open adoption made access to biologically related donors possible:

Jeff and Roxanne Tully have something special to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving holiday: the chance for their daughter Madison to have a long, healthy life.

“We’re thankful that God sent us a cure,” Roxanne said.

That cure came from Madison’s biological sister, Jasmin Thomas, 18, of Metairie, who donated her bone marrow to Madison in August.

“Jasmin is a special love of our family,” Jeff said.

This story begins in the summer of 1994, three months after the Tullys were accepted into the Volunteers of America adoption program. The adoption coordinator called to tell them a young pregnant woman had looked at their questionnaire and wanted to meet them. It was an open adoption program, where the birth mother chooses the adoptive parents. The baby’s birth mother chose them, and they brought Madison home to Destrehan that July.

I wrote about the Tullys and their beautiful baby daughter when Madison was 9 weeks old. Jeff and Roxanne wanted to share their joy with the world and let people know about open adoption.

“Everyone keeps saying what a lucky little girl Madison is, but we’re the ones who are blessed,” Jeff said the day I first met them.

At that time, they had no idea what a blessing the open adoption would be 16 years later, when it would make a lifesaving difference for their family.

I've blogged before about adoptees and transplants here.