A woman who was told she would not be able to have more children has been on a "magical" journey adopting twin girls.
After Helen had her first son when she was 25, she was told she may not be able to have any more children due to her health. And following major surgery at the age of 29, the chances of her having any more of her own children were extremely slim.
But when her son reached the age of 14, the family decided that her now-husband Andrew would adopt him as his own. And back in 2017, the family decided to open up their home, and their hearts, to children who needed it.
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With the blessing of their teenage son, the Merseyside couple began an adoption journey in 2017. The process was delayed when Helen's dad died, but the pair welcomed twin girls into their homes on August 18, 2018.
Helen, who works in education, told the ECHO: "When we got married we were already 40 and Andrew had never had children. We asked our son and decided adopting him was something we could look at.
"At that time he was 14 but we did it a few years later. Then we looked at adopting others. We did think if we should upend our lives but after sitting down we decided it would be a good thing.
"Because our son was older, we decided to adopt a sibling group so they wouldn't be alone. The twins were four when they came to us so we didn't have to go back to the baby stage. They've been in the system for a little while. With our son being older we knew we wanted older children."
In what marked National Adoption Week this week, Helen and Andrew shared their journey in the hopes of encouraging others to do similar. Adoption in Merseyside (AiM) has revealed there are currently 23 children in sibling groups across Merseyside waiting to be adopted.
With over 50% of children waiting for loving families being part of a sibling group, AiM is struggling to find suitable families for siblings. There is a range of things to consider when it comes to adopting siblings, this includes having the space to accommodate more than one child and also meeting their needs.
Helen added: "The process was easy but intrusive but we appreciate they want to make the criteria right for kids with traumatic backgrounds so we were more than happy to answer any question. The first part is about your living situation and finances and the second part is asking about your own childhood.
"It makes you reflect on things you don't usually think about. It's a good system but be sure you want to do it. There's support there afterwards if you need it. With my husband being a mental health nurse and me being in education we have a lot of experience but there is a support network there.
"The girls have come on so much. I couldn't now imagine not being a mum-of-three. I think adopting older kids, it is a bit more difficult because there isn't that blank slate, you need to be aware of what they've been through and it can be more difficult but they come with their own little personalities and you can build on that.
"Our kids fitted in so well, people know they're adopted but they say the girls look like my son or have my traits. They know they are adopted but know they are our daughters.
Being the "hardest but most magical" decision, the girls are now thriving in their new home and have "flourished". They enjoy different activities such as ballet and horse riding but their shared experience of adoption "will always be part of their life history".
Helen said: "It's the best thing we've ever done. It's a tough but rewarding journey so make sure you're 100% committed. Definitely speak to family about it, make sure you've got a support network around you and be open minded.
"Some people think kids are just taken away but they aren't. There's usually a good reason for that so people need to make sure they haven't got any pre-conceived ideas and be aware the process will pick every part of your life. It's definitely worth it though."
Andrew, who works for the NHS, added: “The process was intense, I found it hard as I had to explain about my childhood and life experiences. Helen found it a lot easier than me. I totally understand the reasons why now, as our girls need constant love and attention to ensure they feel secure."
More information on adoption can be found here.
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