Sadie and Jarvis Sampson tried for years to have a baby. They did everything they could think of, but eventually, they started to believe they might never become parents. They thought they might only ever be an aunt and uncle—until one day, they got a text that changed their lives overnight.
The couple had been trying to conceive since they got married in January 2018, but when it didn’t happen naturally, they tried everything else.
Sadie shared with *Love What Matters*: “We used ovulation tests, prenatal vitamins, cycle tracking apps, and fertility monitors. We even tried all the advice people gave us, like not trying so hard. For 14 months, we tried, prayed, and waited, but every month, the pregnancy tests came back negative. We started thinking we might need medical help, so we even talked to doctors about it.”
Unfortunately, the doctors didn’t offer much help. They mostly told Sadie that if she lost weight, she would have a better chance of conceiving. With no other options, Sadie decided to have gastric surgery and lost 28 pounds.
Sadie’s OBGYN was thrilled with her weight loss and told her how proud she was of her progress.
Sadie said, “The doctor told me if I wasn’t pregnant within six months, she would send me to a fertility specialist because she couldn’t give me fertility medication herself. I was so excited to hear that. It was the first time we got some hope instead of just being told no. We were thrilled to hear ‘not right now.’”
Unfortunately, even after losing weight, Sadie and Jarvis still didn’t get pregnant, and they felt like they were back at square one.
Sadie shared, “I always felt like I was meant to be a mother. My surgeon warned me that I would be very fertile after the surgery, but I still wasn’t getting pregnant. So, we gave up and thought we were only meant to be an aunt and uncle to our nieces and godparents to our goddaughters.”
Just when they had decided to stop trying to conceive, Sadie got a text from a friend asking if they would consider fostering a baby from a couple she knew.
The couple was unsure at first because a caseworker had asked them to take care of the baby while the birth mother got treatment. They were worried they might get too attached. But things quickly changed.
Sadie remembered the moment she found out she could adopt the baby: “I said ‘Holy crap!!’ out loud.” She was amazed at how quickly things had changed from not having any children to suddenly becoming parents.
She called her husband excitedly, “Babe!! They want us to adopt the baby! They want us to be parents!” He was shocked too, asking, “Really? I thought they just wanted us to foster him!” Sadie confirmed, “Nope! They want us to be his mom and dad.”
The couple spent the weekend trying to take in the news while also preparing in case the birth mother changed her mind. On Monday, they learned that the mother still wanted them to adopt the baby and was ready to sign the adoption papers right away.
Their baby boy was born seven weeks early, at just 33 weeks, weighing 4 lbs. 5 oz. Sadie said he was so tiny that he fit in one of her husband’s hands. “He was wrapped in a white blanket with pink and blue stripes and had a tube in his nose because he was too early to eat on his own. But he was absolutely adorable!”
The couple shared their news on social media and set up a registry. They listed 72 items, and within three days, 55 of them were bought for them.3
Ezra Lee’s adoption was finalized in October 2020, and the couple celebrated with cute family photos in t-shirts that said “families don’t have to match.”
In 2021, Sadie and Jarvis became parents to twin girls, Journee and Destinee, through embryo donation. Sticking to their motto, “Families don’t have to match,” this Black couple now has three white children—a boy and two girls.
When people judge their family, they have one simple answer: their family is built on the strongest foundation of all—love.
Such an inspiring story from a beautiful family who have a lot to teach the world. Please share.