Mountain Brook couple grows family through embryo adoption

MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. —

While the holidays can be a joyous time for families, it can be difficult for those struggling with infertility. If that's you, a Mountain Brook couple wants to offer up hope.

Rodney and Mary Leah Miller will be celebrating their first Thanksgiving since adopting twins. But this is no typical adoption because Mary Leah actually gave birth to the babies.
And now they want everyone to understand how embryo adoption works.

Dad, Rodney said, “They're just so fun. They just bring so much joy to our household, to our family.”

The Millers appreciate every giggle, every tear and every dirty diaper. After 10 years of struggling with infertility, they are now a family of four. Over the years, they tried every imaginable treatment, but nothing worked. Then, they heard about embryo adoption.

“That was the first time in a long time we had hope that this was going to work out, that we were not only going to have a family and children, but Mary Leah would be able to experience a pregnancy like we were both very excited about that,” Rodney Miller said.

Mary Leah added to Rodney's statement, saying, “I realized that this was our path forward, and this was what we were being led to do.”

Now, twins Dalton and Mary Elizabeth fill their home and hearts with joy. And they are on a mission to bring awareness and hope to other couples who dream of having this same happy ending.

“They actually turn 11 months old tomorrow on Thanksgiving. So I just-- I mean, I can't think of just a better Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for anyway. But we really have a lot to be thankful for this year,” Mary Leah said.

The holidays will be that much sweeter in the Miller home, but their journey isn't over yet. They adopted five embryos.

“We have three more frozen that are waiting, waiting for us to give them a chance. And we will. So, we're not done,” Rodney said.

The Millers say the cost is about the same as a round of IVF, and just like IVF, there are no guarantees that every embryo will result in a successful pregnancy. They say not to let the cost deter you from investigating this possibility because there are grants available from many agencies to help pay for the process for those families who qualify.

For more information about the embryo adoption process, visit Snowflakes or the Embryo Adoption Awareness Center.