ONTARIO ADOPTION PROFILE - CATHERINE

CONTACTS:

I would be thrilled to hear from you. Please contact me directly at:
Email:  catherineadopts@yahoo.ca

If you prefer, you can also contact my Adoption Practitioner, Angela Al-Hillal:
phone: 416-466-1046
email: angela.alhillal095@sympatico.ca

Hello!

Becoming a parent through adoption would be a wonderful gift. I love children and I dream of becoming a Mom. I realize that for as much as I am excited about becoming a parent; I can only imagine how you are feeling as you embark on your journey to choose a family and a home for your child. I imagine that at times the magnitude of making this very important decision, weighing your choices and options about what you feel is best for your child may seem at times overwhelming. I appreciate you taking the time to read my letter. I hope that it will help you get to know me.

I am a very genuine, happy person with a fun-loving spirit and sense of humour. One thing that people notice about me right away is my smile. I value honesty, integrity, compassion and humanitarianism and have tried to live my life by these principles. My friends and family would describe me as a warm, kind, emotionally sensitive, patient, giving and nurturing person. While I have approached life with a sense of adventure, sought opportunities to explore the world, meet new people and experience different cultures; my life has always been characterized by stability and responsibility.

Traveling the world, I always return to my roots, my family and friends. I grew up in Toronto and still live in the same family centered neighbourhood. I have maintained long-standing close friendships with people I have known since elementary, high school and university. My family has always been my anchor and continues to play an important part in my life. I have close relationships with my younger brother, my parents and my niece. We get together regularly for family events and Sunday brunch. The person I have become is due in large part to the stability, unconditional love, support and guiding influence I received growing up from my parents and my grandparents. My parents instilled values that emphasized the importance of respect, consideration for others, education, and giving back to the community.

For many years, children have been part of my personal and professional life; I have been touched by their lives and stories and learned important lessons from them. However, holding my niece in my arms when she was 12 hours old was a defining moment in my life that has profoundly impacted me in my journey to become a parent. She is now 2 years old and it brings me great joy seeing her personality develop, her curiosity grow as she learns new words and skills. I love her smile, the mischievous sparkle in her eyes and her contagious laughter. When we play and read together it is easy to see we share a strong, special bond.

I was fortunate to have been able to pursue my education through attending university. My years away at University were a time of personal growth, as I gained independence and learned a lot about myself. I completed 2 undergraduate degrees and a Masters degree. When choosing my career path, social work seemed like a good fit with my values and interests. My education prepared me for my career path; I have a wonderful job working full time as a medical social worker in a teaching hospital. I am financially stable with secure employment, benefits and generous vacation time. While I enjoy my job and work hard, I have found a healthy work/life balance. I have flexibility within my work schedule and I am ready and able to make parenting my most important priority. I am very healthy, energetic person who plans to be an active, involved parent.

My home is a 2 storey, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom condominium located in a low rise, boutique building on a quiet cul-de-sac street. The building is set amongst trees, flower gardens and a waterfall. It is located in a well established, safe, family centered neighbourhood, close to excellent public and private schools, parks, libraries, child care and community centers offering children's programming.

I have learned many life lessons finding myself traveling in remote corners of the world immersing myself in different cultures and the traditions of local people. My travel experiences have taught me contentment with small things as offering small kindnesses can positively impact people in ways I will never know. I am interested in global health and my travels have taken me on journeys of a lifetime with my international volunteer work in Guatemala and Ecuador. In Guatemala, I learned Spanish while I volunteered at a hospital for the poor in a malnutrition program for infants and young children. I have to say that I loved those children like they were my own. Ecuador also has a special place in my heart. I volunteered for two years with a Canadian medical team, translating medical consultations from Spanish to English (and the reverse). The team offers free orthopedic surgeries to children and adults. I met many wonderful children and families. I developed a close relationship with an Ecuadorian family who are now part of our extended family. I have become an honorary aunt and my parents honorary grandparents to two wonderful children.

My passion for photography has given me the lens through which to see the world. I document the life and culture of people that I meet along the way through my photography. Creating images gives me a unique perspective on the world; it allows me to express my creative side. I love the small details that most people miss, the soft light of the morning, the calmness of nature, and the patience to capture the moment and get the right shot.

The life experiences that I have gained from traveling and volunteering around the world have definitely contributed to shaping my outlook on life and influencing the person that I am today and the parent that I hope to be.

Pursuing parenthood is important to me, so important in fact, that after careful consideration I made a decision to be a single mother by choice. Being faced with infertility has not changed my desire to be a parent, nor the love I have to share with your child. I am at a place in my life to be child focused. I can provide your child with a warm, loving and secure home environment. I will nurture and love your child devoting attention and time to creating a positive child centered environment. I am part of a strong community of trusted friends and family who support me in my desire to be a parent through adoption; your child will be welcomed and embraced by this community.

I am excited about being an active, involved parent. I am prepared and able to make parenting my priority. I believe that parenting is about interweaving love and respect to create a safe environment where your child can explore and learn surrounded by a consistent structure with firm, fair limits to teach and guide behaviour. I do not agree with nor would ever use physical discipline.

I believe in education and creating opportunities for self-discovery by making learning fun through exploration, and experience. I would introduce your child to different cultures, books, music, travel, museums and art galleries. I love to read and look forward to sharing moments reading to your child. Some of my fondest childhood memories are cuddling up beside my parents reading a book.

I value family, friendship, loyalty, kindness and being part of a community. I would raise your child as part of our family to feel unconditional love, acceptance, respect and support so that your child will grow up with self-esteem and self-confidence. I would nurture a parent/child relationship that is based on open, honest, and non-judgmental communication. I believe that it is important for your child's development to know you from an early age. I would ensure that knowledge about adoption is integrated as part of your child's life. I would look forward to discussing more about what open adoption means to you.

I realize that considering an adoption plan for your child is an immeasurable act of love. I wish you well on your journey to choose an adoptive family that you feel is right for your child. Should you wish to speak with me further about my letter; I would be pleased to hear from you. I can be reached via email at catherineadopts@yahoo.ca.

Sincerely,
Catherine