CONTACTS:

We look forward to hearing from you. You may contact us any time:
Email: brucencecilia@yahoo.ca
Please call us collect at:
Tel: (416)620-0847

You can also contact our Adoption Practitioner, Josefina Campbell:
Tel: (613)968-5350
Email: josefina@magma.ca

Hi,

I bet you’re wondering how you got here in the first place. I know I am as I sit down to write this letter. Life sure takes us to unexpected places, doesn’t it? My hope is that you and I can take this leg of the journey together and find peace and happiness at the end. A rainbow and the lucky charms elf wouldn’t hurt either!

My name is Cecilia and the cute guy next to me in the pictures is my husband Bruce. We have been married for 3 years and have been trying to have a baby for the last two years. Like you, our lives have taken many turns and some have been disappointing, however, we are happy that adoption is now on the horizon.

About B & C

Bruce and I met 5 years ago through mutual friends. Our amazingly giving friends decided to cook and serve a meal at a homeless shelter and invited us to help out. I had soup duty and Bruce had pasta duty, in between servings the sparks flew.

We dated for 2 years, in which time Bruce kept me hooked with chocolate, his brainy personality and his kind gentle heart.

After our wedding we settled into a great neighbourhood in Toronto. Not too far from the action (I’m a city girl) and surrounded by lots of green space (Bruce grew up in the country) close to nature. We have a 3 bedroom house which is a short walking distance from great schools and parks. In the summer time we like to spend time in the backyard barbequing and swimming in the pool.

We love to travel and explore new places but also enjoy cuddling on the couch and watching TV. We are big Amazing Race fans! Family is hugely important to us, we both grew up in large families and we often enjoy hosting or visiting our families.

The 411 on Cecilia

My family and I emigrated from Bolivia in South America when I was 10. I grew up with 3 brothers and a sister, my fondest memories as a child was wrestling with my brothers and jumping rope with my sister. I’ve always had a close relationship with my siblings and to this day we are tight.

I attended an all girls’ Catholic high school and gave my mom lots of grey hairs during my teenage years.

I received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto and currently have a senior position at one of the banks in downtown Toronto. I enjoy going to the gym and relaxing with a good book. My family is big on celebrating birthdays, first communions, graduations and all the holidays. I still remember all the wonderful times I had as a kid during those get togethers, it’s a tradition that we keep very much alive for all my nephews and nieces.

Once in a while during our family get togethers, we break out the Salsa tunes and everyone shakes their booty.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my life is the volunteer work I do with Birthright, a non-judgmental, pregnancy service which helps women distressed by an unplanned pregnancy. It is a humbling experience and a great privilege to provide friendship and emotional support to a woman or girl in need.

What Bruce Has to Say...

Cecilia is a very smart, good person with a strong focus on doing the right thing while enjoying life at the same time! Cecilia loves to laugh and makes sure that she always makes the time to spend with our nephews and nieces.

The question, whenever there is a get together, from the kids is ‘Is Tia (Aunt) Cecilia coming?’ Cecilia has never missed one of her nieces’ birthday in spite of the fact that they now live 1500 kilometers away!

Cecilia is a great listener, always there to help me through a rough day or share in the happiness of a good one. Cecilia can quickly make sense out of situations that seem confusing to most people, with family, at work and importantly, at home. As the youngest child of a large family, Cecilia not only listens but is respected when she speaks with her gift of clarity, as everyone feels they were ‘heard’ and that she understands. I know this quality will make Cecilia a great mom!

A Little About Bruce

Well you have heard a few words from Cecilia so let me squeeze a word or two in about myself. I grew up with a family that had 8 in all, with six kids comprising of 5 boys and one girl.

We had fun growing up with enough for our own baseball team (well almost). I grew up in the country and was taught the value of family and work from a young age, we had a 1 acre vegetable garden, a cat, a dog and chickens!

Along with my brothers and sister, I learned to respect others from a young age. I still keep in touch with friends I made in high school and university and very much value their thoughts and views. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics.

I am currently a Product Manager, I love creating new things which people need. I like to share with the community, currently by volunteering with the Red Cross. My time spent teaching Junior Achievement about finances to grade eight kids was heart warming as I felt I was helping them reach for their maximum potential.

The most enjoyable time for me includes throwing a baseball with my nephews or nieces or watching a game in hopes of catching a souvenir.

I relish watching a sunrise (I’m the early bird and Cecilia is the night owl), listening to the rain and the smell of homemade soup on the stove. These are the sort of little ‘wonders of life’ that I will share with my child.

What Cecilia Has to Say...

Bruce makes friends in the check out line at the supermarket! He is outgoing, friendly and would give the shirt off his back if asked to. One of the qualities that I admire the most about Bruce is his patience.

He is a good balance to my Latino passion! He has a kind demeanor and a great sense of humour. Bruce is the favourite uncle to many of our nieces and nephews, he is the ultimate playmate, never says no to a game of monopoly! Yet in between the fun and laughter he manages to instill some great life lesson that the kids always remember.

Many of our friends often seek Bruce’s advice on finances. He loves to help people make the most of their means.

Bruce is a dedicated son who makes weekly visits to his parents. It’s heartwarming to see how caring he is with his mom and dad, it’s one of the reasons I love him and know he’ll be a great dad.

You, Your Baby and Us

The most important thing that we have learned through our adoption journey is that we all need to focus on creating the best life experience for your child. Part of that experience means developing a relationship with you that is based on understanding and respect. We will honour your decision on an open or semi-open adoption. This will not be an easy journey and we’ll all experience many emotions along the way. Know that there is no right or wrong way to feel, but that your decision was made out of love. Know that we will always treasure you for that and in time so will this child. This is our commitment to you.

We will continue to create a home filled with love, laughter and joy and the occasional adventure. We feel that it is important to have one parent at home until the child goes to school and are committed to making this a reality for our child.

Our parents taught us the importance of an education, the value of family and to believe in our potential. These are lessons that we will pass on to our children. From our life experiences, our children will learn responsibility, compassion, to respect all people equally and to celebrate their culture. Trilingual Scrabble, Bag pipe playing and salsa dancing may be in the cards!

Our children will be blessed with the love of many aunts, uncles and cousins. Aunts and uncles, who come from many professional backgrounds, will guide and support them throughout their lives. They will be the apples in their grandparents’ eyes.

Now you know a little bit about us, we look forward to chatting with you over ice cream sundaes (or whatever works) in the hopes of sharing many more in the future.

Our deepest gratitude,
Cecilia and Bruce