Welcome to the official website of the 3rd annual Krygiel/Daley adoption challenge!
Inspired by the success of our previous two campaigns, we are once again reaching out to help another family finalize their adoption by sponsoring a grant through the Gift of Adoption Fund. Please consider joining us in this loving and extremely rewarding endeavor.
The Family
Of the 650 adoption grants that have been awarded by the Gift of Adoption over the years, this one is truly unique. It will help twin sisters Melissa and Melinda finalize their adoptions of Kiera and Leah, twin sisters themselves.
Kiera and Leah are 2½ years old and have been in Melissa and Melinda’s care since birth. They tested positive for cocaine when they were born and Leah has since been diagnosed with Turner’s syndrome, but Melissa and Melinda describe the girls as bright and happy and say that they love to read, dance and even help with the dishes and cleaning.
Melissa and Melinda were approached about adopting the girls while the birth-mother was still pregnant. The mother had already given birth to six other children (none of whom had remained in her care) and it was clear that a loving, stable home would need to be found for the twins. While the request to adopt the girls came very much as a surprise, Melissa and Melinda knew that they had to act.
Their first year together had to come through a temporary foster arrangement, after which Melissa and Melinda immediately began their petition to legally adopt Kiera and Leah. However, they hit a major roadblock when the birth-mother (who had made no contact with the girls in over a year) refused to fully terminate her parental rights, leading to an 18-month legal battle. The legal issues have since been resolved, but a mountain of legal bills must now be overcome before the adoption becomes final.
Melissa and Melinda had saved diligently throughout their adoption journey but were eventually forced to exhaust their savings and 401(k), sell a car and other personal items, and apply for various loans. They have managed to come up with nearly $35,000, but even that is roughly $7,500 short of the total costs. A grant from the Gift of Adoption will close that gap and cover the final expenses, making it possible for Kiera and Leah to remain in the only home they have ever known.
Our Challenge
Being blessed with 2-year-old twins of our own, our family has been especially touched by this story. Seeing the special relationship that our girls are developing inspires us to do whatever we can to help ensure that the special relationship between Melissa, Melinda, Kiera and Leah can remain intact.
As such, our goal this year is to raise $7,500 -- enough money to sponsor this entire grant.
We realize this is an aggressive goal; it’s about twice the amount that we raised in past years. Nevertheless, we are very much inspired to see that this grant gets funded and that these girls will remain in their home. To make that happen, our family is committing to match all other donations that are made on behalf of these girls until we reach our goal. Between your family and ours, we can help ensure that this family remains intact, forever!
To participate in this campaign, donations can be made directly through this website, or by calling the Gift of Adoption national office at (877) 905-2367. Not only are donations tax-deductible, but all funds raised through this campaign will go directly to fund this grant.
Thank You
Thank you for joining us in another “adoption challenge.” By making a donation here you can make a very real, direct and immediate impact on the lives and futures of these two little girls. What a wonderful and amazing gift; one that will last a lifetime.
With hope and in gratitude,
The Krygiel/Daley Family
Jeff, Deb, Turner, Macie, Josie, Laney and Kate