A loving couple who faced the devastating loss of their own child at birth have opened their home and their hearts to adopt a young child.

The Huddersfield couple, who can be identified only as Beverley and Martin, are now sharing their emotional journey to promote adoption.

There are currently 49 children in Kirklees seeking adoptive parents.

Beverley, 45, said: “Despite having gone through a healthy, full-term pregnancy there were complications, which sadly resulted in our son being still born.

“We’d discussed the possibility of adoption in the past but almost instantly wrote the idea off mainly because we thought we were too old to be considered.

“Also the past few years had been both physically and emotionally draining enough, without the prospect of what we thought could be a long, drawn out adoption process.

“Even then there were no guarantees we’d end up with a child and if we did, I wondered how well we’d bond with them given they wouldn’t be ours by birth.”

But in time the couple found their views on adoption changed and they wanted to find out more.

Beverley added: “We were surprised to discover that there is no upper age limit for adoption.

“We came away feeling quite enthusiastic and ready to take the next step so we were signed up for a three day course. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted and from that point on we never really looked back.

“What the adoption process did was help us to look at our past experiences in a different light. Rather than seeing them as a separate series of events, we were able to put everything together, draw a line under it all and move on.

“Bringing a child into the family has had a really positive impact on our family as a whole and I cherish every minute I have at home with my son until I go back to work later this year.”

Martin, 46, added: “Like us, I think that many people expect the adoption process will be long and intrusive.

“But in just four months from attending the workshop, we’d been approved at an adoption panel and actually matched with a child.

“Although it wasn’t always plain sailing, Beverley and I knew that the adoption process was essential in ensuring it was the right thing for us and the child. We were never made to feel under any pressure.”

This year Kirklees Council is aiming to place more than 50 children.

Those wishing to adopt must be over 21 but can be single, married, unmarried couples, divorcees or same sex couples.

They don’t have to have children, can follow any religion or none, come from any cultural background, own their own home or rent and be in work, self-employed or on benefits.

Clr Cath Harris, the council’s Cabinet member for children’s services, said there were fewer barriers to adoption than people realised.

An awareness drive last year found that many thought age, background or living arrangements could rule them out but Clr Harris said: “We are keen to address those concerns.

“There is no such thing as a typical adopter. People who successfully adopt with us reflect a broad spectrum of society and we assess people on their individual merits.”

To find out more see www.kirklees.gov.uk/adoption or ring 0800 028 3001.

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