The Hart family

A photo taken of Jilliann in celebration of her first birthday in early March. LAPEER TWP. — Gina Hart sits at her kitchen table and starts to talk.

But before a single word comes out of her mouth, her eyes fill with tears. She is overcome and gets up from her seat, running to grab a tissue. As she does so she motions to her husband, Bill, to continue the story.

The story is the story of how a loving couple, who wanted nothing more than to become parents, and a brave teenager, wanting nothing more than to give her child a good life, found each other and became a family.

Gina and Bill Hart, of Lapeer Township, met in the late 1990s at respiratory school. They married in 1997. Eager to grow their family, the couple began trying to conceive, but when Gina was diagnosed with endometriosis and had to undergo a complete hysterectomy at the age of 31, the couple was devastated and their dreams of having a baby were put on hold.

Bill Hart, Jessica Brown, Gina and Jilliann Hart in the Hart family’s home. Photos by Emily Caswell “It took me a good seven years to get over it,” said Gina.

Then one day, to Bill’s surprise, Gina came home from work and announced she was ready to add a baby to their family. And so, the couple began looking into adoption.

After hearing stories of mothers who change their minds, or fathers who come out of nowhere to claim custody of the child, Gina said she had no desire to do a domestic adoption. The idea scared her. Instead the couple began to research foreign adoption.

They found an adoption agency in Arizona that specialized in international adoptions and began working with them. In 2007 the Harts attended an informational meet and greet picnic with agency representatives and the many couples, and their adopted children, the agency had paired. It was a positive experience.

Jilliann plays at her home earlier this month. “We signed up right then,” said Bill. Photo provided

The couple, who both work as respiratory therapists, had no savings, instead they worked overtime and sent every single extra penny they had to the agency in hopes of getting their baby.

As part of the process Gina and Bill were subjected to many home visits and asked to convert a guest room into a nursery. They did, filling it was a crib, changing table and painting fairies on the wall after they received news they would be adopting a little girl.

Then something horrible happened.

While in an online chat room discussing her pending adoption, Gina heard from another woman that the agency the Harts were working with was going out of business. A few phone calls later and the Harts’ worst fears were confirmed.

Jilliann enjoys her birthday cake on her first birthday. Photo provided The agency was gone, and along with it the $17,000 they had invested into their adoption.

Immediately, the couple hired an attorney. A case is still pending.

In the meantime, they were back to square one.

Soon after the adoption fell through, a friend offered to be a surrogate for the couple. Excited with the idea, the couple got $4,000 into medical testing before finding out it wasn’t going to work out.

“I was at the point where I was giving up,” said Gina.

Trying to carry on with their lives, Bill threw Gina a 40th birthday party soon after.

“We moved on,” he said. “(We’d had) a couple of blows, (spent) a lot of money ... We just felt like that was it.”

At the party Gina remembers telling friends and family that she was going to be happy without a baby.

But then, life took a turn. A few days after her birthday party a friend showed up at Gina and Bill’s house. She told Gina to sit down and said she had something to tell Gina, adding, “I don’t know what you’re going to think of it.”

Gina’s friend said what she had to say and handed Gina a phone number.

And then, Gina made a call that would change their lives forever.

On Valentine’s Day 2009, The Harts met Jessica Brown, of Owendale.

Jessica, a high school

student, was

eight months pregnant.

Saying she wanted to give her a baby a better life than she knew she could provide, Jessica had been searching for the right couple since she found out she was expecting.

“I always felt it was the right thing,” she said.

When she met the Harts, she knew she could stop looking.

Jessica, who said she is not much of a hugger, said when Gina wrapped her arms around her it felt “comfortable.”

“(I) was looking for the perfect little family,” she said. “It just clicked.”

Despite her previous reservations about domestic adoption, especially an open one, Gina said it felt right.

“Once we saw her,” she said. “I looked at Bill and I said ‘this is good’ ... We couldn’t believe how mature Jessi was for 16.”

The Harts and Jessica talked for hours, about everything, most importantly baby Jilliann, who was due in just one short month.

When the couple left Jessica, Gina got on the phone to a lawyer. They had found their baby.

Given the short time line, the Harts had a home visit and emergency guardianship papers were drawn up.

Gina began attending birthing classes with Jessica and the nursery, which Gina had shut the door to months before, was once again being brought to life with new bedding, baby clothes and more.

While it was a great time of excitement for the Harts, it was also a nervous time. Gina couldn’t kick the feeling that Jessica might change or mind.

“I was really worried,” admits Gina.

But Jessica kept assuring her she wasn’t going to change her mind.

“There was no way,” said Jessica. “This is final.”

And soon enough Jilliann Kay (Kay after Jessica’s mom who passed away from cancer when Jessica was 11 years old) was born March 1.

The Harts brought her home just one day later.

Being thrown into parenthood, especially the sleepless nights, was a bit shocking for Gina and Bill, but the couple said they wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

“You can anticipate it, but you don’t know until you have it,” said Bill of being a dad.

And while the Harts are learning, Jessica has also been there every step of the way. While lawyers suggested drawing up a contact with the birth mother (Jilliann’s birth father signed off all rights), the Harts said they wanted it to be much more informal, Jessica visits about once a month and tells Jilliann to call her Aunt Jessi.

For her first Mother’s Day gift, Jessica wrote Gina a birth mother’s story.

“It’s been great,” said Gina. “We almost feel like she (Jessica) is our daughter ... She’s family.”

Jilliann’s adoption was final on October 9 and the Harts, along with Jessica helped Jilliann celebrate her first birthday recently.

For Bill and Gina having a baby sometimes still feels surreal.

“I still wake up some mornings (and) can’t believe it,” said Bill. “We wanted it so bad.”

Jessica said she doesn’t look at giving Jilliann up for adoption as a loss. If anything, she said, she has expanded her family. In giving Jilliann to the Harts Jessica said she made the lives of four people — her’s, Jilliann’s, Bill’s and Gina’s — better.

“I know I did (the right thing),” said Jessica. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Bill agrees.

“It’s not about losing anything, it’s about gaining everything,” he said.

As far as other couples out there trying to add to

their family,

the Harts say to never give up hope.

“Keep working at it,” said Bill.

As someone who was once closed off to the idea of domestic adoption, Gina said she’s changed.

“You have to be open to anything that comes your way,” she said.

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