Heartbroken woman placed her son for adoption —then his new family asked her to be a huge part of his life

Choosing adoption is a deeply emotional decision, often balancing the pain of parting with the hope of giving a child a better life. Schauna Austin faced this heart-wrenching choice when she gave birth to her son at just 20 years old. Though she placed him for adoption, Austin remained a part of his journey thanks to his adoptive parents, who embraced her as family, reports CBS News.

Austin shared that she named her son Riley and held him close for 72 uninterrupted hours after his birth. "It was perfect," she said. "I knew I would have him for a short time, so I made every minute count of it. I didn't sleep for three days." The child was adopted by another family, and they named him Steven. In closed adoptions, the identities of the adoptive and biological parents remain confidential.

Jennifer Schoebinger, Steven's adoptive mother, told the outlet, "It was like, 'OK, this is the way it should be. She was part of our family.'" She asserted that neither she nor her husband, Chris Schoebinger, were interested in excluding the biological mother. She added, "You know, you can't have too many people loving you, right? Why couldn't he be both of ours?" As a result, they sent Austin stacks of photos and bound books every year describing Steven's big and little accomplishments. The Schoebingers claimed they did this so that Austin and their kid could take up where they left off whenever they were ready.

When Steven turned 7, his parents decided it was the right time to introduce him to his biological mother. From that moment, Steven and Austin formed a special bond, creating cherished memories together. Austin even taught him how to fish, a tradition they continue to share. Austin said, "I was blessed beyond words." Steven added, "I kind of got the best of both worlds, for sure." 

Now 26, Steven is married and a father himself. He named his child Riley after the name he was given by Austin. Chris said, "I think the lesson we learned is that sometimes we create barriers where barriers don't need to be. And when we pull down those barriers, we really find love on the other side." 

In another emotional adoption story, Deanna Shrodes, an ordained minister who was adopted as a baby, found her father 56 years after she was adopted. At 27, Shrodes connected with her biological mother, Sally King, and they developed a deep relationship. However, King passed away in 2019 but never revealed the identity of Shrodes' biological father. Shrodes made her own independent search for him. She just knew two things about him: that he is Greek and that he is from Richmond, Virginia. Shrodes joined several DNA registries and set up a Facebook group with friends and volunteers in an effort to track out the man. 

She received a DNA match with a cousin she was unaware of in May of this year, putting an end to her quest. The cousin disclosed that her father is Gus Nicholas, age 92. He was in a nursing home and Shrodes met him and developed an instant connection. She now visits him regularly and cares for him towards the end of his life.

This article originally appeared 1 year ago.