Eternal Family Adoptions

Jennifer and Alexander faced infertility with less than 5% chance of IVF success. After difficult experiences with foster care where they felt judged for their religious beliefs, they found Heart to Heart Adoptions. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, host Donna Pope sits down with Jennifer and Alexander to explore how two devastating failed matches prepared them for the adoption tha...

Jennifer and Alexander faced infertility with less than 5% chance of IVF success. After difficult experiences with foster care where they felt judged for their religious beliefs, they found Heart to Heart Adoptions. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, host Donna Pope sits down with Jennifer and Alexander to explore how two devastating failed matches prepared them for the adoption that was...

In this episode of Choosing Adoption with host Donna Pope, birth parents Kaylee and Elijah sit alongside adoptive parents Paul and Cassie with baby Seth to share their adoption story together. This rare conversation reveals what happens when both families commit to building an open adoption relationship from day one. Finding the Right Family Kaylee and Elijah were extremely selective about who wou...

Erin Thomas grew up with a unique perspective on adoption. Her mother was the oldest of five adopted children, and as a child, Erin would look around at school wondering if any of her classmates were her biological cousins. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions with host Donna Pope, Erin shares her worries she had while growing up. Even as the daughter of an adoptee, she experienced the same...

In this episode, Troy shares his journey through a closed adoption, growing up LDS in a home marked by domestic violence, and the complex feelings that came with wanting to search for his birth parents while fearing it would hurt his adoptive family. His story takes us through his work in drug rehabilitation where he first recognized his own trauma, and the therapy that helped him accept his ident...

Brett and Bonnie Hilton have been married for 34 years and are parents to nine children. Four quadruplets born at 24 weeks through surrogacy passed away shortly after birth. Five children joined their family through adoption, including two domestic infants, two sisters from Ukraine, and a special needs baby who lived briefly. Bonnie was born without a uterus and learned this at age 14, a painful d...

Emily was 16 when she discovered she was pregnant. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and said they would get through it together. After praying and seeking guidance, Emily felt adoption was the right path for her daughter. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, host Donna Pope explores Emily's journey from placement at 16 through an unexpected reunion 17 years later that led to singing...

Shawn Rapier and his wife, Vanessa, never planned to adopt but changed their minds when two siblings needed a home. After Shawn asked God a crucial question, they began a journey that led to adopting six children through foster care and having two biological kids. The answer launched a journey that brought eight children (six through foster care adoption and two biological) into what they affectio...

StartFragment Kaylee Anglesey was 19 years old and attending BYU-Idaho when she discovered her pregnancy. Her parents' immediate response of love and support without pressure became the foundation for her birth mother's decision-making journey. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, host Donna Pope sits down with Kaylee to explore her experience speaking with 12 different adoptive families,...

Continuing from Part 1 of the Hamilton family's adoption journey... In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam conclude Brett and Emily Hamilton adoption story as they navigate life with daughter Leilani and build an open relationship with her birth family. The Hamiltons share how Leilani fits perfectly into their family like a puzzle piece that was always me...

In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions , host Donna Pope sits down with Brett and Emily Hamilton whose adoption journey began after experiencing three heartbreaking stillbirths, including their son Jason . Emily shares how God placed adoption on her heart long before their losses, leading them through international adoption attempts and eventually to domestic adoption with Heart to Heart Adop...

StartFragment Continuing from Part 1 of the Cole family's adoption journey. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam conclude the Cole family's adoption story as they face 14 more rejections before experiencing a miraculous turnaround. Picking up from Part 1's heartbreaks, Brandon and Bethany share how they endured months of waiting with Heart to Heart Adop...

In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam meet Brandon and Bethany Cole, missionaries serving in West Africa whose adoption dreams turned into a four-year nightmare of setbacks and heartbreak. After a discouraging lawyer told them no birth mother would choose a family living in dangerous Mali, they pursued international adoption only to face corruption, medi...

In this continuation of our conversation with Derek Williams on Eternal Family Adoptions, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam dive deeper into the complex legal and financial realities of modern adoption. Derek reveals the shocking truth about adoption costs, including his first $100,000 adoption case, and explains how families can still adopt for under $10,000 through direct connections. You'll...

On this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions with hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam, Derek Williams was studying 18 hours a day for the bar exam when he got the call - his future daughter would be born in just three weeks. As an adoption attorney who has helped hundreds of families, Derek shares his own journey of building a family through two open adoptions with LDS Family Services. His daughte...

In this continuing episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, Hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam, Dr. Holly Richardson continues to share her extraordinary journey of adopting 20 children from seven countries spanning two decades. Dr Holly reveals the unvarnished truth about international adoption, special needs children, and long-term realities that adoption agencies rarely discuss. Talking about her...

In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, Hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam meet Dr. Holly Richardson, who alongside her husband created one of the largest international adoption families in history - 24 children total, with 20 adopted from eight different countries including Romania, Kazakhstan, Russia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and more. Holly shares the spiritual experiences that guided each a...

When LDS Family Services stopped providing adoption services in 2014, something unexpected happened - the number of Latter-day Saint adoptions plummeted by two-thirds. In this inaugural episode, Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam tackle the three main barriers preventing LDS families from adopting: not knowing how to start, financial concerns, and fears about loving a non-biological child. Donna share...

Eternal Family Adoptions explores the sacred journey of building forever families through faith-centered adoption. Host Donna Pope, Executive Director of Heart To Heart Adoptions, brings 25+ years of experience to every conversation, alongside co-host Nathan Gwilliam, founder and former CEO of Adoption.com. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share their stories of divine gu...