Krystal and Justin Fones, both 34, have 6- and 3-year-old biological daughters, and hoped to adopt a third child at some point years down the road.
But in the spring of 2015, that plan accelerated. Krystal learned that one of her family members was pregnant and was planning to pursue adoption. The birth mother’s baby ― a girl ― had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome in utero, and she knew she was not prepared to raise her.
Krystal and Justin didn’t hesitate.
“There was no thinking about this,” Krystal told The Huffington Post. “My heart was immediately there.”
She and Justin threw themselves into the adoption process ― something about which they knew almost nothing, they said. In June 2015, after a whirlwind process, the couple flew from California to North Carolina to attend the birth of their third baby girl.
Jessie Fultz, a North Carolina-based birth and family photographer, was on hand to capture the occasion. Although the hospital ultimately did not allow her in the operating room during the birth mother’s C-section, she was present immediately after. The emotional photos she captured provide an intimate peek at that incredible moment when a family grows in size and love.
What I felt, during the C-section, was a strong sense of peace. It's funny, I know a lot of the time the birth mother was wanting to take care of my feelings, and I was wanting to take care of her feelings. The room was so sterile and cold, and the doctors were chit-chatting and doing their thing. I was sitting there next to her holding her hand and making sure that she was OK. I didn't have a C-section with either of our older girls, so I didn't know what to expect.
They checked her vitals, and everything was perfect, and then they started wheeling her away to clean her up and everything. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Do I stay with this woman who has just done this incredible thing, or do I go with the baby? I must have looked like a deer in headlights, because I looked back at the birth mother, and she looked at me and said, "Go fall in love with your daughter." I'm going to cry talking about it, but those words were such a gift to me. She couldn't have said anything more perfect in that moment, while she was still laying there. What a strong woman.
These captions have been edited and condensed.
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