A
wonderful article appeared in the Mount Vernon (IL) Sentinel on November 29,
2014. I reproduced it here. Thanks to David Belcher for taking the time to
interview me and for writing a great piece! My comments are italicized,
otherwise any typos are strictly mine!
Curry writes “Abby’s Road...” book on adoption process
By David Belcher, Mount Vernon Lifestyles Editor
MT. VERNON - In a sense, Esther Curry had a pregnancy that
lasted nine months to the day.
Except
she was not pregnant.
Doesn’t
make sense?
Read
on...
Esther
and Michael Curry decided on Jan. 3, 2009 to adopt a baby.
On Oct.
3, 2009, nine months to the day later, the Mt. Vernon couple welcomed their
baby daughter, Abigail Curry, into their lives.
Michael
Curry, mixing his love for his daughter and the Beatles wrote a book about the
adoption process: “Abby’s Road, the Long and Winding Road to Adoption.”
He said
the couple wed in 2000. They wanted a child. However, about five years of
infertility treatments produced no baby.
Finally,
they decided to adopt.
The
next step was hitting the Internet to select an adoption agency. They selected
Adoption Law Network California. There are both couples looking for a baby and
pregnant women who are searching for a couple to rear their child.
Michael
Curry, who is an attorney while his wife is assistant head librarian at C.E.
Brehm Memorial Library, said the couple submitted photographs of themselves to
be looked over by the pregnant women who were also using ALNC’s services.
In June
they got the word - a woman picked them to adopt her baby.
Michael
Curry said they were told the woman was in the late 30s, already had two
children and was living with her parents in Long Island, N.Y.
He said
he thinks the photograph that really made her think the couple would be the
perfect fit for her Abby can be traced to when the couple attended
Renaissance-theme weddings in St. Louis and Carbondale. In the spirit of the
occasion he said the couple dressed in Renaissance-era outfits, which were
among the photos they sent. (it was a
wedding/vow renewal in Carbondale, IL)
WAITING FOR THE BIG MOMENT
Now
comes the hard part for all expectant parents, adopted and birth, waiting for
the big moment. He said the plan called for them to be in New York when the
child arrived.
In
early September, they got the word. “The baby was coming,” Michael Curry put
it, and they were to go to New York as soon as possible.
They
flew to Massapequa, N.Y. where the baby was set to be born.
However,
the couple learned it was a false labor. They thought it over and decided to
stay in the area since it is about 1,000 miles from Massapequa to Mt. Vernon.
On the
one hand, since Massapequa is in the New York City metro area there are (sic) no shortage of things to do.
However, it is about 30 miles to “the city,” so they did not stray too far
because since they could get a summons to the hospital at any moment.
Thus,
they amused themselves by taking in attractions close to Massapequa.
They
visited the Amityville Horror House.
They
visited President Theodore Roosevelt’s house at Sagamore Hill. Among the items
Michael Curry said the couple got to see was Roosevelt’s original “Rough Rider”
uniform.
One
reason why Michael Curry said it was important the couple be at the hospital is
the birth mother said she did not want to see the baby or the adopted parents.
The
youngster was born on Oct. 1, 2009. However, while the Currys could view her in
her hospital nursery bed, they could not hold her. After meeting with the birth
mother’s attorney to take care of some legalities, on Oct. 3, 2009, the(y) were presented with Abigail Curry.
The
Currys were parents.
They
did not waste time in taking advantage of what parenthood entails. They got to
hold the baby. They got to dress the baby. They got to put her in a car seat to
put her in the car and take her back the hotel where they were staying.
Abby
Curry did not waste time in introducing her parents to other aspects of their
new world. Michael Curry said they had a “sleepless night” at the hotel.
Realizing what was coming, he said they had purchased “a slew of diapers and
baby food.”
They
also found out being a parent of an infant is a 24-houra day proposition. “No
alarm clocks needed,” he quipped.
She was
then brought from her birthplace to her home.
In the
technical sense of the word, they were her guardians. Her adoption was not made
official until June 16, 2010.
Michael
Curry said his sister on June 16, 2010 gave birth to a baby girl.
“If I
made up that coincidence for a story, an editor would slash it out,” he said.
Today,
Abby Curry is a student at Good Samaritan Regional health Center preschool.
“Very
smart. Very smart and very silly. She has a very silly sense of humor,” he said
of his daughter.
She
also has a sharp memory. Michael Curry recalled when he went o vote at Mt.
Vernon’s Trinity Episcopal Church he took Abby with him. Ever since he said every
time she goes past Trinity she asks, “Are we going to vote today?”
LOVE LETTER FROM FATHER TO HIS LITTLE GIRL
Michael
Curry’s book is a detailed account of the vents which brought Abby Curry into
his and his wife’s lives - a love letter from a father to his little girl.
“Abby’s
Road, the Long and Winding Road” received honorable mention honors in the 2014
Great Midwest Book Festival in the Biography/Autobiography category.
He said
people can obtain copies of his book through Amazon, Barnes & noble and
Smashwords websites.
mtvlife@morningsentinel.com
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