Sandra Philipp helps others know the joy of parenthood by paying it forward, and helping people realize their dream of adopting.
Sandra Philipp loves being a mother. When she and her husband Warren married, they decided to adopt a child, 10TV's Andrea Cambern reported on Wednesday.
While living in Chicago, they adopted two children Henry and Grace -- through a Florida agency.
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They were in the process of moving to New Albany when Philipp got an unexpected phone call.
"Grace's birth parents had given birth again, and they had asked if it were possible, that the girls be kept together," Philipp said. "We were not prepared for it, we were not thinking about it. Our world, and our family, was complete."
The Philipps agreed, and daughter Reagan came into their lives.
Adoptions can be stressful and expensive for potential parents. The Philipps formed the Ohio chapter of Gift of Adoption, which raises money for small grants to help parents with adoption costs.
"There is a mound of paper work, red tape, applications, finger prints, background checks," Philipp said.
Reagan's arrival convinced the Philipps of the importance of keeping siblings together. The mission, Philipp said, is to create "forever families."
"If you plan on adopting one and the second one comes along, people are having garage sales. They're selling paintings off their walls. They're really making that effort to keep those children together," Philipp said. "It is overwhelming and it can be frustrating, but the reward at the end when that baby gets placed in your arms, it's just amazing."
The funds raised by Gift of Adoption can help people adopt children from foster care as well. There are more than 114,000 foster children waiting for permanent homes.
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