Evangelical couple Aaron and Rachel Halbert decided to adopt because it was the “only logical outcome of being pro-life.”
The couple told their adoption agency that they were willing to adopt any child except one that was fully Caucasian after learning that children of color are less likely to be adopted.
The couple, who had trouble conceiving naturally, wanted to give children who might not otherwise be adopted a home. They also reasoned that if God wanted them to have white babies, he would have allowed them to conceive naturally.
“One of the central themes of Christianity is, after all, that God, through His Son, is calling people from every tongue, tribe and nation. Grasping diversity will make the world stronger as we marvel at God’s creative genius on display through His people’s varying pigments, personalities and proficiencies. Our differences are cause for celebration, not scorn,” Aaron wrote in a piece for The Washington Post. “We see protection of children not as charity, nor as part of a political agenda, but as something near to the heart of God. Because every human life bears his image, all life –no matter how young or old, no matter the stages of development — has inherent dignity and value.”
So, when they adopted a little black girl and a boy, they weren’t too surprised by the reaction of others.
“There will always be the older white woman in Walmart who stared at us with sheer disgust, or the African-American mother who looked at us and just shook her head,” Aaron explained. “However, there was also the young black girl who wept when we told her this little boy with her skin color was our son, and the older white doctor who lovingly prayed over him and held him so tenderly. These latter experiences were rays of hope reminding us how far our country had come, while the former experiences reminded us how far we still need to go.”
The Halberts wanted to add even more children to their family, but chose not to adopt and instead opted for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
But they weren’t going to have biological children of their own through IVF.
Instead of giving a child who was already born into this world a safe and loving home, they decided to create a new life using an embryo from an African-American couple provided through The National Embryo Donation Center, which is a Christian organization that collects leftover embryos from families who went through successful IVF treatment.
These are embryos that would have otherwise been used for research, kept frozen indefinitely, or discarded.
The Halberts had two African American embryos implanted so that their new children would look like their adopted children.
One of those embryos was divided leaving them with triplets.
Rachel gave birth to her triplets in 2016 and the family’s story went viral.
Their story is resurfacing again in 2022 just after the Supreme Court ruling that abortion isn’t a constitutionally protected right.
While everyone might not understand the Halberts’ “pro-life” decisions, they say their lives have been greatly enriched because of it.
“There is something beautiful and enriching being the only white face sitting and chatting with some of my African-American friends as my son gets his hair cut on a Saturday morning,” Aaron wrote.
‘There is also something wonderful in the relationship that is built as my wife asks a black friend on Facebook how to care for our little biracial daughter’s hair.”
Aaron says his family’s experience has changed him and his wife for the better.
“The beauty of a multi-ethnic family is found there, in the fact that the differences are the very thing that make ours richer and fuller. It forces you to think in a new way about the way you think, speak, act, and live,” he said.
Learn more about Halberts’ story in the video below.
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