Devan and Monica

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From Us to You

Dear Expecting Mother,

You are extraordinary. Your strength, your courage, and your tenacity are admirable and something never to be dismissed. We cannot begin to imagine the feelings and challenges you have faced getting to this point, and we can only express our unconditional appreciation. We understand this journey is not easy, but we are looking forward to supporting you through this process. Your child will be welcomed into our hearts with open arms and raised in a loving home where opportunities are endless. You will always be a large part of your child’s life. You will always be spoken of with the utmost respect and love. Your child’s journey will have its ups and downs like all of ours do, but we will always guide them to make the right choices.

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Why We are Choosing Adoption

Over the past few years, we had several friends that have gone through the adoption process successfully. After our very good friends adopted their first child, we were able to see their family grow and the happiness it brought them. We then realized that adoption was the path for us. We have tried fostering to adopt for over a year with multiple close calls, however, we have been unsuccessful. This is why we opted for private adoption.

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About Us

Our story is unique in the fact that we met in medical school in the Caribbean. Monica coming from a small town in rural West Virginia and Devan coming from a suburb of Detroit made adapting to a Third World country a culture shock. We first met in anatomy class and let’s just say that after private study sessions, we were inseparable and have been together for eleven years. We were able to find refuge in each other’s strengths and helped each other persevere in a mentally challenging field. We then traveled together to complete our clinical rotations in both Chicago and Atlanta. After completing medical school, we were concerned our relationship would be compromised when applying for residency positions. If you believe in miracles, this was one. After applying throughout the entire US, we were able to secure a spot for both of us at West Virginia University. Those country roads took us home to the place we belonged, and we got married in November 2018.

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Our Lifestyle

We are both hard-working physicians with structured lives; however, we always make it a point to enjoy life. We love to travel the world and experience different cultures and religions. During the spring and summer months, we spend most of our time at the lake on our boat with friends and family, attending festivals, taking long walks on the trail, or hiking with our dogs. The autumn months are probably our favorite and are full of football tailgates, bonfires, and visits to Coopers Rock to take in the breathtaking fall foliage.

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About Monica by Devan

Monica was born and raised in West Virginia. Her extracurricular activities included gymnastics, cheerleading, and volunteering at animal shelters and the local pet store. She went to West Virginia University for her undergraduate training and finally left the comfort of her home to go to the Caribbeans for medical school. She then continued to travel to Maine, Chicago, and Atlanta for clinical rotations and to further her knowledge in medicine. During her studies and traveling, she experienced the devastating news of losing her father, which quickly reminded her of the importance of family. She always kept her wild and wonderful roots and finally moved back home to complete a Family Medicine residency at West Virginia University. She is currently employed as an attending physician at a West Virginia University hospital. As Monica’s husband, I would describe her as loving, charismatic, and full of passion. Monica’s strongest characteristic is that she always thinks of others before herself.

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About Devan by Monica

Devan was born in Michigan and after graduating from high school joined the US Marine Corps for which he served for three years. Shortly after leaving the Marine Corps, he enlisted in the Army National Guard and served for five years, which included deploying to Iraq. During his time in the military, he attended Central Michigan University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences. Devan left the military in 2011 and he then attended medical school at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences graduating with the Highest Honors. Devan attended West Virginia University School of Medicine for his Internal Medicine residency and then continued to obtain a fellowship in Nephrology. He is currently employed as a staff nephrologist in North West Virginia. As Devan’s wife, I would describe him as protective, hardworking, and dedicated. He provides me and our dog children with security and unconditional love every day.

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Our Home and Neighborhood

We live in West Virginia, “Home of the Mountaineers,” in a private gated community with access to great schools and a short ride away from the hospital. We live close to numerous parks and a lake. Our home sits on close to an acre lot which has a fenced-in backyard. We also have the support of nearby family and friends to create an even larger circle of love and support for your child.

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Our Pets

We have 3 amazing dogs! The oldest is a collie lab mix we rescued from a Chicago shelter. The middle and youngest are both Cane Corsos. Our dogs are very loved and spoiled and we consider them our children. They love being around people and always want to cuddle.

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Our Family and Friends

Monica’s family is from Morgantown and we are all very close. Her brother lives 5 minutes away and always willing to lend a helping hand. He is married and has a 16-month-old baby girl which we adore and love spoiling every second we can.

Devan’s parents live in Michigan, and although we do not get to see them as much as we want, we all remain very close and only a car ride away. They always visit for the holidays so our entire family can be together. Devan’s brother is also married with two young girls, 4 years old and 7 years old. Devan is very close with his brother and we visit the family frequently in Florida, especially during the winter months.

Ours friends are considered more like family. We spend countless hours watching footballs games, barbecuing, going out to eat together and endless weekends on the boat. We also love to travel with them on quick weekend getaways and internationally. They are very supportive in the adoption process because most also have young children and could not be more excited for us to start our family.

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Our Traditions

We enjoy traveling to a new place every year to experience the diversity and customs it has to offer. Holidays are a large part of our family’s traditions, and we love to decorate our home for every occasion. We also have family gatherings for every holiday and like to continue generations of traditions, such as the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

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Racial and Cultural Diversity

Our relationship is unique as we come from different cultures and religions: Roman Catholic and Hindu. Since we are an interracial couple, we are accepting of children of all cultures and ethnicities and would be supportive of any cultural background that they wanted to explore and connect with throughout their life.

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Our Promise to You

Your child will wake up to slobbery kisses from our loving mastiffs in the morning, during the day play in the great outdoors of wild and wonderful West Virginia with their friends, enjoy homemade meals, and rest their heads to a lullaby or nighttime story. It is very important to us that you know we will provide your child with a life full of love, happiness, and unprecedented opportunities. The highest priority for both us and, we know, for you, is the wellbeing of your child. We know that adoption is one of the most thoughtful and selfless things that a birthparent can do.

We understand this journey is not easy, but we would like to give you the feeling of security that your child will be cared for with the utmost love, happiness, and stability. Throughout the daily challenges of parenting, we promise to uphold our commitment and dedication to your child. Your child will learn lifelong lessons in perseverance and dedication to help them be self-sufficient and successful as they grow older.