Beautiful! I wished more couples or single folks would adopt. There are a lot of children/babies just waiting for someone to LOVE them and give them so much love back!
to NatVess…your comment is completely wrong. I’m adopted and my parents knew nothing about my genetic heritage. There are many companies that wll do a simple DNA test to see which genetic profile a person most closely matches. I did that last year. Please don’t mistake being adopted with having not having a heritage. It’s very, very simple to discover what one’s heritage is.
I don’t think that’s always true, Nat. I’ve met a, few adopted kids where the genetic inheritance is known. it just depends in what process you take and other factors, I think.
She’s beautiful!
Such an adorable picture!! They both look so happy and content
I love that she adopted but for everyone that is saying (And I am not just talking the comments on this picture, there were a lot when it was announced that she had adopted in the first place) that more people should adopt it is not that simple. Adoption is such a long and costly process that most people can’t afford it or don’t want to/can’t wait the years it takes.
My husband and I would LOVE to adopt, and may still one day, but right now, while we are more than capable of supporting our daughter, we cannot afford the cost of adoption AND the cost of supporting another child. we also made the choice to start having kids young (We were both 24 when Elly was born) and if we were to only adopt we would not be able to do that.
Awwwwwww!! What a total cutie pie!! I hope Kristen was able to get a copy of this picture, it is adorable!!
@NatVess, my father-in-law was adopted and all they knew about his birth family was that they were italian but when my husband and I decided to have kids we wanted to know more so my husband talked to his doctor and they were able to take a DNA sample of him and his brother and send them away and we know where in Italy their family came from, a base medical history and were even given names of some really distant cousins.just because someone was adopted does not mean that they have no family history or genetic inheritance.
So there’s a magic test that will reveal all your genetic predispositions? Because that’s where I think Nat was going. My kids father never met his dad and I worry that they may have issues in the future that are unknown…like cancer or alzheimers.
I think “NatVess” was talking about genetic inheritance in regards to health and pre-disposed diseases. For example, not knowing if the child is pre-disposed for health issues like diabetes, asthma, cancer, arthritis, or heart disease. and mental/social health issues like Autism, Dyslexia, or anxiety/depression.
Some of you are so quick to judge a comment as negative. Also note…she never said “heritage”…she said inheritance. Read comments carefully and try to be objective about comments that are made.
Even if NatVess was talking about disease, it’s still sad that she says “the problem with” as if that should be a reason to not adopt children, because you never know if they could be faulty or something.
Kat, I can understand your concern, but the truth is that while some people are more likely than others to develop a disease because of genetic predisposition, it is not a certainty. it is just a reason why everyone should take the best care of themselves that they can – we are much more in control of our personal health than the media may have us think.
Kat, one of your children, or all, could die in a car accident next week. One of them could drown on a trip to the lake. even knowing the “genetic makeup” of your child does not assure nothing will happen. What do you think a person should do, interview prospective SOs to make certain there are no possibilities in your head that your child could have a problem? My first had a heart arrythmia out of nowhere, but we simply took him to the doctor and dealt with it. as an adult, he’s fine, but if he had continued to have issues, we would have dealt with that, too.
I also have 2 adopted children; one I know everything about, and met and spent time with even the GGPs. and one I know nothing about, including her birthday! she has been an amazing daughter, and tremendous friend, wife and mother. and frankly I would put her against anyone I know. none of us care at all about her “genetics”; I have a large family and just sayin’, my bio kids are not better than she is!! (They aren’t worse, either)
Knowing your “heritage” doesn’t prevent you from illnesses. Most illnesses and cancers aren’t genetic related. It’s pathetic that someone would post such a negative comment on a beautiful story. it speaks volumes about that person’s character.
It really irritates me when people say “Oh, I wish more people, single mothers would adopt” as opposed to having their own children. My husband and I have absolutely no desire to adopt and opted, rather, to have four beautiful children in a different way. and, no, there were no excuses. we could probably afford to adopt one, possibly two children, however, it just wasn’t “for us.” it does NOT make us bad people and I certainly shouldn’t feel bad for opting to give birth to my children rather than adopting them. I can not express how many times I have heard, “There are so many needy children out there and you’d rather get pregnant, lose your figure and have to give birth rather than adopt?” or have someone imply that my husband and I were selfish. Saying that you wish everyone would adopt is like saying you wish everyone would vote Republican or live in Utah. the simple fact of the matter is, adoption is not for everyone. My sister and her husband adopted three beautiful boys and it worked wonderfully with their family. I just do not appreciate the implication that I am a bad person because I did not and will not adopt even if I am “able” or “capable” of it.
@Sarah Breast/ovarian/prostate cancers & many others have been shown to be linked to genetics, to a degree. as well as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, sickle cell, heart disease, obesity & many others.
I don’t think Nat was trying to be nasty. just stating that sometimes, adopting is a genetic gamble.
Actually there is a “magic test” that can at least give you an idea of your medical background. My brother-in-law was adopted and when he and his wife decided to start a family they contacted a company called 21 and me (It was actually on an episode of Anderson a while ago) and they were able to find out about any possible predispositions for a lot of medical issues. Like other people have said, it won’t stop his kids from being in a car accident tomorrow but he now has a much better family medical history then lots of people I know who were never adopted, myself included.
Very very cute picture!! Gemma is so adorable, I love how chubby her checks are
I get where Kat and Nat are coming from. while knowing your genetic histor can’t tell you for sure if you’re going to contract a disease, it CAN tell if you’re at risk for developing one. I think that’s what they’re referring to, and I can understand that. When you know that you or your kids might be genetically predisposed to something, then you can maybe take extra precautions to avoid it, or at the very least be better prepared to deal with a genetic (or partially genetic) condition.
Knowing that stuff can also greatly assist your doctor in caring for you and knowing what sorts of things to be on the look out for. For example, if you know you have a family history of breast cancer, then you and your doctor can opt to begin mammograms earlier than normal. but without that information, your doctor wouldn’t know to recommend that, nor would you know that beginning screenings earlier might help you.
Similarly, if your doctor knows you have a genetic predisposition to another type of cancer and you start displaying symptoms of that type cancer, she or he may screen you for that type of cancer earlier than she or he might have otherwise (one of the reasons cancer can be so difficult to detect is that a lot of cancers have symptoms that are the same or similar to those of other much less deadly diseases. So if your doctor doesn’t know you have a family history of a certain type of cancer and you have no other known risk factors for it, s/he may not think to check for it right away) thus catching it sooner.
All of that being said, however, I agree with the majority of the posters on this thread. Not knowing a child’s genetic history shouldn’t be a reason not to adopt. and Gemma is adorable!
I feel the need to speak out as an adoptee myself. I have some family history. I know that both sides are relatively healthy except for one documented case of epilepsy on one side of the family (I’m not sure of which one).
Also, “genetic inheritance” is pretty much BS at this point in time. There are VERY few closed adoptions going on right now in this day and age, and adoptive parents will often be in contact – and stay in contact – with the birth parents of their son or their daughter, which means that they will often know about their family history and whether cancer, Alzheimers, epilepsy, heart disease, or even ridiculously enough, STRETCH MARKS (!) or whatever else runs in the family.
I don’t think anyone knows if this adoption was open or closed. For all any one of us know, Kristin is in regular contact with Gemma’s birth mother OR birth parents, and sends them pictures and updates regularly. she may very well know what the medical history of her daughter is. but even if she doesn’t, and even if this was a closed adoption, that’s absolutely no reason not to open your home to a child who doesn’t have one.
What a doll! how old is she?
Also, the genetic heritage is a goofy reason to question adopting (imho – we all die anyway, and our lifestyle decisions play a major role in lifelong health) I am always glad to see adoption covered here.
I wonder if someone’s medical issues or predispositions make them any less lovable to those around them. it is careless to think that way since a biological child could have some strange medical condition that no other family member has had.
Also, adoption does not have to be costly. I have adopted 3 children, a sibling group, and it has not cost me a dime. Well, raising them is costly, but the adoption itself did not dent our pocket book AT ALL. the problem with adoption is everyone wants that “newborn” when there are so many kids that are slightly older who are looking for a “forever home”. we went through the “foster-to-adopt” system in our area and were blessed with a 3 year old, a 16 month old, and a newborn – and that was 7 years ago.
We had an instant family and I can NOT imagine life without them. we have opted not to have biological children and believe that we are not missing out on the “pregnancy” part. They know they are adopted, but not many people actually do. A family is what you make of it and will love you unconditionally – biologically related or not.
Gemma is adorable. about adoption, both my children are adopted. Adoption is a great thing. Yes, it can be expensive but it also can be very affordable especially if you can adopt African American males. unfortunately they do not get adopted as much as the the other races/sex. My daughter’s adoption took 14 months, but my son’s adoption was only a 6 month wait. If you can, please adopt. These are children that need a family.
mary – you have some MAJOR issues! and some bizarre friends. cuckoo! cuckoo!
“I can not express how many times I have heard, “There are so many needy children out there and you’d rather get pregnant, lose your figure and have to give birth rather than adopt?”
I know children that are adopted and biological children of parents, and so far the biological kids are having a lot of health problems and the adopted children aren’t. No one knows for sure what’s going to happen – adoption is a wonderful thing. It’s a selfless act that gives opportunities to children that might otherwise never have. What a wonderful thing Kristin did. good luck to both of them.
Love grows in your heart – not in your belly.
You grew in my heart – not in my belly.
@NatVess What a shame you choose to turn a beautiful moment between mother and daughter into something negative. I hope you address whatever issues you have because I think projecting your skewed opinions in such a passive aggressive way on a celebrity news website is pathetic.