Our Story
We met through our mutual friend, April, who knew Mia since high school and was a college friend of Brandon’s. Brandon accidentally called April on her birthday in 2015, leading to a reconnection. Learning Brandon was back in Chicago and single, April suggested he meet her friend Mia, who also lived there. Initially skeptical, both agreed to talk after April’s encouragement. Our first phone call went well, leading to a meeting for drinks in May 2015 when any doubts we each had quickly vanished. We became inseparable and married in December 2020.
About Brandon
Brandon was born and raised in Detroit. His parents were married 40 years before his father passed away in 2017. They loved and nurtured him along with his 11 brothers and sisters, four of whom were adopted. Brandon loves sports, especially NFL football and is an avid Detroit Lions fan. One of his favorite pastimes is watching football on Sundays, which feeds into one of his favorite hobbies, fantasy football. He enjoys watching movies, especially comedy and horror. He also loves traveling and exploring different countries, cultures and foods. He is a self-proclaimed professional board gamer and gets highly competitive at family gatherings.
About Mia
Mia grew up on the Southside of Chicago. Her parents were married 42 years prior to her mom’s passing in 2012, her father recently passing in June 2024. She has one older sister and is “auntie” to two adult nieces. Family has always been important to her, and she prioritizes spending time with the people she loves. She enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures. She loves the arts, especially performing arts and live music. Her favorite musician of all time is Prince. In her downtime she enjoys taking long walks and baking, but will also cuddle up inside with a good book and cup of tea. Her favorite time of year is Spring because it is ripe with possibilities.
Why Adoption?
Adoption was a desired approach to family for us both. Brandon had firsthand experience with adoption from having adopted brothers and sisters. Mia first opened her mind to adoption about 15 years ago when an adoption agency visited her church to speak to the congregants about the importance of adoption in the black community. We both developed an affinity for adoption separately that only strengthened when we came together. Once we were married, we planned to have one biological child before starting the adoption process. Struggles with infertility changed that plan, but our destination is still the same. We can’t wait to have a little one under our roof!
Our Parenting and Adoption
We were attracted to The Cradle because, through their Ardythe and Gale Sayers Center for African American Adoption, The Cradle shows their support of black families adopting black or multiracial children. We are very proud of our heritage as Black people and we embrace other cultures as well. We’ve intentionally exposed ourselves to other cultures through our travels and friendships. We also were intentional in selecting our home to ensure diversity in the people we lived around. We live in a multicultural community and we plan to raise our child to be proud of their culture and vow to teach them their culture’s traditions. As Black people, we understand a need for community, positive identity and belonging, and we would want our children to experience the same.
Open adoption is important to us. While we desire to maintain communication and visits, we want to be flexible based on your needs and wants, which may change for you over time. If you need more time, we will send updates to The Cradle until you are ready. We hope that you will agree, in some way, to share this journey with us.
We are a loving, family-oriented couple who values peace, good communication, trust and humor. We can’t imagine what you are going through as you consider adoption and navigate this process. We pray that whatever your decision, you find comfort and strength along your journey.
With Love,
