Adoption changes lives of Rock Springs family

ROCK SPRINGS — In 2008, a Rock Springs couple already had an 11-year-old son, but they had a lot of love to give, so they decided to adopt.

After 10 years of prayer, Michelle Gatti and her husband, Ron, took the first step in the process. Their friend Kolbi McKenzie told them the chances of being paired with an expectant parent were better if they made an adoption book. The adoption book would contain photos and information about their profile.

Another friend, Lindsey Wright, created the book for them.

“If she hadn’t done it, we probably wouldn’t have done it,” Michelle chuckled.

Two months later, Michelle and her family were in Kentucky. They received the call they were waiting for. Katie, a pregnant 15-year-old, saw their adoption book. Katie had only been in Rock Springs for a day or two when she began prenatal care at Wyoming Health Initiative.

“It was absolutely a God-ordained meeting that she was in Rock Springs, Wyoming, of all places,” Michelle said, noting Katie wasn’t alone. “We spent the last five months of her pregnancy with her.

“In those ten years, thousands of babies were born, but Grace was meant to be mine since the beginning of time.”

Michelle noted not everyone is guaranteed a good life. Katie never had any support from her family or spiritual guidance, but she still carried her baby for nine months, knowing she was going to give her up.

“She wanted to give her the best life possible,” Michelle said. “It was a selfless decision. She did everything in her power to give Grace the best chance at life. God knew Katie needed parents, and God knew we needed a baby.”

Michelle said they chose to have an open adoption because they figured there would be questions about her biological mother later.

“Grace is 16 now, so if she hadn’t known she was adopted, she’d wonder why she has blonde hair and blue eyes,” she said. “We have dark hair and brown eyes.”

If it was a closed adoption, there would be no contact between the child and the biological mother. In this case, Grace knows who her mother is. They don’t live in the same town, but they keep in touch as often as they can.

Another blessing

Three years later, the family was blessed again with a new baby.

Katie called Michelle to tell her she was abandoned and pregnant in South Carolina. Michelle rescued her and they flew back to Wyoming.

Katie intended to give Selah up for adoption, but she decided to try to raise her by herself.

“I was disappointed at first, but God reminds us we’re all human and everyone deserves a chance,” Michelle said.

About six months later, Katie changed her mind. It was a lengthy process since her case involved the Department of Family Services. Several requirements needed to be met first.

“It was worth it, though. These girls, as biological sisters, are lucky to be raised together,” Michelle said, mentioning they are academically and athletically successful. “They are good, happy, girls who have a lot of love, attention and opportunities. They’re incredible.”

From a vacation in Italy to Disney cruises and even a short trip to the local dump, they cherish all the experiences they have.

“We forgot to take the garbage out and turned it into a family activity,” she chuckled.

“Whether big or small, we love our time together,” Michelle said. “We decorated for Christmas and turned our house into a winter wonderland as a family. It’s just a good life. I want to give them these experiences because I don’t know what the future holds.”

Michelle describes her son, Colton, as an amazing big brother throughout the years.

“I call him my ‘village’ because we didn’t necessarily have grandparents for the kids, and he filled that role. We couldn’t have done it without him.”

She expressed gratitude to Judge Scott Nelson for “dropping everything to be there” for her and her family. She added that so many people were instrumental during their journey, saying they were in the right place at the right time to make sure everything goes smoothly.

“I am eternally grateful to them and I am blessed beyond measure to have my children,” she said.

As of September 30, 2022, there were nearly 109,000 children waiting to be adopted who were at risk of aging out of foster care without permanency, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway website. The following are additional statistics:

• More than one in five children waiting for adoption were ages 13–17.
• The average age of all children waiting to be adopted was 7.6 years old.
• The average time in care for all children waiting to be adopted was 34.9 months.
• The average time in care for children waiting to be adopted after termination of parental rights was 19.1 months.

This story was published on November 30, 2024.