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Couple turns to Internet for adoption help
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BATON ROUGE - Kelly Beth and Obbie Todd have been trying to start a family for years.
"Pretty much we've been trying to have a child since we've... I was ready to have a baby the day he put a ring on my finger," said Kelly Beth.
Their journey has been bumpy and conceiving a child hasn't been easy. Cancer put a damper on things at an early age for Kelly Beth. After chemotherapy and four surgeries, doctors told her the changes of having a child were slim.
Those odds have prepared her for the future.
"On our first date, I'm pretty sure I mentioned adoption to him," said Kelly Beth, speaking about her husband. "So, adoption isn't this new thing, it's not plan b. It's always been part of our plan."
More than five million people in the U.S. experience infertility. After months or sometimes years of trying to grow their family, some couple turn to alternative methods like IVF and adoption. Both can exceed $25,000 which can be a difficult pill to swallow for people.
The Todd's turned to the Internet for help to ask friends, family and strangers for donations to support their dream of starting a family.
After 24 days the Todd's have raised over $13,000 for their adoption costs on GoFundMe, a personal fundraising site. About 90 people have made donations ranging from $10 to $1,000.
"We've just been blown away by people not only people's monetary giving, but their kind words and sharing," said Kelly Beth. "There's been women on there who have shared they're going through similar experiences."
Obbie, who graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary moved from Kentucky to Louisiana where he serves as a student pastor at a church in Baton Rouge and recently began his PhD at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Kelly Beth recently got her Masters degree in professional counseling and is searching for a job.
The Todd's agree they have had their doubts because $30,000 is a lot of money. Their desire to become parents is greater than anything and say their GoFundMe account to help raise money is a way to help achieve that desire.
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