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This is really interesting and helpful. We're in the matching process currently and I've barely seen anyone speak out about it. Thank you so much for your openness - I'm sure it will empower so many people and help them feel less alone and ashamed x

It takes so much courage to be honest...we took a chikd who was 4 for long term fostering and I grieved the loss of our life ...I so get u❤

Really appreciate ur honesty

All the love and good wishes ❤

Bravo Sam, congrats on the 2 year milestone and on living life to the full. I’m just 9 months in and it’s great to see people can get through the terror/depression to lead a life which still has joy. Keep up the good work and here’s to a cure for us ASAP!!

Well done babe! Thanks for sharing

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Hi! Do you know if it's a legal requirement to have 10 years of medical history in UK to be able to adopt? Thanks!

I don't know your name, but thankyou for being vocal about MND & your journey. Where are you based? I'm in Devon. I went to a Solstice Event this evening in aid of Macmillan Cancer, but there, I started talking about MND. Keep up the fight! Sharon

Thank you for this, its so refreshing and honest, brave and hopeful. To even be able to see some goodness in all this shows the type of person you are. Your right MND does not define you, fingers crossed you have plenty of time left to do some more wonderful things, and live your life. Your legacy is huge already.

I am feeling like this right now and this video really helps! We had a LO placed 5 months ago, I feel such grief for my old life and feel horrible about it. I wasn’t expecting it. I love my child but I doubt myself and whether I’m cut out for this!?

Hi thank you so much for your honest post. We start our introductions on Monday. Pretty much can relate to what you covered especially around the attachment to foster carer. She done such great job of building secure attachment that I think it be so hard on our AS 19 months. We are lucky we have had a chemistry meet and 2 play dates and another booked over weekend but little man hasn’t a clue and adores his carer. Thanks for taking time to share your experiences. I check out your other videos. We’re not 2 mums or 2 dads but I’m sure issues are similar with anyone going through process ❤

Hey. Thanks for your video! Just starting stage 1. For the workbook, how much info do I need to put in. Like say about you. Is it a general overview of likes and hobbies etc or long winded pages or writing? Don't want there to be not enough if it's needed! Thanks x

Thank you for sharing! I agree 💯 that family/friends are priceless. I tell my wife all the time, I did not realize how much I loved her until this diagnosis.

You’re so inspiring Sam. We’re in this together 💪🏻

Thanks for the video, very informative. My partner and I have just started stage 2 today! Excited but also nervous. Were you asked to give ex references? I feel it's irrelevant as my relationships didn't end so well and I didn't have children with them.

This is really helpful thank you for taking the time to record this video! :)

Wow what a list! We are at the start of our adoption process atm, and this is a very weird list! (ceremonial swords I mean!)

. well done for sharing 👏

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Welcome back! Marvellous to see and hear from you. Hugs from Spain

I have Als myself. Stay strong mentally and physically. The will to live needs to be stronger than the will not to. Go live my friend.

Hi, I didn't know about this so if opting out of the competitive matching wouldn't that make the waiting time for your child so much longer.?

Thank you so much for sharing....this is helping me a lot!

I'm gay. How do you plan on providing a female influence in his life. I know single mum's do a fabulous job without a man I'm not saying they don't and I'm asking because I wonder what I might do to ensure he understands how to treat women properly or she can discuss feminine issues that I would not know about. I seriously don't even know what goes on with girls I need a book. Just a general question I am honestly fact finding working out how I can do it. Or maybe I lack imagination but I would love to know others thoughts there seems very little advice out there. Love to the family.

So brave of you to do this video! My heart goes out to you. I hope you can achieve as much as you want to while you can. Sending love and strength to you. Xx

Hi, you mentioned that it had to be a couple. Did they give you any additional information as to why single adopters weren’t being looked at?

Sending u so much love and prayers, your a beautiful and amazing person! Don't give up xxx

Thank you so much for doing this video. We’ve had our first meeting with our agency, they told us there didn’t seem to be anything that would prevent us starting the application process then came back a few days later to say they wouldn’t be starting the process because of x,y & z. Childcare experience being the main thing. You have explained the reasoning perfectly & now it makes sense! 🙏

My heart aches for your precious and beautiful family , we’ve followed you quietly for so long on your journey and will continue sending you so much love x

Never ever give up, respect for you, our hearts and love goes to you in your battle, but never ever give up, miracles do happen

I have so much respect for you, Sam, for sharing. You are so right about the things that really matter,

The most normal reaction to say in this time is " I'm sorry", but I don't want to say this. The reason why is because I'm going through similar situations as yourself. 12 years ago I got diagnosed with a type of muscular dystrophy, I am now in a wheelchair and on oxygen at home. I got told I would have 10 years max but ive already beaten this and the one thing I hated the most is people saying "I'm sorry". I would always tell people, please don't be sorry, atleast now I know and I know know more than ever that I need to enjoy life to the fullest. I need to live everyday as if it is my last because I don't know if I will wake in the morning. These first few days, weeks and possibly months will be the hardest for sure, but please, if there's one bit of advice that I can give you, it's to tell the people you love, that you love them, multiple times a day, ALWAYS go to sleep at peace with your family and tomorrow when you wake up, enjoy every minute but know "time doing nothing is never wasted" (book by james norbury, big panda and tiny dragon -highly recommend reading). Just being with your family is doing something 💛

Sending love and hugs to you all xxx

Sending you and your family lots of love 💙

I am so sorry to hear this. It can’t have been easy to share. ❤️

So, so sorry to hear this mate. Hope this disease hits you as slowly as possible. As I hope you have many year's to live normally as possible 🙏

I am so sorry for you and your family ❤️

I’m so so sorry to hear this! Live life to the max xx

Virtual hug 🤗 you have provided me with so much knowledge insight and resources praying for the best for you and your family

I'm so sorry xx 🧡

Thank you for this :)

Thank you this was super useful to hear. We are going through stage 1 right now! Thanks for your honesty and hope your family are doing well

so helpful thanks so much! your honesty has really helped prepare me, as its coming up in a month! eek!

Thank you for this! Can you speak a little bit more about the actual profiles you're shown as adopters? I'm a bit unclear on how you can look at a short profile and make any kind of decision! I suppose you can't really say what drew you to your son's profile without divulging his personal info, but if there's something more general that you can talk about I'd love to hear it!

How long was the process for you from the moment you were approved to family find to when you found your son's profile? I imagine it was quite short, if you didn't see many profiles before him. Did you feel any sort of pressure, internally or externally, to find a suitable match as soon as you could?

This was really interesting, thank you! I've not heard anyone mention the birthday thing before.

I'm looking forward to the process because I've been researching on and off for 6 years, but I'm only 26 and not financially or emotionally in a place to be a parent yet. I can imagine it's hard to find a balance between proudly telling relevant people your child is adopted, but also not making your child feel like "adopted" follows them everywhere and makes them an outsider. Thank you for the info!

Thank you so much for sharing! We have our first bump into this morning! ❤️

Do you know of any transgender/non-binary adoptive parents? LGB folks are pretty accepted in most adoption circles now, but we still don't hear/see much (I haven't seen anything) about transgender/non-binary adoptive parents.