Couple adopts a son through Instagram: 'I can't even believe that it's real'
Some people hoping to adopt a baby are turning to social media rather than traditional agencies.
Jaimie and Brian Dorn of Long Island in New York, who have two children from his previous marriage, used Instagram to help them expand their family.
After struggling to have a baby together, the Dorns started pursuing adoption. When they decided that traditional adoption agencies weren't for them, a friend suggested that they try independent adoption and advertise using Instagram, they said.
"We have this wonderful family, but we just never felt that we were complete," Jaimie Dorn told "Good Morning America."
Using hashtags like #hopetoadopt, #waitingtoadopt and #adoptionrocks, they uploaded fun family photos in hopes of connecting with potential birth moms looking for a family.
"We're a little more private so we had a lot to accept if we wanted to put ourselves out there and find our child," Jaimie Dorn said.
Brian Dorn told "GMA," "It almost became fun after a little while."
In the new age of social media, experts predict that independent adoption is on the rise.
"With the internet, the expectant parents could be a fly on the wall in the prospective adoptive parents' lives," adoption attorney Faith Rousso told "GMA." "They could see how they're living, they could see how their child will live."
Within one year, the Dorns said they were able to connect with a mom-to-be who was in her first trimester.
"It got to a point where we were talking almost every day," Jaimie Dorn said of the birth mom.
After months of communicating and negotiating through lawyers, the Dorns were able to adopt their son, Christian.
"Sometimes when I tell the story myself, I can't even believe that it's real and that he's really here," Jaimie Dorn said.
While they experienced a happy ending, the Dorns said it was not instantaneous and that the process took time.
Whether you're going through an agency or through social media, there are red flags to look for in order to avoid adoption fraud, according to the National Council for Adoption.
Warning signs include when adoption professionals are not immediately responsive, pressure families inappropriately, refuse to go through an attorney, or fail to send or request appropriate documents.
The national council said there are also warning signs of birth moms who may be attempting adoption fraud, such as if they fail to provide proof of pregnancy; avoid meeting with an adoption agency, pregnancy counselor or attorney; or frequently ask potential adoptive parents about paying for expenses.
If you are considering adoption whether it be through an agency or independently through social media, the National Council for Adoption said there are three keys to avoiding fraud:
1. Listen to your gut if something doesn't seem right, then conduct research or walk away.
2. Acquire real proof of pregnancy beyond a birth mom's looking pregnant or providing an ultrasound image. "Prospective adoptive parents should seek written documentation from a doctor, and then follow up with the doctor’s office to ensure its legitimacy," the adoption council states.
3. Don't disperse cash directly to potential birth families. The council notes that sometimes it’s legal to pay for pregnancy-related expenses as part of the adoption, but that doesn't mean prospective adoptive parents need to provide the expectant mother with cash. Rather, service providers should instead be paid directly (pay the landlord directly to cover rent; pay the hospital or clinic directly to cover medical expenses; pay the utility company directly if the birth mother needs help paying her electric bill).
