Our Families
The Moyer Family
Tyler Moyer, Skylar Moyer, and Brent Moyer
“Adoption wasn’t easy, there were many ups and downs, but it was SOOOO worth it!” – Tyler Moyer (Adoptive Father)
Meet the Moyer family!…
Tyler works in Human Resources as a Recruiter and Brent works in Call Center Management. This loving couple was blessed with the opportunity to adopt their 16-year-old son, Skylar, in August of 2021, after learning about him through the Heart Gallery Big Bend.
After reading about Skylar’s life history, Tyler and Brent felt “anger and disappointment” for their now adoptive son, whom they describe as “an amazing young man with a bright personality, and a smile that can light up a room”. When Tyler and Brent first began discussing adoption, they never envisioned that teenage boy would be their blessing. Then, their adoption specialist/home finder called and wanted to introduce them to Skylar, explaining to Tyler and Brent that “he would be a perfect match for us [Tyler and Brent]”. They decided to give it a chance, and after a delightful first meeting at Pier Park in Panama City Beach, FL., Tyler and Brent knew that the adoption specialist/home finder was right, and that Skylar was “Perfect for [their] family”.
Tyler and Brent were “scared and nervous” at first, saying the beginning of their time with a new adoptive son was “definitely a challenge”. In their Heart Gallery Big Bend interview, Tyler and Brent explained how they overcame those nerves and fear, explaining “as our family bond started to grow, and we moved past his once harmful and terrible childhood, our love grew only stronger, shining through the darkness of his past. Joy filled out life with this bright new adventure that we had set into [Skylar]”. Tyler and Brent explain that their family is growing stronger, and they even have extended family that is “very supportive and loving of Skylar”.
Tyler and Brent’s advice to prospective adopting parents is “be open-minded” and they assure that “you won’t regret it!”
The Wilson Family
Adam Wilson, Mackenzie Wilson, Mason Wilson, and Jeremiah Wilson
“…It’s crazy to see the contrast to the boy [Jeremiah] I met last November. For all of the best reasons, he is nowhere close to the same person I road-tripped across the country with at the beginning of March. He is all smiles all the time, and always laughing and making jokes…” – Adam Wilson (Adoptive Father)
QAR:
1. What is your first name, last name, and age?
2. What is your occupation?
3. What are the children's first, last name, and ages?
4. When did you adopt?
5. Did you foster the children first?
6. How do you learn about your adopted child?
7. What made you decide to adopt Jeremiah?
8. What is the hardest part about adoption?
9. Describe the different emotions you experienced with the adoption?
10. How does Jeremiah feel about being in your home?
11. How have other members of your extended family felt about your adoption?
12. Please provide a personal quote about adoption?
13. What advice would you give to prospective adoptive parents?
14. Anything else you would like to say or add?
1. What is your first name, last name, and age?
Adam Wilson, 40
2. What is your occupation?
I am a software engineer of about 25 years. I have experimented with different occupations in the meantime (IT, Paramedic, etc.), but this allows me to be home when my kids are.
3. What are the children's first, last name, and ages?
All three of my kids are adopted: Mackenzie Wilson, 18, Mason Wilson, 16 and Jeremiah Wilson, 14.
4. When did you adopt?
Mason and Mackenzie were adopted in August 2018 and Jeremiah was adopted in June 2021.
5. Did you foster the children first?
I fostered Mason and Mackenzie for about 14 months, and Jeremiah for three months (Which was the bare minimum. He was ready and excited to be adopted).
6. How do you learn about your adopted child?
I learned about Jeremiah and the other ~20 kiddos that were part of my initial search through AdoptUSkids.org.
7. What made you decide to adopt Jeremiah?
On day two of our first weekend meeting each other, we had some really great conversations and I could not help but fall in love with him. Before that, his adoptions worker was amazing at helping me learn about Jeremiah. And her excitement about him seeming like a good fit for us definitely helped my optimism.
8. What is the hardest part about adoption?
The hardest part about this adoption was having to leave Jeremiah each time I flew home from a visit. I felt like he was mine early on, so it was like leaving one of my own each time. And his placement at the time was not willing to help support the transition. So when I was not there, I was almost completely in the dark.
9. Describe the different emotions you experienced with the adoption?
It has always been all excitement and love. We really had a good time together when I would fly down to visit. The last month before the transition was really hard because I could not establish a line of communication with his placement at the time, and Jeremiah was having a hard time but I could not do anything to help support him.
10. How does Jeremiah feel about being in your home?
I have been surprised and elated at how well (and quickly) he has settled in, and how willing he has been to become part of our family. I can tell by the things he says and does, along with the progress he has made and walls he has torn down, that he is very happy to be somewhere where he can relax and focus on growing and exploring himself and who he wants to be.
11. How have other members of your extended family felt about your adoption?
One of the cool things about adoption is that we have grown our extended family as well as our immediate family. Sometimes it takes a little work, but it is fun to see extended family share in our excitement as we go and grow!
12. Please provide a personal quote about adoption?
I do not think I necessarily have a quote about adoption. But if I did, it would probably encourage parents to learn about and explore these kids’ interests and to be cautious about having too many expectations too early. I have realized that the more open and accepting I can be in the beginning, the easier it is to guide and coach later on.
13. What advice would you give to prospective adoptive parents?
One thing I always tell prospective parents is to be flexible. When you are dealing with humans and humanity, things rarely go according to plan. There is always a plan in place, because that is how the bureaucracy works. But the more flexible you can be, the easier it makes things.
14. Anything else you would like to say or add?
I have never regretted having a kiddo in my home. Every one I have had has been amazing in their own way. They each have their struggles and things to figure out. So sometimes they have a hard time knowing how to control and where to direct their anger and confusion. But if your actions have shown that you are here to help, they’ll almost always be grateful and loveable.
