Mom Happily Adopts Long-awaited Son — Becomes a Widow in Just 10 Days

A couple was overjoyed when they decided to start their family the non-conventional way. They began their journey as foster parents, and after a few roadblocks, they welcomed an adorable baby into their hearts and home. But ten days later, an unfortunate incident turned everything topsy-turvy.

Tiffanie was 19 when she crossed paths with James, who was four years her senior. After being together for a year and a half, they tied the knot and couldn’t be happier to begin a new chapter of their lives. Twelve years later, in 2019, the couple decided to embrace parenthood through adoption.

After much thought, Tiffanie and James signed up for foster care and enrolled in training sessions, hoping to earn their license as soon as possible. After everything was finalized, the couple received their first placement in June 2020, which only lasted eight weeks.

The Unexpected Phone Call

Although things didn’t go as planned, and the aftermath deeply upset the Northeastern Ohio couple, they refused to give up. About four weeks later, they received an unexpected call from the caseworker about a six-year-old boy needing temporary placement.

But everything went downhill when she received a call from the hospital after Braxton left for school.

A Life-Altering Decision

Seeing it as a sign, Tiffanie and James agreed to take in the child, whose name was Braxton. At the time, the duo didn’t know that their temporary settlement could become permanent. Based on their experience, they knew what they were walking into, and they became Braxton’s full-time foster parents.

Soon afterward, they learned that Braxton’s time in foster care was over, and he had nowhere to go. It wasn’t long before the couple decided to adopt the boy and began working on the legal procedures. But it was easier said than done. The paperwork dragged on and ended up taking eight months.

An Unfortunate Happening

After constant delays, Tiffanie and James heaved a sigh of relief when Braxton’s social worker called them in July 2021, telling them they could move forward with adoption. As was expected, the couple was over the moon and couldn’t wait to make things official, but an unimaginable happening overshadowed their happiness.

James was diagnosed with cancer—a heartbreaking revelation that ambushed Tiffanie a few days before. Although her husband looked healthy on the surface, he was slowly deteriorating from within, having lost 50 pounds in a few months.

The Painful Diagnosis That Overshadowed Everything

After Tiffanie noticed a lump in her husband’s chest, they consulted the doctor, and he was diagnosed with melanoma. James underwent a surgical procedure a month later to remove the tumor, which had grown massively. While the duo hoped their worst nightmare was over, they were in for a surprise.

James took some more tests three weeks later, and the results confirmed that cancer had returned. Even more heartbreaking was that it made surgery nearly impossible—news that shattered Tiffanie’s heart into a million pieces. In the days to follow, her husband’s health rapidly declined.

James became so weak that he couldn’t walk and had to use a wheelchair. Meanwhile, things improved on the adoption front, and the duo welcomed Braxton officially on December 5, 2021. The virtual adoption hearing allowed James to attend the important event without traveling.

Watching Her World Fall Apart

In the following days, James’ health declined, and the doctors told him nothing more could be done. In a blog entry from September 3, 2021, a heartbroken Tiffanie noted how her world fell apart when she learned her husband could no longer participate in the clinical trial. She wrote:

“Then, James got a call. His cancer had already returned & because of that, he could no longer participate in the trial. What followed were three months of pulling out all the stops to try to save James’s life.”

Things Didn’t Work Out

In an earlier blog post, Tiffanie shared how she and her father sat in the clinic, waiting for James’ tumor removal. “As you know, things didn’t work out that way. We didn’t know then that the surgery only bought James more time,” added Tiffanie.

With a heavy heart, Tiffanie began overseeing arrangements for her husband to be moved to hospice. But everything went downhill when she received a call from the hospital after Braxton left for school. Tiffanie hurried to the hospital and stayed beside her husband till the last minute.

The Hardest Goodbye

On December 15, 2021, ten days after Braxton’s adoption and ten days before Christmas, James took his last breath, leaving his family forever crippled. Regarding her immense trauma, loss, and insurmountable grief, Tiffanie expressed:

“I was now thrown into a life I never wanted or expected. In my wildest nightmares, I never thought I would become a single mom and widow at 34 years old.”

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Everything changed for Tiffanie, and her moment of long-awaited joy also became a point of poignant loss and deep sorrow. She was left without the love of her life, with a child who needed her love, care, and support more than anything.

The distraught woman continued to share blog entries, translating her thoughts and feelings into words. On her 15th wedding anniversary, Tiffanie went down memory lane, recalling sweet moments from her honeymoon. She penned:

“I can’t help but wonder where we would be if James was still here.”

Going On without You

In another blog post from June 2022, Tiffanie described having lived six months without her better half. She reflected on her life with James and said she sometimes had difficulty telling apart reality from the fragments of her thoughts. A pain-stricken Tiffanie lamented:

“Six months of a different life. A life without you in it…There was no one quite like you & I will probably never come close to meeting someone like you again in this lifetime.”

Undoubtedly, it’s anything but easy to move on after the loss of a beloved, and we pray for Tiffanie’s peace of mind and heart. We’re sure James will always watch over his wife and son from the heavens. Please keep this family in your heartfelt thoughts and prayers.

Click here to read another story about a baby whose birth coincided with her dad’s death, and she had to visit his grave instead of receiving tender hugs.