Their Adoption Hearing Date Is Set
As happy as the couple was to meet Hunter, they would continue to ride one roller coaster of a ride over the following sixteen months. They spent months maneuvering the mountains of paperwork and bureaucratic red tape.
The year and a half involved hearings and meetings while they finalized paperwork for their case so that they could be seen by a judge. Their hearing was set for December 18, 2017 – only one week before Christmas.
Constant Stress
Still, being an adoptive parent isn't easy and can create a lot of stress for the family. The chance always exists that the biological parents will later come out and threaten the new family and try to win their child back.
This is what would ultimately happen to Tyler and Mandi, and they would soon realize that their little family wasn't official quite yet.
Meant to be Together
The moment that Tyler and Mandi met little Hunter, they knew that he was their meant-to-be son. They were going to do everything in their power to keep it that way.
As time went on and they grew more attached to their boy, they were committed to keeping their family together.
Whatever It Takes
When the family finally had their court date, they had already been together for 17 months. While this may not seem like a long time, when you're a parent creating a bond with a baby, it feels like way more.
The thought of having to give up this child whom you've spent over a year caring for is unbearable. However, Tyler and Mandi were a power couple and they were ready for whatever it would take.
The Best Cure
Tyler was still dealing with symptoms of PTSD from the time he spent serving in Afghanistan, and Mandi was still battling her own issues.
But for both their physical and mental pain, Hunter was the best medicine. He was “both of our reasons to fight the health battles that we have been given,” Mandi said.