HOPE — There are countless reasons to adopt. One of those is the life you will impact.
There are still thousands of kids waiting in foster care for the right.
November is National Adoption Awareness Month, and one mother from Hope, Indiana wants to share why she chose to give her son a life she couldn't provide.
Melissa Coles gave her son up for adoption more than 20 years ago when she found herself pregnant and alone at age 18.
Coles says she was close with her family, but she was afraid of what they would think, so she never told them what she was going through.
In fact, Cole managed to keep it a secret for more than 15 years.
Coles says she suffered in silence, and her goal now is to make sure no one does.
"I was 18-years-old when I found out I was pregnant," Coles said. "And I was unable to care for my child at that time because of unfortunate circumstances. I was on the abortion table, and my biological son was seconds away from being aborted."
Coles told RTV6 that she thought abortion was the only option until a social worker told her she could put her baby up for adoption.
"Knowing that he was going to be provided for in a way that I would not have been able to provide at that given time is what got me through the process," Coles said.
Their story is told in the documentary, 'I live on Parker Avenue.'
"When I came clean (about the pregnancy), and I came out, and I shared the story with everybody, my mom's expression, my daughter's expression that she's got a brother — they were all very supportive and they all said, 'why didn't you come to me? You wouldn't have been alone. It's OK."
Watch the moment Melissa Coles and David Scotton reunited almost 20 years after Coles put her son up for adoption in the video above.
"If you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, don't suffer in silence," Coles said. "You are not alone. There are so many resources, no matter what state you are in, there are pregnancy resources available that want to help you and cannot wait for that phone call."
Coles now travels around the country, telling her story to teens.
On November 22, the Indiana Adoption Program is hosting an adoption month celebration at the City-County Building.
