Beyond the Box
Beyond the Box with Monica Kelsey is a powerful podcast dedicated to raising awareness, educating the public, and advocating for change in the fight against infant abandonment. Hosted by Monica Kelsey, Founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, this podcast dives deep into real stories, expert insights, and the life-saving impact of Safe Haven laws and baby box programs across the country.
Each episode features compelling conversations with firefighters, legal experts, healthcare professionals, policymakers, adoptive families, and even mothers who have used Safe Haven Baby Boxes. Together, they shed light on the challenges, victories, and ongoing efforts to provide safe, legal, and anonymous surrender options for parents in crisis.
From heartwarming rescue stories to policy discussions shaping the future, Beyond the Box is a must-listen for anyone passionate about saving lives and supporting vulnerable infants.
Beyond the Box
A Police Officer, A Nurse, And The Baby Box That Built A Family
A single email on spring break flipped our world: a newborn had been safely surrendered in a Baby Box, and we were asked to interview that night. Between a police station with spotty reception and a nurse’s instinct, we said a shaking, courageous yes. What began as a late-night Zoom became a story of rescue, resilience, and a family remade—twice.
We walk through the moments that matter: the training gaps first responders face around Safe Haven laws, the medical unknowns that shadowed the first days, and the kindness of a foster family who taught us newborn basics while we waited on a court order. You’ll hear how community rallied—diapers, formula, a nursery built in a weekend—and how National Adoption Day turned our living room into a media hub. We also take on the hard questions: how to tell a child her origin story without shame, how to honor a birth mother’s love and anonymity, and how to balance privacy with public education so more mothers know there’s a safe option.
Maya’s health journey moved from fear to awe as EEGs normalized and milestones stacked up, revealing a bright, strong-willed, hilarious kid who wakes up ready to take on the day. And the story kept growing. We revisit our earlier IVF chapter, transfer mosaic embryos once considered too risky, grieve the loss of twins, and welcome a healthy daughter at 37 weeks. That arc—from surrender to adoption to birth—threads together faith, community, and a simple family motto: open heart, open hands, open home.
If you care about Safe Haven Baby Boxes, adoption ethics, first responder readiness, or the everyday grit of building a family, this conversation offers practical insight and a steady stream of hope. Press play, share it with someone who needs encouragement, and help us spread awareness of Safe Haven options. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what part of this story stayed with you?
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We actually got an email uh while we were in Florida uh about his breakup about a baby was surrendered. I was like, oh, a baby, a Bruce the baby. You know, and he was like, Yeah, right, what would we do with a baby right now? And after the interview, you know, Bruce was like, So what would we name her? And like, oh whoa, whoa, whoa. We like can't even, you know, my heart can't handle.
SPEAKER_01:I remember watching the news, thinking to myself, my gosh, these guys have got to be like exhausted because Fox News was c I mean, every news outlet in America was literally showing you guys in front of a Christmas tree, I believe. You were blessed with two babies through foster care. And then Christ did just something amazing. So tell us about that. So this is Monica Kelsey from Beyond the Box. We are in the studio today with a family who was blessed from a baby in a box. Welcome to Beyond the Box with Monica Kelsey.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you, and uh thanks for having us.
SPEAKER_01:It's always good to see you guys. I feel like this thing's like right in my face. I'm gonna blow it down just a little bit. So, Bruce and Shelby, for those of you know the people who are watching that may not know who you are, why are you guys so important to Monica Kelsey?
SPEAKER_00:You want to answer that?
SPEAKER_03:We got one of Monica's babies. We were blessed with one of Monica's babies.
SPEAKER_01:So you were blessed quite a few years ago. Uh and and so let's go back to before you were blessed. Had you ever heard of safe haven baby boxes before?
SPEAKER_00:No.
SPEAKER_01:I don't think so.
SPEAKER_00:And and you're a police officer in the state of Indiana, city of Mishawaka. Um kind of heard of the safe haven law, uh, but didn't really know too much about it. Uh, never really applied it with any of our calls that I've gone to. So first time ever hearing a safe haven baby box was when we got a call uh for a baby.
SPEAKER_01:So so and and being a police officer, you know the safe haven law, you know? But did any, and this is one of the things that we talk about when we go into fire stations and hospitals. Did anyone ever do training with you guys?
SPEAKER_00:No.
SPEAKER_01:See, that's the problem in America today. It's like we go in and we train, and it's like these people have been doing the safe haven law for 25 years. I had no idea what they were doing, and they were just supposed to figure it out. Yeah. And it's like, but yet we're expecting them to get it right. You know, and so being a firefighter, it's like, you know, you you do the best you can and you kind of roll with it. But sometimes a mother in crisis, you can roll the wrong way. You you really can. And and so education is key, and that's one of the things that we really work hard on. And so that doesn't surprise me that that Michaelka Police Department probably didn't train on it. They probably just expected that you would know it. Yep. But now I'm sure everybody on the police department knows the safe haven law.
SPEAKER_00:Yes. Uh, you know, after we were able to be on some different news and uh opportunity to share the story, and it it's gotten around uh not just in Michaelka, not just in our community, but you know, nationally too. So it's been good recognition about the the law and also safe haven baby boxes.
SPEAKER_01:So had you, Shelby, had you heard about the baby boxes prior to so but you yeah, so you work in healthcare, and so did you know about the safe haven law?
SPEAKER_03:I did actually, yes, but I had never heard of any baby that actually was safely surrendered. So did you did they do training with you guys, or is this just something that you learn like through passing? Surely at some point, you know, working in the emergency room as a nurse, I I was familiar with it, right? When I we we got an email that there was a safe haven baby, and so I I instinctively knew what that was, uh, but definitely had no clue about the box and and and really didn't know a lot about it or any personal right.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so let's go back to the day that uh uh you guys got the call. And I'm trying to remember here, but it was pretty early on that you guys got the call that a baby had been surrendered in a baby box in Indiana. And so take me back to that day, who got the call first? Because you guys were you guys were foster parents, yeah, right?
SPEAKER_00:So okay, so take a look at the we started as as foster parents uh to in the process of our season of weight of having our own children. We wanted to love on other people's children. There was an opportunity for our foster child to become an adoptive child. So then we went from being a foster parent to a foster adoptive child. And uh in that those years, in that process, uh we eventually adopted our foster child. And uh I remember that was in March. So in April of 2022, we're out on spring break celebrating and thanking God that uh he has grown our family and uh we were content and happy and celebrating that. And uh shortly later on that same week of celebrating our our new daughter and our family, um, we get a call. And uh to be honest with you, uh someone had called and said, Hey, we want to uh interview for a baby that was surrendered in a box. And uh I was kind of thrown off. And uh I I think I I remember one night maybe I shouldn't. Yeah, you should probably share the story because it's probably gonna make me look not that yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. So we actually we actually got an email uh while we were in Florida about a baby break. Autos breakup about a baby was surrendered. I was like, oh, a baby, a bruise the baby, you know, and he was like, Yeah, right, what would be with a baby right now, you know, and and thinking, oh, there's everybody wants to adopt babies. There was no way, right? So it and we had just again, we were so contented, we thought that was what our life was gonna be, just the three of us. And so apparently, Bruce, when we got back from vacation, got a call. But he told me like it was like 10 o'clock at night, I'm asleep. He's like, Oh, hey, by the way, I got a I got a phone call about that baby. You remember that email we got? And it was they wanted us to know if we want to adopt it or something. I don't an interview, and I I was half asleep. Like, I don't even really remember. I'm like, yeah, uh, okay. Going to bed, nothing, right? The next day, I get a phone call, right?
SPEAKER_00:They didn't refer to the little booker. I think I was just more in shock and surprise and like, wow, is this possible? Or what's the probability of being selected?
SPEAKER_03:Typical man.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Typical man. Yeah, yeah. What whatever the reason, whatever the reason. Uh yeah. So anyway, so then I returned the call and on my day off the next day then. And um, and anyway, I was out and she was like, uh I was out taking our grandma to the lab. I remember getting the call. And and she was like, Well, today is the last day we can interview a family. Your name, you know, came up. We're we really want to interview your family, but you know, how quickly can you be there? And I'm like, Oh, well, well, where are you? And she was like an hour away. And and I'm like, okay, well, I gotta take grandma back home, you know, I gotta pick up you know, Bruce's at work, trying to figure out the logistics. And she was like, Well, we've never done this before, but do you think you could do an interview? You and your husband could interview virtually on Zoom. And I was like, Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. We could I can make that happen. Here's the time, we figured it out. So I take grandma back home. I go to Bruce's work where he is, and I'm like, baby, you just I need an hour of your time. We're we're gonna sit in your office and and you didn't even tell anybody what we were doing. So we got interrupted like three times. I'm like, Bruce, they're never gonna choose us to be mommy and daddy to these babies because you're not taking this too seriously, right? So he played hard to get and you know, wasn't even committed during the interview. Uh, but then to our surprise, just a couple hours later, you know, we shared our story, and a couple hours later, then we got the phone call that they had chosen our family to adopt this little girl.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my gosh. Yeah. How bad do you feel, Bruce? How bad do you feel?
SPEAKER_00:You almost happy that Maya is part of our life now, and uh it worked out. You know You might have been divorced. Like we're so thankful God's in control and He can work all things out.
SPEAKER_03:So it's funny because we just didn't think it was even the possibility. It just wasn't on the floor. So what day was that?
SPEAKER_00:Wow, how it was right before Easter. So oh yeah, because um she was it was like a Tuesday or Wednesday. Yeah. And then it was a few days later.
SPEAKER_01:Friday we got to go meet. Yes. But now was she still in the hospital at that time? No. So she was with the foster family at that time. Okay. So you guys probably seen the story that a baby had been saved in a box.
SPEAKER_00:Not even, because it was even though it was in the state of Indiana, it was in a couple counties over. So it was one of those things that never really wasn't part of my algorithm or my news feed to to see at the time. So but now I see a lot of things pertaining to it.
SPEAKER_01:So okay, so you guys had no idea that there was even a baby surrendered until you got the email. Yeah, the email when you guys were on spring break. Wow.
SPEAKER_03:And we had gotten emails because we were fostered off to parents. We had, you know, we would routinely get emails of children needing care, right? So I I only really made mention of it or noticed it because it was a a baby, yeah, right. Well, and everybody wants a baby.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_00:Everybody wants a baby. And when we heard that it was, we were select what one of two families that were selected to be interviewed for the possibility of a uh adoption. Obviously, there were some medical concerns initially.
SPEAKER_03:And after the interview, you know, Bruce was like, So what would be namer? And like, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. We like can't even, you know, my heart can't handle even going down.
SPEAKER_00:Fero to 100. So she was like, whoa, whoa, we can't even I my heart can't handle that. Let's not even not until we actually get confirmation. Then am I even gonna consider realizing what the the name would be?
SPEAKER_01:So you get the call. Yeah, did you guys even put in for her?
unknown:No.
SPEAKER_01:Or somebody just picked your name out of this.
SPEAKER_00:We don't even we were on an adoptive list in the state of Indiana because we had just recently adopted, and that was another thing. We're like, we just adopted. There's so many families out there that haven't yet been blessed. I'm sure they're gonna choose someone else. So it was a complete surprise.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it's kind of like what is the I mean, I don't think anybody really knows the Department of Child Services list or how it works. No, you know, because we get this story all the time where they're like, I don't know who put our name in, but we got this call. And and I think it was episode 10 or 11 with the Barkmans, same situation. Nobody put them in, and then all of a sudden they get a call that this this little boy is is available to be adopted, and and they're like, Great, you know, like this is awesome, but who told you we were adopting, you know? But they were foster parents, so kind of like you guys, that's just that's just amazing. Okay, so they call you, you interview, you get a call back a few hours later. Did you get the call? I did, yeah. And then did you call him and say, you almost screwed this up? Like you almost messed this up for us.
SPEAKER_03:Ready or not? Here we go.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, ready or not.
SPEAKER_03:Um and then the interview is when we learned, you know, that that she was medically fragile, that that she had what they had told us in the interview was that they had found a mass in her brain that she was on medicine for seizures. So we really didn't know, you know, neurologically what that would look like from a long-term standpoint, right? So we were really saying, yeah, a scary yes, you know, a courageous yes, because we just we really didn't know what her health long term would would be like. Right. But we just felt uniquely equipped to handle a medically fragile child with you know my background in nursing. And do you think maybe that's why you were chosen? Who knows, maybe.
SPEAKER_00:I I do like and you know, I mentioned that, but we all know that who knows other than God.
SPEAKER_03:But uh we just are convinced it was the Lord's standard in our family. That's our apps for sure. Yeah, that definitely would be Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. Okay, so you get the call and they say we've chosen you or family, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:But that was then, you know, the holiday weekend with Easter coming up, so we had to wait uh until they could go back and get the court order. Uh but the foster family who you know took care of her for the rest of it, yeah, was was able to, you know, they contacted us and then we were able to go see her before, but we couldn't bring her home just yet. So you got to visit her.
SPEAKER_00:They really thought it was very important to do skin on skin and get that kind of connection and that attachment. Um, and they were a great family.
SPEAKER_03:And oh, they were such a sweet gift to us. You know, we didn't our our oldest daughter, Kaya, you know, came to us through foster care at five. So she was potty trained and she slept through the night. And she ate. Yeah, real food. Yeah, yeah. And so quite different.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_03:We had nothing, you know, we didn't have, you know, we didn't know. And so yeah, the foster, you know, mom and dad were just so gracious to us and came alongside and taught us, you know, how to be a mommy to and daddy to a newborn. And so sweet. They had a little girl, their oldest was the same age as ours. And she was just like a second mommy, you know, and she just loved on her and was such a good example, a role model for for our daughter of how to be a big sister. So it was, you know, even though that was that was hard to not be able to have her right away, their how they welcomed us into our into their home and and came alongside us, it was a sweet gift, Lord.
SPEAKER_01:Do you stay in contact with them? We do, yes. Of course.
SPEAKER_03:They keep to her adoption party.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, of course. Okay, so so how old was Maya when you got to meet her for the first time? Two, yeah, two weeks old, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:It was the 21st, and she was born on April 2nd. So almost three weeks. Okay. Almost three weeks, okay.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so you you get the call and then you call Bruce. Now, how what's is does Bruce think talk talk me through this?
SPEAKER_00:So we had already planned that evening that we were going to go, she was gonna have a girls' night, and I was gonna do something with our girls. So you were with your friends.
SPEAKER_03:I had Kaya, yes.
SPEAKER_00:And I had Kaya at the time.
SPEAKER_03:Because we had asked Kaya what she had thought.
SPEAKER_00:Yes. So she was out with dinner with uh one of her girlfriends and called and said, ready or not, um, they we got selected and I was like, when do we get to meet her? And um, you know.
SPEAKER_03:What were you thinking though?
SPEAKER_00:Were you feeling uh surprised uh because I felt like as we explained, like I was like, there's no way that you know that interview, I felt like we I will I walked out in the middle of it, you know, to attend to some calls uh because I did not take myself out of service. Um and then also in the building we were in had no reception in some spots, so it was very spotty. So they could barely be connected when we were talking about the interviews and stuff like that. So I was just like, man, there's no way.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, surprise for sure.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:So you so you get the call though that you you were selected, and I guess I don't want to say this in a wrong way, but is it a congratulations? Like, is it a uh is it I mean, are you like, oh what is gonna happen, you know, what kind of feeling is it?
SPEAKER_00:Super excited, and I was like, wow, this is amazing. You know, this is something that we have prayed for to have our own child, a baby.
SPEAKER_01:But you just went and adopted one child, and now like two months later, they're like, Oh, here's another one for you. Like one month, one month. Yeah, one month. And so what is your as a dad, it's like you've gotta provide now for two more, you know.
SPEAKER_00:And I would say because we had such a great support and community with our church and and uh family and stuff, um and friends, that I didn't really think of that. Now it was when uh Maya came home and it was lined up with Shelby not feeling well, and then here I am not even knowing, having experience with the baby, not knowing how to change a diaper, do any of those care things, and that's when oh wow, this is this is a lot. So uh that was an interesting start of the family.
SPEAKER_01:So you uh you get to bring her home and um of course everybody wants to meet her, right? So you have you have tons of family over at this point, right? Does everybody get to meet her right away? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:They probably couldn't wait because I well and you know, some some adoptive families are, you know, they're i bonding is really important, right? And and they do the cocooning and we've just I don't know, that's just hasn't that's not our personalities. We're just like, oh, look at this blessing.
SPEAKER_00:We're gonna share the blessing with others, yes.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, so we we were yeah, we're so blessed with people just kinda yeah, coming in and I we didn't buy diapers or formula probably for the first six months.
SPEAKER_00:Easy six months, just because everyone just loved on our and and literally we had nothing, right?
SPEAKER_03:Like we had a crib, uh but that was all we had. And so, you know, there's there's a lot of things, people, yeah. Yeah, and and truly, truly we we really didn't have to purchase much. Our friend, one of our my best friends, came and set up a the nursery. She put a like a registry. We're a registry, yeah. She put a registry together for you and out of that. She put a registry for us together. I I didn't even know what we needed. And and she just did it all. It was kind of yeah, yeah. So we were abundantly blessed with things.
SPEAKER_01:And you couldn't tell anybody outside of your family, yes. So you the people who you really, you know, love the most got to know her, but you had to be careful of who else you told. Sure. Because if it got out, obviously they could pull her from you, and that's the one thing that you of course didn't want. So what was that like not being able to tell anyone the extra details when people would meet you?
SPEAKER_03:Well, I think for us it was more the what was harder was the first 30 days. You know, because we had that desire, I had that desire in my heart to be a mom for so long. And with, you know, especially with the fostering, just really being open-handed and you know, surrendering my plans and just trusting and and waiting. And so, you know, knowing that at any point, you know, this mom, you know, could come back. And and obviously that's what's best for the baby. We want that, but just not until that was for sure she was ours. I think that was the hardest part. You know, how long did the adoption actually take?
SPEAKER_00:Interesting enough, I think we could have adopted sooner, but November 18th of 2022 was National Adoption Day. And locally with us adopting uh Kaya earlier in that year, they were like, Well, let's push it on, if you don't mind, to make it kind of a bigger story and really highlight that National Adoption Day in the St. Joseph County. Um, so we waited until November 18th to officially adopt her.
SPEAKER_01:And then the whirlwind starts. Yeah. And then the whirlwind starts when they the media gets hold gets a hold of it and realizes that this was a baby that was placed in a in a baby box. And for some reason, that's the draw with the media. You know, it's like they want to know the stories, they want to see the hope on the other side. And uh Maya is proof that, you know, there is hope on the other side of that box, you know? And so tell me what that was like because that was a whirlwind for you guys. I remember watching the news, thinking to myself, my gosh, these guys have got to be like exhausted because Fox News was called I mean, every news outlet in America was literally showing you guys in front of a Christmas tree, I believe.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yes, yeah, because it was so close, obviously, to Thanksgiving and then Christmas or the holidays. Yeah, we were getting reached out and we're like, People magazine wants the, you know, a story. And we were we were shocked and surprised, but we were excited to be able to share the story and to then, like you said, initially starting this podcast, uh, where education and informing others that there is an alternative, there is an option out there, and to even just uh let people know about the safe haven law. Um, so that was just an opportunity to kind of share that and and get more publicity on that.
SPEAKER_01:So was there negative publicity?
SPEAKER_00:You know, interesting enough, I'd read the comments about some of the things on social media, um, and I would bring it up to show like, oh, that's something I had never really considered. I do remember one of the uh person interviewing had asked, you know, are you gonna tell her her story as she grows up? And I'm like, Well, I'm I'm eventually gonna Google and she'll see this interview story. And he goes, Yeah, you're probably right.
SPEAKER_03:So I think we've never thought about it like that. That's just a part of of her story. Why would why would we withhold that information? That's that's who she is. That's you know, God redeemed, and and it's a beautiful story. We we want her to know that. So it just never even crossed our mind that to not tell her.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, and I think for kids today, they are just hungry for change and for being some people look at it as being different is not a good thing. I think different is good. Yeah, you know, I mean, I think people are looking for stories of of of difference that they can wrap their hearts around and just find inspiration in that. And I think with Maya, that's what they're going to see. You know, because on one hand, you have a birth mom that loved this child so much that she entrusted her with another mother. And then on this side, you have an adoptive family that is loving one child so much that you know, placing another child, you you don't think you would have enough love for another child, but you have so much love for two children now. And, you know, hopefully her birth mom saw this story because I think any mother that's seen this story would find inspiration in it and hopefully peace because she is loved, she is happy, she is healthy, you know, and and she's just living her best life, literally. And I'll tell you, one thing about Maya that just never gets old is her her spunk. Like she just comes up with some crap. Like she is just that's the perfect word for her. Because the one picture, and if it's okay if I show it on this podcast of her in front of the baby, like, hello, this is my box, like this is where I came from. You know, it's like she's just like she's just embracing this. And I can see her doing that for the rest of her life, just embracing the story of hers, of of showing that there's hope, again, showing the hope on the other side of the box, which is her. You know, really it's it's it's her. Hope is on the other side of the box and her name is written all over it. And so I do hope that that her birth mom gets to see that um and find the peace that she needs to move on. Um, because there are there are moms that are looking for that peace. You know, we had a uh a mom that we're gonna be sharing her story before long, where um she messaged us to give us a life update. And it was a couple years prior that she had surrendered in one of our boxes, and um, and this was a couple years down the road. And and in this this life update letter, she says, I'm finally at peace. And it's like when you get those words sent to us um because of what we're doing to help, it just makes it so much it just makes it so special for us because we know that we're doing the right thing. I mean, she went through some of our counseling, and um, you know, she's been somebody that's texted me, you know, at odd times of the day, and I respond I my phone to these these moms is I treat them like they're my friends because I want them to know that I have their back. You know, and so but I don't know Maya's mom. You know, I don't, and that's the beauty of the baby box is she has the opportunity to tell us who she is, and she has the opportunity to remain anonymous, and she's chosen to remain anonymous. And maybe one day I think, you know, we'll be able to know her name and and know who she is, and maybe, you know, be able to give that information to Maya when she's older. But if if she doesn't, Maya's still gonna know that she was loved so much by a mother that cared for her and and entrusted her to you. You know. So tell me about Maya. Tell me what is some of your favorite memories of Maya and some of the things that you just like, oh my gosh, where did this come from?
SPEAKER_03:You know, like Yeah, I joke right now, you know, she's three, and so I I joke that she is the best part of my day, and it's true, but she also can be the most challenging part of my day. She is so fun. She just has so much joy. She loves life. She loves, she's so stinking smart, she loves to learn. She loves people, she is such a social butterfly. Um, and she is so strong-willed, which, you know, that's why, right? She she persevered so much as a little bitty peanut, right? As a newborn, overcoming a neonatal stroke. And, you know, she is uh just overcome so much. She's a fighter. And um, so she's gonna do big things, but she might get into big trouble first. We'll see. She might be grounding in a lot of her teen years, but uh but no, no, she is she's so strong and uh witty and fun, and yeah, she's truly a joy to to parent for sure.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, to go along with what Shelby had shared, she is perfectly healthy, which is amazing and it's praising God's beginning nothing from the beginning.
SPEAKER_03:Well, so she still has the strokes. There's an area and infarct in her brain, but the other areas, you know, neurologically, the other areas of her brain have compensated, and so she has no neurological defects.
SPEAKER_00:So she's in all of her mild.
SPEAKER_03:Just a miracle, and all of her EEGs have been normal.
SPEAKER_00:When she wakes up, she's loud and she is on the go. She's not, you know, genetically versus, but she she does take on a lot of my personality and my character. And um what's interesting is uh because she was she wasn't uh she was formula because of the birth mouth um I had the privilege and and honor to really feed her in the middle of the night and really be part of that. So we always joke that the reason that she kind of resembles me and she has um my brown eyes and stuff is because you know I've always looked at her face and you know was always staring at her.
SPEAKER_03:So she And would literally say, You're gonna look just like me and you girl.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, it's interesting that you say that because there's a lot of people that think she looks a lot like you. Yeah and and I'm sure you're just beaming up to the side, just saying, Yep, yep, she sure does.
SPEAKER_00:And I had given uh Kaya, our our 11-year-old daughter, um, a card this morning. Um, and it was just uh a card that just said, Hey, um, just want to say I'm thinking about one of my favorite people. Or uh, and uh wrote some encouraging words in it. And this morning on the way to school, she goes, So Maya's not your favorite anymore. So I go, Well, Kaya, you're one of my favorite people, and and Maya is one of my favorite three-year-olds. So I have to share my favoritism with all my girls.
SPEAKER_01:She's my favorite three-year-old, and you're my favorite 11-year-old.
SPEAKER_00:11-year-old. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:But you know, it's interesting because they uh they're they're very smart, they catch everything at that age, you know. So she's gonna pick up on things where you're like, man, why did I say that? You know? So so you you were blessed with uh two you were blessed with two babies through foster care. And then Christ did just something amazing. So tell us about that.
SPEAKER_00:So interestingly enough, we were foster parents in 2018, got our first placement in 2019. Um, and that was just uh foster to in our season of wait.
SPEAKER_03:Season of weight, you know, and help somebody else when we while we were waiting. Yeah, so not for with the heart of adoption.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So uh with our um story of infertility, uh, we decided to do IVF in 2020. And before Maya came to you. Yes, before Maya. And before we adopted Kaya, he was just our foster parent, our foster child at that time.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, so Kaya was with us along the journey, and so she was she was actually, you know, praying for a baby sister um as we were, you know, going through and helping me with you know the injections and all the appointments and all the things. She she was with us for that journey, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:The IVF um process in 2020 wasn't successful, but we still had some embryos, and then it just so happened during that process, we were able to adopt Kaya and then obviously Maya. Just uh in 2024, if I've got the math right, um, we decided, you know, I think our tagline in this whole journey is what's our no. You know, Shelby said this it's a big yes, but it was really what's our no. So when I said, Hey, were we going to transfer the rest of those embryos uh in hopes to see if our family will grow that way, it came back to that saying of what's our no. And uh knowing that we weren't getting any younger, um, so uh we were able to transfer those, and that's a story in itself, but it's a it's a it's a good story in which you know on February 13th of 2025, just this year, we have Eliana and uh Shelby really love the name Eliana because it means uh God has answered, and so yeah, his his faithful yeah, faithfulness.
SPEAKER_03:So the the reason why we didn't transfer the Those embryos back in 2020 was because there was actually they were abnormal embryos. And at that point, research didn't really support transferring those just because of the increased risk for you know medical issues, genetic issues. So that was kind of our and we were going through all of this with fostering. It was not easy. If you know, Kaya was praying for a baby sister, and then at one of the visits, her mom biological mom comes running up and is like, You're gonna be a big sister. And Kaya looks at me and looks at my belly because that's what she'd been praying for, you know? And so it was just it was it was heart-wrenching as then her mom, her biological mom had two other babies that she got to keep, you know, that were silicon GB with mom. And so again, just heart-wrenching and just a heart of surrender, of surrendering our plans and and walking in obedience uh to the Lord. And so so we had these abnormal embryos, and we're like, okay, here we are, where what are we gonna do with them? Right. And we'd always said at some point we'll transfer them. But back at 2020, emotionally, financially, all the things you know were happening in 2020. Yeah, we you know, we kind of put that on hold. And and so here we were, you know, Maya's two, and and so we some science caught up a little bit, and these mosaic embryos are like, there's actually a chance. And so again, we just we transferred all three embryos. Uh the the reproductive and endocrinologist did two of them implanted, one split into two.
SPEAKER_00:So in the first ultrasound that we received.
SPEAKER_03:We were pregnant with triplets.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, we had three heartbeats. Three heartbeats, which we're and so then we're like, oh my god, I could write this story. We were kind of like oh wow, kids to five, you know. How how like what were we gonna do with three kids at once? Like, this is this is a lot.
SPEAKER_03:Somebody's retiring. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But God provides, right? Like, and that's how we feel about Maya too of like, whoa, what are we gonna do? I had a I was working, he was working, how we don't we don't do babies, and like, okay, but God provides, and and he was so faithful to do that. And so that's all we felt about the triplets too. Um, but then we ended up losing uh the the twins. And so little Eliana, yeah, it was just such a a miracle. It was a high-risk pregnancy, you know, all through um just thinking, oh, are we gonna lose her too? And there was complications and ended up having to, you know, have a a C-section and early 37 weeks, but she's healthy and doing well. And yeah, here we are with with three girls and our hearts and hands are overfull, overflowing.
SPEAKER_01:So, how does it feel to have three females in your home and you sometimes it's a little overwhelming?
SPEAKER_00:Um, there's there's a quote that we use. Uh, it's there's a lot going on. There's a lot happening right now. A lot. We used to say that in the daily. Yeah, we say that when I when I come in from work and and I see that the the house has been played in and uh that's a good word played in. Yeah, it's been played in. I do like that. Yeah. Uh and just it looks like chaos because you know, as a first responder, our roles are to go in and and and fix chaos and take control. And when I go in and it appears to be out of control, but that's just kids being kids, I kind of go like, oh man, this is a lot going on. Um, but uh sanctifying for sure. It's been a blessing.
SPEAKER_03:Bruce, Bruce doesn't always um as a first responder to and just as upbringing, feelings are hard for him.
SPEAKER_00:So I can suppress a lot and I don't really ex express a lot. Um but having three girls. But having three girls has opened up my opportunity to have emotions and uh wait till they're in their all in their teens. I mean you're I have being 11, she's she's already that preteen, so uh yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah. I'm gonna pray for you.
SPEAKER_03:No, he's a great girl dad. He really is. They're blessed to have him as a as a daddy for sure.
SPEAKER_01:You know, interesting enough, your story is almost like my story. So my uh mom and dad that they actually had a uh a little boy back in 1970 that passed away the day after he was born. My mom was a type one diabetic. And so back in those days, they were like, do not have any more kids because you could lose your life and the life of your child. And so they they put in to adopt. And so they get this call, you know, that uh uh a little girl needed a home. And so they said yes to me. And then my older sister surprisingly was in foster care and they got her, and then they got pregnant. And my, you know, as my my family's a pro-life family, they would never think of terminating. And so now we have my sister. So my dad had three daughters, and so yeah, so one bathroom in our nine room house was challenging. Yeah, you know, it was very challenging. But he always had a boy dog. We always had a boy dog, it was always Scotty or Pepper, you know, it was like something male in the house besides my dad. Uh, but your story is kind of like our story back in the day, you know, two adopted one one biochild. Uh it's kind of funny because when I speak now, I talk about being adopted, you know, and and I say I was chosen. My parents were stuck with my younger sister because they didn't have a choice, you know. And so I'm sure maybe that's probably what Maya's gonna say when she's a little bit older. Oh, she knows that you guys were stuck with.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And she was chosen. So well, so what's next for you guys?
SPEAKER_00:What's all in God's hands on this? Uh, a lot of people ask, you know, is is the is dying. Yeah, is it growing? Um as of now, it's just in in in God's hands, you know. We we kind of have an open, open hand, open heart, an open home uh philosophy.
SPEAKER_03:So you know, a decade ago, we would have told you, you know, we want one boy, one girl, and we're done, and that's just what we're gonna do. And we've we've decided to stop making plans because God makes that's not working for you.
SPEAKER_00:And the whole story, and it it's been amazing. And you know, you you guys have brought up the uh biological mom and uh parents, and that's part of their story. And uh one thing that you know with Kaya was that we want her to if it's healthy and safe, we want her to have a relationship with her mom because that is part of her story, and that is part of her family. And just as you shared, um, you know, our girls, well, Kaya and Maya, they have two moms that love them. Uh one mom that loved them enough to surrender them, and uh obviously Shelby uh loving them enough to to bring them on as her own and and and stuff, so which is just an amazing thing, you know, for for those two girls, you know, to grow up with this story of hope.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, there is hope on the other side, you know, and I think both of these girls, all three of your girls really are gonna see that. Yeah, you know, how blessed they are to be a family, you know. Yeah, even siblings, you know. I'm sure there's gonna be tons of fights, especially with three girls. Can you relate to that? Like are you speaking about science? 100%, you know. I I can tell you stories of my my sisters. See, I was the middle child, I was like Maya, you know. I that's why you love her so much. Oh man, I was like the the one that well the other day I was with my mom and she's like, you know, I always thought I would be bailing you out of jail. And I'm like, mom, that is not something you want to tell my audience. Like, they already hate me. Some of these people are haters, you know, they're gonna go looking for an arrest record somewhere right now. And but you know, I wasn't the perfect child. I I challenged everything. And I can see Maya doing that, challenging everything, um, but being one of the most loyal people that you will ever find in your life with a purpose, you know, because she's got a purpose. You know, I always say that one day I'm gonna have to retire. I'm gonna have to walk away from this place that I've built from blood and sweat and tears. And my heart, my my goal for this place is that one of these kids that has been placed in one of our boxes will take this place to the next level and save more kids, maybe not just in the United States, but maybe around the world. Amen. And that would be just an amazing, you know, just an amazing blessing, Christ-driven, you know, um, mission for one of these kids.
SPEAKER_00:And we see that story already being written, obviously with Maya. Because of Maya and us adopting Maya, that is what opened up the opportunity for Shelby's mom, Sue Tingle, down in Texas to get a baby box in her town down there. And just to see that that's because of just one adoption and how that can affect other family members and other friends and uh acquaintances to see that there is like, wait, we need this here. Like, we see how much joy that can bring, how much love and hope that can bring, and and not just the birth parents' uh life, but in adoptive parents' life and in the community. And then that is a prime example of it's all that story's already been written. It's already happening right here and now.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and you know, I can't wait to see where Christ takes us next. I really can't. Yeah, I was speaking last night in Greenwood, Indiana, and that's exactly what I said. I can't wait. You know, people often say, What's your five-year goal? I don't have a five-year, I don't know where the hell I'm gonna be in five years. Christ is driving the bus. It's like I'm just the passenger. Wherever he drives me to is where I'm gonna end up. And I know that I'm in the safest vehicle out there, so I'm gonna end up wherever he uh uh is gonna drive me to to get to that place where he needs me to be. And uh, but how blessed are we to be, you know, a part of this story that he has just intricately put together beyond our control, but for his glory.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's his redemptive love, and we see it with with with God and how we are, if we are adoptive children of God and how he has adopted us and he calls us to do that same thing to just love on people and uh you know, love them into the adoption of uh of God's family.
SPEAKER_01:So Well, Mother Teresa said it best that he did not call us to be successful, he called us to be faithful. I think that's what we're doing. Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you guys for coming. Thank you for driving all this way and uh and letting us, you know, hear your story and hope for Maya.
SPEAKER_00:Well, Monica, we have to thank you because if it wasn't for you and your driven passion to uh make these boxes, what, uh just 10 years ago?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And see where it's gone in ten years. But if it wasn't for you, we would not have had our first baby. And so we're thankful for you and for Safe Haven Baby Box and not just you, but your husband and all the people that the team that have made it what it is now. So God has truly blessed you. Um, so thank you.
SPEAKER_01:Well, to God be the glory for all we've accomplished. Well, this is Monica Kelsey from Beyond the Box with the story of hope with Shelby and Bruce and their little Maya and their ever-growing family. God bless you guys. Thank you guys so much for joining us. And if you guys would like to be a part of the story and support Safe Haven Baby Boxes ministry across this country, you can go to SHBB and make a donation today. God bless you guys. We'll see you guys next time.