San Antonio, TX – Logan Slaughter, 34, and Todd Alessandro, 41, had long awaited a little miracle in their lives – a baby to call their own. With two prior matches being disrupted and knowing the devastations within their adoption process, both Slaughter and Alessandro weren’t sure if they’d ever be able to become parents.
In December of 2022, the highly-anticipated moment finally came for the anxious couple. At last, they were matched. The expectant mother lived in San Antonio, Texas, and was due with a baby on July 8, 2023. Slaughter and Alessandro were so thrilled, eagerly preparing for their journey from New York to Texas. After three long years and countless walks by an empty nursery beckoning to be filled, they were finally going to have their miracle baby.
On Monday, May 22, at 10:00 a.m., Slaughter and Alessandro were enjoying a day together in their hometown of Westchester County, NY, when they unexpectedly received a call that would forever change their world – their birth mom went into labor several weeks early and they needed to be on a plane right away.
“We had eleven minutes to pack a bag and get to the airport,” Alessandro said. “It’s the phone call you wait for and then when it happens, you actually really don’t know what to do.”
That same evening, Slaughter and Alessandro arrived in San Antonio and nervously made their way to the NICU at the Methodist Hospital Metropolitan Women’s Pavilion to meet their newborn daughter, Chloè. “We couldn’t believe she was finally here. It was such an emotional day for us!” said Alessandro.
Not realizing how quickly this moment would come, Alessandro and Slaughter felt overwhelmed. They credit the supportive hospital staff with helping them start their new lives as parents to not only a baby, but a baby in the NICU.
“This hospital [Methodist Hospital Metropolitan] has been just phenomenal. From the moment we walked in, they greeted us at the door and were so prepared for us and Chloè,” said Slaughter. “We chose to be here most of the day for her feedings and so we got to know everyone here and they’ve been nothing but supportive. Not only that, they were well-versed in the adoption process. The care for Chloè’s mom was equally as important for us too, because this is not transactional. They were very respectful, supportive – we’ve had an exceptionally amazing experience here.”
Although Chloè’s arrival was a happy moment, the couple shared the frustrating process of adoption, and how this led them to create a platform called Evernester, a website that brings together birth parents, hopeful families, and adoption professionals into one connected space.
The couple shared that although this process was not easy, they feel everything they went through was to lead them to this exact moment – being Chloè’s parents.
“Everything we went through led us here, it’s not always easy and you’re going to be angry at times, you’re allowed to feel angry and sad, but it’s all worth it. I’m excited about the sleepless nights. When you get to this point, there’s no feeling like it.”