Reunited family shares story of adoption to ease process for others

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Pictured above is Lorri Benson and daughter Katherine Knight at Katherine’s wedding. Photo via Lorri Benson

Putting a baby up for adoption can be one of the hardest decisions a mother can make, but Lorri Antosz Benson is using her experience with adoption to make the process easier for others facing the same decision.

Lorri said she was just getting started in her career when she found out she was facing an unplanned pregnancy.

“I had just gotten the job on the Donahue Show and this was my big break,” Lorri said. “Shortly thereafter I found out I was accidentally pregnant, but because the job was 24/7, I just felt like I wanted more for my baby.”

Pictured above is Lorri Benson and birth daughter Katherine Knight at Katherine’s wedding. Photo via Lorri Benson

Following the birth of her daughter, who she named Amy, Lorri put her up for adoption.

“It’s probably the most difficult decision I’ve ever made in my life… she was always on my mind,” Lorri said.

Years later, Lorri’s birth daughter, whose name is now Katherine Knight (then Stark) was thinking of the birth mother she had never met, “Okay, there is something in me that is connected somewhere else I just kind of wanted to explore that a little bit.”

With the support of her adoptive parents, at age 16 she decided she wanted to meet Lorri, so they made the connection, and spent a weekend together in Naples.

This birth mother and daughter are thankful their paths are aligned again, and that their extended family has grown through adoption.

Katherine said she hopes they can be a role model for others, “I hope people can see that it can be this way because of everyone being selfless.”

Now they are happy they made the decision to reunite, and Lorri has used this as inspiration to author a book that she hopes will help others in the similar adoption situations.

The book is called Adopting Hope, and it is filled with stories from ‘Adoption Angels’.

Lorri said she wants this book to help provide hope, helpful information, and useful resources to both parents and children involved in the process or even those searching for family using DNA. She shares them with adoption agencies across the country and hop

For more information about the book, as well as other information, visit Lorri Benson’s website here.

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