29-Year-Old Woman Goes Viral for Thanking Her Adoptive Parents. Now, It's Their Turn

"“We were doubly blessed,” Bob said. The Shennetts began the adoption process after they were told they wouldn't be able to conceive naturally. But while adopting Taylor, Kelly found out that she was pregnant. Even though the couple was overjoyed, having one daughter from China and another who looked just like her biological mother created some tension."

"“I remember feeling that we will literally go to the ends of the earth for her,” Kelly said. In that viral Instagram post, Taylor thanked her parents for always speaking openly about adoption, celebrating her Chinese heritage, helping her seek her birth family and moving to China so she could experience her culture. The Shennetts have also supported Taylor in a 10-year search for her birth parents."

"“She was not an accident, she was not luck,” Bob said on TODAY. “She is our chosen child. God chose her specifically for us.” Kim and Bob “made it clear that I was chosen, loved and wanted while still honoring that I came from somewhere else first,” she wrote in her slideshow. This sentiment really struck a chord with her parents."

"“My goal is to make sure that every adoptee knows that they're heard. They're important,” Taylor said when chatting with Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones. Taylor has been connecting with other adoptees to help build community and share their culture. Her message centers on adoption openness, cultural celebration, and support for identity and belonging."

Kelly and Bob Shennett adopted a 9-month-old baby girl from China nearly 30 years ago. After being told they could not conceive naturally, Kelly learned she was pregnant while adopting, and the family described the outcome as being doubly blessed. Tension arose as their daughter from China and the pregnancy resulted in a child who looked like her biological mother. The family moved from Tennessee to China for seven years to support Taylor and her connection to her culture. They also supported Taylor’s decade-long search for her birth parents. Taylor later posted a viral Instagram slideshow expressing that she was chosen, loved, and wanted while still honoring that she came from somewhere else first. She also aims to ensure adoptees feel heard and important.

Read at TODAY.com