Stacy Flanagan, 37, from Manchester, says, “When my four siblings and I flew the nest, my parents became foster carers. Seeing how rewarding they found it, I decided to do the same. As a single mum to daughters Sky, 16, and Destini, 13, and with experience working in childcare, I knew I could provide valuable support to children in need.
“After eight months of interviews and background checks in December 2012, I was told there was a newborn baby, Kenzie, with Down’s Syndrome (DS), whose birth mum couldn’t care for him. I didn’t know how long I’d have him for – just as long as it took to find him a home.
“I did a lot of research to make sure I knew as much as possible about Down’s Syndrome before meeting Kenzie. At two weeks old, I took him home. He was on 16 types of medication, and at six months he had surgery on his heart – common among children with DS – which was such a scary time.
“I was never meant to be a long-term foster carer for Kenzie, but his biological mother wasn’t granted custody rights, so I carried on looking after him, while we waited for him to find adoptive parents. Kenzie slotted right into the family and got on brilliantly with my daughters.”
Check out: celebs are expecting babies in 2021
Celebrities expecting babies 2021 - slider
1 of 15Rachel McAdams
Hollywood actress Rachel McAdams is expecting her second child, reports suggest.
2 of 15Ashley Tisdale
Former High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale announced she's expecting her first baby with husband Christopher French, sharing a set of beautiful photos on Instagram with no caption.
3 of 15Brian McFadden
Westlife singer Brian McFadden and his fiancée Danielle Parkinson are expecting their first child together in May 2021. The couple announced their lovely news in November after previously suffering two heartbreaking miscarriages.
4 of 15Kimberley Walsh and Justin Scott
Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh and her husband Justin Scott are expecting their third child together in 2021! The singer announced her lovely news in December, when she was 15 weeks pregnant.
5 of 15Binky Felstead
Made In Chelsea star Binky Felstead announced she's expecting her second child in 2021, with her boyfriend Max Fredrik. Binky is already a mum to her three-year-old daughter India, after welcoming her with her ex-boyfriend Joshua Patterson in 2017.
6 of 15Sophie Hinchliffe (Mrs Hinch)
Sophie Hinchliffe (AKA cleaning sensation Mrs Hinch) announced at the start of 2021 that she's expecting her second child with her husband Jamie Hinchliffe later in the year. The couple are already parents to one-year-old Ronnie.
7 of 15Emma Stone
In January, it was reported that La La Land actress Emma Stone and her husband Dave McCary are expecting their first child.A source revealed to US Weekly, "She seems very happy and very excited about becoming a mother — she's constantly oohing and cooing. She looks great, she looks healthy, she's glowing,"
8 of 15Christine and Frank Lampard
Loose Women star Christine Lampard announced in January she is expecting her second child with her husband, former Chelsea FC manager Frank Lampard. The couple are already proud parents to their daughter Patricia.
9 of 15Lauren Goodger
Former TOWIE star Lauren Goodger announced she's expecting her first child with her boyfriend, 23-year-old Charles Drury.
10 of 15Halsey
American singer Halsey shocked her fans in January when she share three stunning images of herself to Instagram, showing off her baby bump! She wrote, 'surprise! ud83cudf7cud83cudf08ud83dudc7cud83cudffb'. (sic)
11 of 15Tyson and Paris Fury
Boxing champion Tyson Fury confirmed at the start of February that his wife Paris is pregnant with the couple's sixth child!
12 of 15Casey Batchelor
Reality TV star Casey Batchelor is expecting her third child in three years with her boyfriend Dane Goodson.
13 of 15The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on Valentine's Day that they are expecting their second child. A spokesperson said, "We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child."
14 of 15Christine Quinn
Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn announced she's expecting her first child with and her husband Christian Richard, with her pregnancy reportedly due to play out on series 4 of the Netflix show.
15 of 15Ne-Yo and Crystal Renay
Ne-Yo is expecting his fifth child! His wife Crystal Renay is pregnant with their third child together, and the couple shared a video of her baby bump alongside the caption, 'Overjoyed to announce... ...the family is expanding...ud83dudc76ud83cudffd! #Number5❤ufe0f #5thandFinal #BlessingsOnBlessingsud83dude4fud83cudffe @itscrystalsmith ud83eudd70ud83eudd70ud83eudd70 You ready baby? Let's go!'
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She continued, “When Kenzie was five years old, the foster agency explained that they felt he was too much work for one person. I was heartbroken and as I compiled photos and memories, I couldn’t imagine Kenzie going to another family because he was such an important part of mine. So I decided to adopt him myself with support from my parents. I was made Kenzie’s legal mother in 2015.
“Kenzie loves hugs and kisses, but finds it difficult to communicate, so he can get frustrated. But I’ve never regretted my decision. I never intended to adopt, but Kenzie was always meant to be my son.”
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