Stranger on a Plane Adopts Woman’s Baby After She Decides Not to Have an Abortion

National   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Apr 12, 2018   |   12:15PM   |   Washington, DC

Samantha Snipes initially considered abortion when she found out she was pregnant to her abusive boyfriend.

But encouragement from her mother and then a chance encounter on a plane led Snipes down a very different road. She chose to make an adoption plan for her son, Vaughn, now 2, and “couldn’t be happier.”

Sharing her story on the blog Love What Matters, Snipes said she got pregnant at age 24 while in an abusive relationship. She said she clung to hopes that her boyfriend would change because of their unborn child, but he did not. At three months of pregnancy, Snipes left and flew home to her mother in Arkansas.

“I was discouraged and depressed,” she said. “I was trying to imagine a place where my child was going to be nurtured and grow.”

Her mother encouraged her to consider parenting or adoption, and Snipes chose adoption. She also said she eventually met another man online and began corresponding with him.

When she was eight months pregnant, she booked a flight to North Carolina to meet him for the first time. On the plane, she said she sat next to a friendly woman named Temple Phipps whose warmth and interest in her made her feel at peace.

“Nervous as I was about the flight, I found comfort in getting to know her. We only had an hour together, but I felt as if we had been friends for years,” she said.

They discussed adoption and exchanged phone numbers; three days later, Snipes gave birth to her son, away from home and family, Fox News reports.

“He was healthy, and that is all that a mother could ever want,” Snipes said. “Yet, I still didn’t feel like a mother to the point that I should.”

She called Phipps the next day, and the woman came to the hospital to support her and her newborn son.

“I told her I had the baby and needed someone to talk to,” Snipes said. “She agreed to come see me and keep me company.

“After Temple got there, I had asked if she wanted to feed my son. She excitedly accepted. She was so nervous, she shook a little as she raised the bottle to his mouth. I watched as she fed him, bonded with him. They were happy to meet one another. They were smiling back at each other as they spent time together,” she continued.

PRO-LIFE COLLEGE STUDENT? LifeNews is looking for interns interested in writing, social media, or video creation. Contact us today.

Then, she knew she wanted Phipps to be the one to adopt her son.

“We talked while she was there visiting and during our conversation I asked Temple if she would like to adopt my son as her own,” Snipes said. “She was caught so off guard. She was in disbelief that I even asked her, a stranger, but a stranger that felt more like family to me than anyone.”

Phipps agreed, and two years later, Snipes said she is so happy she did. The two families live about an hour apart, and Snipes often gets to see her son and his adoptive mom.

She said she hopes her story will encourage other pregnant moms who are struggling through difficult situations.

“I want everyone to know that even though the walls may feel as if they are closing in on you, if you just trust your heart and have faith, it will get better,” she said. “I have met a love, as well as meeting a once in a lifetime friend. I couldn’t be happier!”