I don’t know Don and Preetha. But I do know something about them: they are looking to adopt.

The reason I know is because that’s what their Facebook name says. Here’s what else I know about them:

• They’re giving their adoption search their best shot, but are trying not to think too much about how it will all work out in the end
• They believe that one’s appearance plays a part in making a connection with prospective birth parents, but that waiting parents should go easy on themselves and keep things in perspective when putting together their parent profile
• They agree that when it comes to connecting with a prospective birth mother, it’s best to set expectations upfront to avoid confusion and disappointment down the road
• They also agree that although many waiting parents choose adoption due to infertility, it’s not a strong reason for prospective birth parents to pick them as parents for their baby
• They’re determined not to let their adoption quest take over their lives and are trying to live as they normally would, traveling and going about their routines

Interesting adoption facts

Sounds good to me. So how do I know all this? Because they’ve said so on our Facebook page. Ever since we launched our site earlier this month, they’ve regularly responded to tips and questions we’ve posted, sometimes adding their own. For example, the other week when we wrote a post about celebrities who have been touched by adoption, they suggested one we didn’t know  — Rachel Crow — that we added to our Famous Adoptions page.

But that’s not the only place where they’ve engaged with us. They’ve also taken part in conversations on our Twitter page. Intrigued, I clicked on one of their links where I learned that they want to adopt a child who is South Asian, Indian, Hispanic, biracial, multiracial, or minority and are open to considering open adoption.

Interested in learning more, I visited their web page, where I discovered:

• They live in Bloomington, Illinois and have been happily married for 10 years
• They immigrated to the U.S. from India 15 years ago to pursue higher education
• Don has a great sense of humor and enjoys cooking, especially when it involves using fresh veggies from the garden. Preetha is a former teacher who’s into painting and knows how to make even math fun (now if that isn’t a valuable parenting skill, I don’t know what is)
• They have a deep respect for different cultures and people with varying backgrounds and believe they can learn something from everyone
• They believe it’s important not to forget where you came from and that’s one of the reasons they’ve chosen open adoption: “so our child will grow up with the knowledge of where they came from”

This last point also comes up in a candid interview they gave to an online magazine headlined “One Couple Makes The Case For Open Adoption,” which chronicled their struggle with infertility and their decision to adopt and was subsequently featured on their adoption agency’s blog.

Great details for a pregnant woman considering open adoption

For pregnant women who are considering open adoption and are looking for potential adoptive parents online, these details are gold. I have no idea if Don and Preetha’s outreach efforts online will pay off. Although I sure hope so because it sounds like they’ve given open adoption a lot of thought and would make great parents. What I do know, though, is that they’re doing a nice job of getting themselves out there by networking on the Net. After all, if we can find them, so can the birth family that’s looking for them.

Not everyone is as comfortable with sharing their story online as Don and Preetha are. I totally get that. But in the end, with hundreds of waiting adoptive parents to choose from, the kind of exposure they’ve generated for themselves is impressive and could ultimately make the difference in their efforts to get matched with expectant  parents.

And here’s what else I know: their input has already made a big difference to our online community. So thanks Don and Preetha for taking the time to share with us. And good luck with your journey!

Have you joined the online adoption community through Facebook or Twitter? What kind of experiences have you had? Are you trying to reach out to prospective birth parents through social media or the Web? What advice do you have for hopeful adoptive parents who are trying to find a match by networking on the Net? Please leave your comments in the space below.