Kimberly Schlapman Shares Her Family’s Heartwarming Adoption Story
“We don’t have to share the same DNA to experience the same love,” the singer shared.
Kimberly Schlapman with Family; Photo Courtesy Facebook
Kimberly Schlapman is sharing the story about her family’s adoption in honor of National Adoption Month. Schlapman, who is one-fourth of the GRAMMY-winning quartet, Little Big Town, took to social media to highlight how adoption impacted her life in an effort to raise awareness about the cause.
She Was Told Getting Pregnant Would Not Be Easy
Schlapman, who once hosted a cooking show called Kimberly’s Simply Southern, is a mother of two: Daisy and Dolly. She once told People that she and her husband, Steve Schlapman, conceived Daisy on their honeymoon and that it came as a complete surprise as she was told getting pregnant would be nearly impossible due to endometriosis.
Her marriage and pregnancy came after the tragic loss of Kimberly’s first husband, Steven Roads, who passed away in 2005 from a heart attack, according to Country Living.
“I believe, 100%, that my Steve in heaven sent me a wedding gift, and it was that baby girl,” she once told People. “I believe he got up there and said, ‘Hey God, this woman has been in a lot of pain. We’ve got to give her what she’s always wanted.’”
Suffered Devastating Pregnancy Loss
The couple fell in love with their baby girl and soon after, Schlapman says they began trying for another child. She recalled suffering a miscarriage and ultimately trying everything in their power to conceive again.
“We started trying much harder at that point. We did all the medical things, the artificial insemination at first, and then in vitro fertilization as we got more serious,” she revealed.
“After years of infertility, loss, tears, and millions of prayers, thank God we came to the realization that we were supposed to adopt,” Schlapman shared on Instagram.
Adopted Dolly Grace
That’s when Dolly entered their lives. In January 2017, the Schlapman family introduced the world to Dolly Grace. They welcomed her through domestic adoption, according to The Tennessean, and joined their family on New Year’s Eve. This came just days after Daisy asked Santa for a baby at Christmas.
“The love we have for our little Dolly is the exact same love we have for our daughter, Daisy, whom I carried. We are family. We don’t have to share the same DNA to experience the same love,” the singer shared.
She went on to acknowledge the challenges one may face when going through the adoption process but encouraged people to seek it out despite the difficulties.
“Adopting isn’t easy. It can be difficult, expensive, exhausting, and very emotional, but the immense joy that it leads to outweighs every bit of hardship. If you feel called to adopt, I want to encourage you to take that first step, and then keep believing until your child is in your arms,” she wrote in closing.
In 2021, when detailing their adoption story with People, Schlapman revealed that Dolly is aware of her story and is “proud” of it.
“We wanted her to know right off that she was adopted; we wanted to start talking about that even before she could understand the word adoption,” she explained.
Wrote A Children’s Book About Adoption
Kimberly Schlapman authored a book called A Dolly For Christmas shares the story about how their daughter Daisy prayed and wished for a sibling. The children’s book was released in 2020 and includes a foreword by Daisy. She hopes the book inspires those who are navigating adoption.
“I just want people to be hopeful and to know that if they’re in the middle of a struggle, they are not alone,” she told People. “We walked those same roads, and they are very, very difficult. But, in the end, there is restoration and there are children who are waiting for them.”
Kimberly Schlapman often shares photos of her daughters on Instagram where they occasionally join her in the kitchen to whip up delicious food.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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