Scott McKee, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility with First Merchants Bank, had always thought about adopting a child.

“I remember – before we were even married – seeing a documentary about the conditions in what were former Soviet orphanages,” Scott recalled. “And I remember, very clearly, wishing there was something we could do to help.”

But when Scott and wife, Laurie, got married 28 years ago, they decided to try for biological children.

“We’d talked about it, and we really hoped to have three kids – it seemed like a good number, and we were really excited to build a family,” he shared.

When Laurie became pregnant with their first child, the couple was ecstatic. And it was an easy pregnancy, with no complications. Until, suddenly, it went wrong.

“She was nine months along when she woke up one day and couldn’t feel the baby moving,” Scott said. “So, we rushed her to the hospital. In the end, the baby was stillborn. We had, you know, literally just gone shopping for those last-minute supplies earlier in the week, thinking that we’d have a baby in a couple of days. It was devastating.”

Scott and Laurie grieved for their child but tried to move on. And when Laurie became pregnant a year later, they were hopeful they could build something new out of a terrible loss. But, at the five-month mark, they had another scare.

“We thought we were losing the baby,” Scott said. “Everyone did. Our doctor was off that day, and didn’t even come in, because she was so sure that it was a miscarriage.”

Thankfully, the baby survived, and four months later Scott and Laurie welcomed their daughter, Regan, into the world. But it had been a difficult birth, and Scott said right up until the last minute we weren't sure if Regan would make it.

“We kind of became overprotective parents after that – we were just so afraid something would happen to her,” Scott said.

“We still are, and she’s 24 now,” he added with a laugh.

When Regan was two years old, they decided to try again. But when Laurie was seven months along, they ran into more complications, and Laurie had to be taken to a hospital in Indianapolis for an emergency delivery.

“I was driving behind the ambulance the whole way to Indianapolis, just thinking, ‘I can’t believe we’re going through this again,’” Scott said.

At the hospital, doctors induced labor – and it was touch-and-go for both mother and baby. Laurie managed to pull through, but the baby didn’t make it.

After she’d recovered, and they had time to grieve, Scott and Laurie realized they still wanted to have more children – but they couldn’t risk Laurie's life nor bear another loss. So, they began looking into adoption. It seemed like the perfect answer to their prayers.

“I remembered that documentary I’d seen,” Scott said. “Interestingly, we had a friend who had worked in ministry overseas in Ukraine. We thought, ‘Hey, we could really do some good here.’”

Not ones to sit idly by, Scott and Laurie jumped in feet first. A year later, they were in Ukraine to pick up a tiny baby boy – their son, Alexander.

“From the moment they put that baby in our lap, he was ours, there was no differentiating,” Scott said. “I like to say that we’re very fortunate to have two children – we just had to go halfway around the world to get one of them.”

And Alexander fit into their family as though he had always belonged there – right down to family resemblance.

“When she first saw him, Laurie said, ‘He looks just like my brother!’” Scott said with a laugh. “And he really did – it’s incredible.”

Alexander was seven months old when they adopted him, and sick with bronchitis and other illnesses, in addition to being extremely malnourished. But under their care, he thrived.

“As soon as he got better he was up and mobile – crawling around and getting into everything,” Scott said fondly.

“He’s 22 now and he’s a typical kid – he ignores our text messages,” he added, joking.

As an adoptive parent, Scott said he often hears a lot of misconceptions about adoption – ones he’s keen on correcting.

“I know so many people who have trouble having kids who won’t consider adoption perhaps because they’re worried they won’t be able to love the child as if it were their own,” he shared. “I know that’s a big fear, but, in my experience, it’s not one that you should give any credence to. I promise you, that child will be your child – there is no difference. You will discover so much love if you give these kids a chance.”

And while the adoption process can be notoriously difficult and expensive – and, therefore, risky – Scott said it’s well worth it.

“Alexander, just like our daughter Regan, has brought my family so much joy,” he said. “Was it risky? In many ways, yes. But if you don’t take the risk, you’ll never see the rewards.”