EVERY WOMAN CAN BE A MOM

May is such a wonderful month. Flowers are blooming and temperatures are rising. It’s a beautiful month and therefore a perfect month to celebrate women.

Mother’s Day is very special to me for many reasons. Of course, I love my mother very much and have wonderful memories of her love and care for me as I was growing up. But even more important to me is what I’ve learned by being a mother myself.

KENDRA AKERS publisher/editor-in-chief kendra@akersmediagroup.com

DOUG AKERS vice president doug@akersmediagroup.com

JAMIE EZRA MARK chief creative officer jamie@akersmediagroup.com

SABRINA CICERI associate publisher sabrina@akersmediagroup.com

EDITORIAL // DESIGN // PHOTOGRAPHY

GARY CORSAIR executive editor gary@akersmediagroup.com

JAMES COMBS staff writer james@akersmediagroup.com

KATIE LEWIS staff writer katie@akersmediagroup.com

MATTHEW GAULIN staff photographer matt@akersmediagroup.com

RHEYA TANNER designer rheya@akersmediagroup.com

STEVEN J. CODRARO creative director steve@akersmediagroup.com

JOE DELEON senior art director joe@akersmediagroup.com

JOSH CLARK senior designer josh@akersmediagroup.com

MICHAEL GAULIN production director michael@akersmediagroup.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS//PHOTOGRAPHERS

RICHARD T. BOSSHARDT, M.D., FACS RUTH ANN BYRD MARY ANN DESANTIS SCOTT PERKINS

DAVE RAMSEY SHANNON TIBBETTS RON VANDEVANDER MONISHA VASA, M.D.

SALES // MARKETING

TIM MCRAE vice president of sales and marketing tim@akersmediagroup.com

MIKE STEGALL senior account representative mike@akersmediagroup.com

MELANIE MELVIN director of client services melanie@akerscreative.com

These are the children — birthed, fostered and adopted — that make Mother’s Day special for me.

I used to be cautious of saying Happy Mother’s Day to just anyone because sometimes I would encounter someone who would come back with “I can’t have children” or some other comment that made me feel like I said something wrong.

There is so much hope for women who want to have a child. Being a mother who has birthed children, adopted children and fostered children, I can tell you that the love you feel for the child you are holding is the same no matter how that child came into your life.

HEIDI RESSLER account representative heidi@akersmediagroup.com

DAVID COTÉ account representative david@akersmediagroup.com

DEB MATLOCK account coordinator deb@akerscreative.com

Administration

AUBREY AKERS office assistant aubrey@akersmediagroup.com

SAMANTHA KURK receptionist samantha@akersmediagroup.com

DISTRIBUTION

SCOTT HEGG distribution manager scott.hegg@akersmediagroup.com how much joy they

In this issue, you will read a heart-touching story about four local women who thought they would never hear the words Happy Mother’s Day — and you’ll see howmuchjoythey have in their life through adoption.

Sabrina Ciceri Associate Publisher Sabrina@akersmediagroup.com

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