#30. Unexpected Future
Samantha Snipes was 24 years old when she realized that her life wasn’t exactly as she had thought it would be. However, a series of events and decisions would lead to her having a fateful encounter that would change her life forever.
Little did Samantha know in September 2016 of the events that would develop once she boarded a Delta flight from Arkansas to North Carolina. Then again, her life at the moment wasn’t nearly as close as to what she had envisioned.
#29. Surprising Pregnancy
Moving back in time, Samantha was 3 months pregnant when she learned of her condition. The news turned her life upside down. Indeed, the fact that she was pregnant was good news to her but she hadn’t planned to be in this position at this stage in her life. Moreover, there was another issue in her life that she would’ve to address.
The mom-to-be was living with her partner and father of her unborn child. In addition, learning the news of her pregnancy made her come to the unfortunate realization that she didn’t feel safe as she was in an abusive relationship. Furthermore, she became aware that she had to start thinking not only about her but also about her unborn child.
#28. Protective Instinct
Looking back on how her relationship had developed, Samantha realized that it was far from being healthy. Although the mom-to-be had been considering walking away from the unhealthy relationship, she still hadn’t gathered the courage to do so. Suddenly, the urgency struck her knowing that she had a baby on the way.
But how was Samantha going to gather her courage and put an end to the relationship? She needed to be resolute about leaving her then-abusive boyfriend if she wanted to protect herself and their baby. As the relationship between them hadn’t taken a turn for the better, Samantha one day made a bold decision.
#27. Enough Was Enough
Hoping against hope that the father of her baby would change after learning that they were expecting a baby, Samantha became clean with her then-boyfriend about her pregnancy. Unfortunately, he didn’t change his ways. What’s more, the relationship between the two got worse until one day she couldn’t take it anymore. Samantha made a courageous move and finally reclaimed her safety.
It was the middle of the night when Samantha decided to leave what had been her home so far. She had suffered long enough. Feeling relieved with her newfound self-determination, she became aware that she needed to find a place to stay. But who would give the soon-to-be mom shelter?
#26. New Home
Home is where the heart is. Samantha had already packed her belongings when she decided where she needed to go. She set off for her mother’s home in Arkansas. There, Samantha would find time and space to think about her next move and ponder about her pregnancy. This turned out to be more difficult than she had expected.
Although she was with her mother, Samantha didn’t feel capable of bringing up a baby on her own. She had to think of her options and she ultimately decided that putting the baby up for adoption was the best course of action for both herself and her unborn baby. At this point, the soon-to-be mom had to look for an adoption agency that she liked.
Can you imagine what happened next?
#25. Change Of Heart
Finally, she had found an adoption agency that she was comfortable with, but her plans were soon thrown off course. Samantha was five months pregnant when she learned that her mom had a last-minute change of heart: Samantha’s mom wanted to raise the child. Although it was a nice thought, the pregnant woman felt even more conflicted. Could Samantha’s mom bring up a child at her age?
Time was of the essence: the expectant mother needed to make up her mind. Whatever decision she adopted would be definite and positive for the unborn baby. Still, the answer didn’t come without difficulty. On the one hand, adoption seemed to be the most sensible option. On the other hand, she didn’t want to dishearten her own mom. Samantha’s journey was a long way from being over.
#24. Trapped
There was no doubt that Samantha loved her mom deeply. Because of this, Samantha started considering the idea of her mom raising the child. The more the expectant mom thought about this, the more conflicting she felt. Samantha realized that her mom’s home wasn’t what she had in mind for bringing up children; the house wasn’t fit for a kid. Still, time was running up.
All the emotional stress had started to take a toll on Samantha. After all, the soon-to-be mom was on an emotional rollercoaster which was intensified by the dilemmas in her personal life. It was at this moment that depression hit her. Unlike other women with child, Samantha wasn’t basking in the glow of pregnancy, quite the opposite, she started to feel dispirited and down. Thus, she turned to an old source of relief.
#23. Escape
As months passed by, the pregnancy was also advancing. Samantha was feeling unsure about the future and what it would hold for her and the unborn baby. The expecting mother needed desperately to be assured that her baby would have a place where he would be raised with love and care.
“I was trying to imagine a place where my child was going to be nurtured and grow,” Samantha commented.
So as to fight her gloominess, she resorted to an old hobby of hers: playing online video games. This was the only pastime that gave her an escape from all her problems. The videogame she enjoyed the most was League of Legends, a multiplayer online game where players battle other players. Little did she know that this simple hobby would affect her life in a way that she had never dreamt of.
#22. Online Connection
Samantha was very passionate about video games. This hobby had started when she was a 15-year-old teen as it helped her escape reality. In a way, playing games felt like a home away from home, a place where her problems didn’t exist and couldn’t reach her. Because she liked playing online games, Samantha was exposed to people she wouldn’t generally interact with.
As League of Legends is a multiplayer game, she started chatting with another player named Tom. For months, they spent hours playing, interacting, laughing and getting to know one another on the Internet. As a result, Tom got to know about everything that Samantha was going through. When Samantha was eight months pregnant, player Tom asked her to visit him in North Carolina.
#21. To North Carolina
Samantha couldn’t stop thinking about Tom’s offer. They had grown close during the past months and the expecting mom had found comfort in Tom. Still doubting, Samantha made the decision to go to North Carolina to meet Tom. She felt there was something about the player that felt different from her previous boyfriend, and both of them wanted to see if it was just friendship or if they could start a relationship.
With an eight-month pregnancy, Samantha mustered her courage and headed to the airport. It took her all her energy to make her way through the busy airport. Soon, Samantha found an obstacle: she couldn’t find the gate for her connecting flight. She was lost and unsure where to go and her heart sunk in an instant.
What do you think happened next?
#20. Lost Flight
“I ended up missing my [connecting]flight; little did I know it was for good reason. There is always a plan, a grand plan, even if we don’t exactly understand it at the time,” Samantha said.
Samantha felt defeated: she had missed her transfer flight in Atlanta after gathering her courage to meet Tom.
The expecting mom found herself doubting about what to do next. Luckily, Tom knew exactly what he had to do and he made some calls and booked her another seat in a standby flight. Although this meant waiting at the airport, Samantha was back on track. However, she had no way of knowing that missing her connecting flight would change her life forever.
#19. Lucky Accommodation
Samantha’s near future was looking brighter. An airport employee arrived with a wheelchair to assist the pregnant woman and take her to the correct gate. As she was flying standby, Samantha couldn’t pick where to sit so, when it came to seating, the then eight-month pregnant woman was accommodated in the first vacant spot.
It was at that point that Samantha could finally breathe a sigh of relief. At last, she was settled on a flight going to North Carolina headed to meet Tom. However, there was no way she could’ve predicted who the unfamiliar person in the seat next to her would turn out to be. After all, she was traveling alone.
#18. The Beginning Of A Friendship
As the plane was preparing to take off, Samantha started feeling anxious about flying. By sheer luck, the expecting woman turned out to be accommodated next to a sunny woman named Temple Phipps, who made friends with her instantly. Temple, who was at her 40s, could sense that the pregnant lady next to her was nervous about flying and decided to start a conversation with her.
“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,” Samantha recalled.
Although it was a one-hour flight, the two-seat companions laughed, bonded, and befriended each other quickly. Thanks to this, both of them had a pleasant flight. Samantha, however, wasn’t expecting what happened when they got off the plane.
#17. Opening Up
On the short flight to North Carolina, the eight-month pregnant Samantha confided to her newly found friend about the details of her pregnancy and her heart-wrenching decision to put her baby up for adoption. Additionally, Samantha told Temple that she had second thoughts about having her mom adopt the baby. Tears started streaming down Samantha’s face.
The flight was over. As the two disembarked from the plane, the 40-year-old woman escorted the expecting mom to the bathroom to help her fix her makeup. Temple also encouraged Samantha before meeting Tom. Temple decided to remain next to Samantha until Tom picked her up and, while the two women waited, they exchanged phone numbers. The moment when the two new friends parted ways arrived and they were unaware of how their lives would overlap in the coming future.
#16. It’s Coming
Three days had elapsed since Samantha and Tom met. Soon, reality hit Samantha. She started having contractions and realized that the baby was coming. As she was with Tom, she felt reassured. Both started pondering whether or not Samantha had time to go home. Time was clicking and she had only one option.
The soon-to-be mom had no time to go home. Even if she had it, there was no way she would’ve been allowed to board a plane at that stage in her pregnancy. Growing stronger by the minute, the contractions forced Samantha and Tom to rush to a nearby hospital. Luckily, Samantha wasn’t alone and Tom continued to offer her encouraging words and his support.
#15. It’s A Boy
Even though Samantha was scared and felt unprepared, Tom was with her. At the hospital, she also received the assistance of a midwife who also gave her reassuring words so that Samantha felt at ease while delivering her child. Just after 12 minutes, Samantha gave birth to a lovely, six-pound baby boy.
“I cried, I loved him, I held him, I fed him,” Samantha confessed.
To Samantha’s joy, the baby was healthy. The new mom was also healthy and in good condition and started to bond with the baby boy. However, a different feeling started to overwhelm the new mom.
“He was healthy, and that is all that a mother could ever want,” Samantha wrote.
#14. Overwhelmed
Having delivered a baby out of her state, the staff at the hospital in North Carolina wasn’t aware of her particular circumstances. Moreover, the day after giving birth, Samantha started to feel overwhelmed and lonesome as Tom had to go to work. All this made Samantha’s situation more distressing. She felt the urge to be with her own mom to cope with it all.
Samantha was joyous of having delivered a healthy boy, however, she couldn’t feel like a mother to the baby boy.
“(…) I still didn’t feel like a mother to the point that I should,” Samantha confessed.
Samantha called her mom, who insisted on looking after the baby. This upset the already stressed-out Samantha. Alone and distressed, only a name popped up in her mind: Temple.
#13. True Friend
Temple, the cheerful friend she had made at the plane, had told Samantha to call her if she found herself in trouble or in need of anything. After remembering this, Samantha made up her mind and called her new friend. Samantha told the good news to Temple and asked her if Temple wanted to visit her and her baby boy.
Samantha was delighted when Temple said that she would come to visit both of them at the hospital. Kind as she was, Temple even offered to bring anything Samantha wanted. Temple’s kind generosity and compassion overwhelmed Samantha, as they had bonded only recently. As Samantha remembered all this, she still could hardly believe what was about to occur next.
#12. Good Company
“I told her I had the baby and needed someone to talk to,” Samantha shared. “She agreed to come see me and keep me company.”
Samantha was extremely happy when Temple paid her a visit at the hospital. She felt tremendously grateful for a friendly face to show up and keep her company. Only a few days had elapsed since they had met, but the two women had a lot to catch up with.
It was time to feed the newborn when the medical staff brought him into the room. Samantha asked Temple if she wanted to do it and, with shaking hands, Temple agreed to the idea. When Temple was holding the little boy and started feeding him, Samantha saw the light at the end of the tunnel. She hoped that what she was going to say next wasn’t completely off the mark.
#11. A Match Made In Heaven
Having observed Temple with the baby for just an hour, Samantha thought that “Temple would be perfect for him!” Temple looked so natural with the newborn that led Samantha to believe that Temple would make a great mother to the baby. To Samantha, Temple had the maternal inclination that she was lacking. Moreover, in the eyes of Samantha, it looked as if her friend loved the child.
As Samantha had done in the past months, she gathered her courage and asked Temple if she’d be willing to adopt the baby boy. Temple could hardly believe what was going on as Samantha had caught her off guard.
“I was in absolute shock and started crying and shaking,” Temple told.
As she pondered the question, Temple confessed the reason why she never had children.
#10. Long Dream
Temple shared with Samantha that, even though she had been married, she hadn’t had any children. However, having kids was a long dream of hers which Temple wasn’t sure she could achieve at the moment because she was single. Furthermore, Temple had always had her reservations about how and when she would start her own family.
Temple’s parents had divorced, which resulted in her being always been cautious about this topic. So, until that moment, Temple hadn’t had the opportunity to start a family of her own; for different reasons, it just never happened. Once the shock vanished, Temple knew what she had to do.
#9. New Mom
Regardless of the fact that they had met only a few days ago, Temple, with tears in her eyes, agreed to adopt Samantha’s baby.
“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,” Samantha admitted.
Before, Temple had thought about adopting a child but, because she was a single woman, she had always been disregarded. All the legal issues were swiftly arranged and, two weeks later, Temple was able to take her new son, Vaughn, home. In the meantime, Samantha had to prepare herself to tell the news to her own mom. She knew this was going to be a difficult conversation.
#8. Bittersweet News
Sooner or later, Samantha’s mother was going to find out the news about the adoption. Finally, she called her mother who didn’t welcome the good news. In fact, Samantha’s mother felt betrayed and upset that Samantha had given her grandchild to a stranger instead of giving him to her own mother. Once again, Samantha was uncertain about her future as she didn’t know what to expect when she returned home.
Life is full of pleasant surprises, or at least that’s what Samantha might have thought when Temple stepped up again to help her. Temple assisted Samantha with living arrangements and even offered financial aid until Samantha could keep her feet back on the ground. Once again, Samantha’s life was about to change.
#7. Declaration
After hearing everything that had transpired, Tom, the man Samantha was visiting in North Carolina, began to ponder about the future. He heard everything that Temple had done to help Samantha. Even though Tom and Samantha had recently met in person, and had only known each other for some months, Tom realized how he felt about Samantha.
Thus, Tom declared his love for Samantha. They had lived a lot in such a short time but he didn’t want to be apart from her. This time, Tom mustered the courage and asked Samantha if she wanted to move in with him. Of course, Samantha said yes!
Keep reading to know how this story continues!
#6. Baby Lottery
In August 2017, the adoption proceedings concluded. Temple became little of Vaughn’s official mother. She recalled that, before going to the hospital to visit Samantha, she had been nervous and, as if she could predict what was going to happen, Temple called her mother. When she saw baby Vaughn for the first time, Temple could feel that she was going to become his mom.
“I count my blessings every day and I look at him and think I cannot — I still can’t believe this happened to me,” Temple admitted. “I won the baby lottery for sure, miracles do happen,” she also added. “I can’t believe that I almost missed this.”
But what about Samantha and Tom?
#5. Meant To Be Close
Samantha moved in with Tom in North Carolina and, as it turns out, they are still together and going steadily. The couple lives just one hour away from Temple and Vaughn, so they can visit them frequently. In fact, Samantha is still a part of Temple and Vaughn’s lives.
“She was meant to meet me, she was meant to be his mother. It’s the most beautiful thing,” Samantha stated.
“It’s incredible. Sometimes I just sit and stare at them together and I’m like, they were meant for each other,” Samantha confessed.
Samantha is allowed to be part of events in Vaughn’s life, such as birthday parties. They also have a picture of the three of them together. Even though unconventional, they feel like a family.
#4. A New Family
Samantha and Temple’s bond goes even further. After moving to North Carolina, Samantha couldn’t be happier of the fateful encounter she had with Temple.
“To me she is a mother, a sister, and a great friend on top of being the mother to my child,” Samantha believes.
“I gave up the relationship I had with my family when I made this decision and she’s given me more of a family than I ever had with them,” Samantha revealed.
Actually, Samantha found even more friends and family after being introduced to Temple’s friends and Tom’s family. Additionally, Samantha and Temple’s story didn’t end here.
#3. Documenting Their Story
We can’t deny that Samantha and Temple’s story is incredible. In fact, it attracted the attention of the media. After their lives settled and they had time to reflect on everything they lived, the friends started thinking about writing a book together about their journey. Their awe-inspiring story will certainly be well received once they publish it.
“I am grateful every day and never take this gift for granted. I am confident that when Vaughn learns of his journey to me he will understand the selfless and courageous choice that Samantha made to ensure he has a beautiful life,” Temple confessed.
In addition, they also found a way to document what’s been going on.
#2. Creating Mementos
For their one-year anniversary, Tom gifted Samantha a camera. Since then, she has opened up her photography business and is mainly focusing on child portraiture and she has also been working to build her portfolio. It seems that she has found the perfect models and inspiration to move on with her own life.
“I’m finally figuring out who I am. That’s the fun part,” Samantha commented.
Two of Samantha’s favorite models are little Vaughn and Temple. She is lucky to portrait them frequently and create precious family mementos. It is also the best way of documenting what both best friends have been sharing.
#1. Have Faith
Although it was a winding path full of ups and downs, Samantha has a surprising attitude about it all. At one moment, Samantha took to the Internet to write a blog post about everything that she experienced. There, she articulated all the emotions she felt and the decisions she made at every stage of the road.
Considering that everything she has lived is a blessing, Samantha has no regrets.
“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,” Samantha wrote. “I have met a love, as well as meeting a once in a lifetime friend. I couldn’t be happier!”