The Founders

Who We Are

Kristen Herring-Asleson

Founder
Adopted & Birth Mom

At just 17 years old, Kristen discovered she was pregnant.

As a teenager who had been adopted herself, Kristen understood that adoption could be an act of love. She had been raised by parents who taught her that all life was sacred, and those values became especially meaningful as she faced an unexpected pregnancy of her own.

There were difficult choices to make and emotions that came with each one. Ultimately, Kristen made the deeply personal decision to place her baby for adoption, believing it was the best path for both herself and her unborn child.

But her adoption journey did not end there.

Kristen has experienced the grief, pain, and shame that are so often associated with placing a child for adoption. She knows firsthand that choosing adoption does not mean a birth mother doesn't love her child. Sometimes, it means loving a child enough to make an incredibly difficult decision and then carrying that decision with you for the rest of your life.

Kristen has also experienced something many birth mothers hope for but never know if they will have—the gift of reunification.

She has reunited with her birth daughter, as well as with her own birth parents and siblings. Through those experiences, Kristen has seen adoption from nearly every side of the story.

Today, she carries those experiences with her—not as a story of regret, but as a story of love, loss, healing, connection, and hope.

Kristen understands the complicated emotions that can accompany adoption because she has lived them. She knows the questions, the grief, the longing, and the courage it can take to move forward.

And perhaps most importantly, she knows that an adoption story doesn't have to end with goodbye.

kristenasleson@ymail.com

Lindsey Polin

Board of Directors & Birth Mom

At 19, Lindsey found herself facing an unexpected pregnancy while newly sober and working hard to build a healthier life for herself.

She knew that becoming healthy and creating a stable future would take courage, commitment, and change. As she thought about what would be best for both herself and her baby girl, Lindsey came to believe that adoption was the right choice.

Then, while she was pregnant, Lindsey learned something that changed everything.

Her aunt had always dreamed of becoming a mother but would not be able to have children of her own.

Lindsey made the incredibly personal decision to ask her aunt to adopt her daughter.

What began as an unexpected pregnancy and a difficult decision ultimately created a beautiful connection that would keep her daughter close—not only to Lindsey, but to the family she already knew and loved.

Today, Lindsey's daughter remains a huge and cherished part of her life and their family.

Lindsey's story is a powerful reminder that adoption doesn't always mean losing a child from your life. Sometimes, it can create a different kind of relationship—one built around love, honesty, family, and the understanding that doing what is best for a child can take tremendous courage.

For Lindsey, choosing adoption was part of choosing a healthier future for herself and a loving future for her daughter.

Elissa Kohn-Robinson

Board of Directors & Birth Mom

When Elissa started her freshman year of college, she was excited to begin a new chapter. She was balancing classes, friendships, and the demands of playing college volleyball while building a future she had imagined for herself.

Then she discovered she was pregnant.

Suddenly, the future she had been planning looked very different.

Elissa experienced a whirlwind of emotions—fear, uncertainty, sadness, and countless questions about what to do next. She seriously considered abortion and wondered if that might be the right answer for her circumstances. It was an incredibly difficult decision, and one she did not take lightly.

But as Elissa wrestled with her choices, her heart kept leading her toward another path.

She chose to continue her pregnancy and make an adoption plan for her baby girl.

Choosing adoption did not mean the decision was easy. It meant having the courage to acknowledge that loving her daughter could mean making an incredibly selfless choice. Elissa chose to give her daughter the opportunity for a life filled with love, stability, and opportunity, even though it meant facing the heartbreak of saying goodbye.