Episode 126: Adopting a NICU Baby

April 16, 2025

Guest: Shannon Donnelly

When parents get the call about a baby ready for adoption, they don’t often expect it to be accompanied with a NICU stay. Adoptive mom, Shannon Donnelly, shares how life changed for her and her husband, how they navigated an out-of-state adoption and NICU stay and how they found peace with her daughter’s birth parents.

About the guest

Shannon Donnelly, hand to hold nicu babies parent support podcastShannon Donnelly is a born and raised Ohioian who traveled the world thanks to the National FFA Organization. Her agricultural roots run so deep she left corporate and education based jobs and settled down three miles from home, where she and her “ fire chief by day/farmer by night” husband own WD Land & Livestock. Shannon serves as CEO/CFO of their agricultural enterprise where they raise everything from corn to cattle. You can find the Donnelly family at sporting events or cattle stock shows supporting the best crop they ever grew- their teenage daughter Meredith.

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