Teen ‘Forced’ to Give Up Baby Recalls Experience at The Maternity Facility After Their Reunion 19 Years Later

Dr. Zoe Shaw was reunited with her daughter, Sara Valentine, whom she was forced to give up for adoption as a teen. After finally reuniting with her baby girl 19 years later, the mom recalled her experience at the maternity facility where she last saw her daughter. 

During an exclusive interview with People, Dr. Shaw shared an account of her experience at the facility in the aftermath of reuniting with her daughter. She was 16 when she got pregnant and gave birth in 1991. 

During her pregnancy, she reportedly spent time at the Liberty Godparent Home. This facility first operated in Lynchburg, Virginia, and then expanded to 500 other locations across the USA.

It’s a facility designed to provide care and support for young women in need. Just like Dr. Shaw when she was a pregnant teenager. 

However, it appears that all was not as it seemed. Dr. Shaw recalled that the facility would allegedly force teens like her to give up their babies for adoption.

Although she reunited with her daughter in 2010, Dr. Shaw still feels emotional over the years she lost with Valentine. 

The mother of five revealed that as a teenager who’d just given up her baby, she felt “so much shame.” Reflecting on the years spent apart, Dr. Shaw said, “I still grieve over the fact that I lost her childhood.” 

Life Inside the Facility as A Pregnant Teen And Post-Reunion

She was five months pregnant when her mother, a reportedly frequent donor to the facility, instructed her to remain there until after her delivery. She was also strictly instructed against coming home with the baby. 

Her four months were spent within a rather secure facility that had locks on the windows and doors. Those present at the facility were also apparently monitoring her communication very strictly. 

Dr. Shaw also claimed that she and other pregnant teens were “paraded” twice a week. They would be asked to appear before the founder. Dr. Jerry Falwell and his associates. Whom she claims were donors. 

Apparently, she was also asked to look at her baby’s adoptive parents’ profiles and photographs. Which Dr. Shaw described as a “disturbing” account.

Moreover, she claimed that all the fellow teens with her were never to be seen again after giving birth. 

Dr. Shaw recalled the day she, too, was taken to the hospital as a result of an early labor. Hours after giving birth in 1991 to baby Valentine, a person from the facility visited her. 

The individual claimed that to avoid any emotional hardship, she didn’t need to spend any more time with the infant.

After giving her child a final kiss and naming Valentine ‘Kaiya’ at the time, her baby was given to the care of her adoptive parents. 

Dr. Shaw recently celebrated her 50th birthday at her Greek-style villa surrounded by her five children. And the daughter whom she was once forced to give up as a teen. Her family celebrated with her, and some cake. 

She reflected on that moment and emphasized the importance of “closure” in the aftermath of her reunion. Shortly after reuniting, the mother and daughter learned some reportedly haunting allegations about the maternity facility. 

Although some still attest to the love and support that the facility upholds, others have conflicting opinions. Apparently, she wasn’t the only woman who endured being allegedly forced to give her baby up for adoption. 

Other women who’ve lived at the Liberty Godparent Home have also spoken up about the allegedly “forced adoption” allegations. 

Former Teens and Now-Adults Spoke Up About the Time They Were Forced to Give Up Their Babies at The Maternity Facility

Speaking to People, Abbi Johnson and Elizabeth Willett recalled their experience at the maternity facility. Although both were at the facility in different years, their accounts seemed to match. 

Like Dr. Shaw, Johnson was also a pregnant 16-year-old in need of love and support in 2008. She wanted to keep her child despite her parents' stern objections. Their alleged rejection is ultimately what led her to the Liberty Godparent Home.

According to Johnson, her life at the facility was allegedly like “a caged animal.” Moreover, after she’d given up her baby for adoption, the facility made a promise.

They claimed she and the baby’s father, Nathan, would have contact with their child’s adoptive parents. 

Unfortunately for them, after the child turned 14-years-old, his adoptive parents completely shut them out by cutting off contact. 

Willet, however, had a different response when the facility asked her to give her baby up. They allegedly guilt-tripped her into damaging her child’s future.

This was if she hadn’t agreed to their suggestion to give up the child for adoption in 2002 when she was 16-years-old. 

After giving birth to her son, she was legally an adult at 18 years old. She left the facility with her baby. Likewise, many women have reportedly been speaking up about their experiences with the Liberty Godparent Home. 

In the aftermath of the conspiracy theories and controversy about the Liberty Godparent Home, the facility released a statement. They denied claims of forcing a woman in need to give up their baby for adoption. 

Officials speaking to People claimed that every single individual who came to their facility was treated with “compassion and integrity.”