Photos courtesy of Patty Hammer.

by Chris Meehan

September 21 was a happy day for Dana and Patty Hammer (Buffalo). After a two-year process, they were able to finalize the adoption of a little boy named Corey, who has lived with them since a few days after his birth. The finalization happened over Skype, with a judge and adoption agency representatives calling in from their homes. Corey sat on the call with Dana and Patty and his big brother Bentley, whom the Hammers had adopted in March, 2019.

The Hammers' adoption story began in 2000, after the birth of Jacob, their fourth child. Dana and Patty told God four was enough--their family was the right size. As time went on, however, they felt convicted to be open to more children.  Their wait lasted for many years. “No one could have predicted what ended up happening, but we’re grateful and in awe of the Lord’s plans, which are bigger and better than what we can come up with,” says Patty. 

“In 2016 when our children were pretty well grown, we took some classes on becoming foster parents,” says Dana, “and Patty got interested in taking care of drug-addicted babies.” They passed all the necessary requirements through the local Catholic Charities office. Then one day a call came, asking if they could be foster parents to a six-month-old named Bentley.

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