In the season of holiday magic and miraculous moments, we’re pleased to share this true story from Kent Hatmaker, who runs the Order to Cash department at Highway Corporate. The story is about his son Adam and his family, as told by Adam.
In November 2022, my wife Cheryl and I took our 10-year-old and our baby, just six months old, to see Santa.
Santa asked Emma what she wanted for Christmas. Then he leaned in and gently asked the 10-year-old girl if she was a good big sister. She nodded. Then Santa said something unexpected, “That’s good, because this time next year, you’ll be a big sister to a baby brother.” We told the family about it, and we all thought that was really strange.
Months passed, and in April 2023, we discovered we were indeed expecting again. It was a surprise and a joy, though mom’s high-risk status meant we’d likely have our new little one just before Christmas—right within Santa’s prediction window! Later, when we learned we were having another baby girl, we laughed, realizing Santa had only been half right. Another child was on the way, just not a baby brother.
As the pregnancy progressed, we eagerly anticipated meeting our little baby, but the joy turned to heartache when the technician quietly shared that she couldn’t detect a heartbeat. In shock, we went to the hospital, where it was confirmed: we had lost our baby girl, Lyza. In those next days, we faced the unimaginable—saying goodbye to a baby we hadn’t yet held. Santa’s prediction faded from our minds as we began to grieve.
The months that followed were blurred with emotions and deep sadness. Grieving tested us in every way, and one day Cheryl mentioned considering adoption. I brushed it off. With everything we were feeling, adoption seemed impossible, besides, as Cheryl smugly stated, “it’s not like someone is just gonna hand us a baby.” Then, at our first Wednesday night service at a new church, it was announced they’d be discussing adoption on Sunday. Cheryl nudged me, but I just shrugged it off again.
The next morning, November 9, I was at my part-time job early when my phone buzzed. It was Cheryl, calling urgently, asking if I could come home to talk. Still waking up, I struggled to make sense of her excitement as she explained that we needed to drive to North Carolina to meet a baby boy. She had just received a call from a travel nurse who knew about our story with Lyza. A young mom who’d just given birth wanted to place her baby for adoption and didn’t want him to go through the system. The nurse had suggested us, and the mom was open to meeting.
The timing was so strange and unexpected. As I returned home, I expected this meeting to be more for closure than anything else. But as we walked into the hospital, we were met with smiles, congratulations, and well wishes, even though we hadn’t yet decided anything. We met the mom, a sweet, strong young woman who had left his first name blank on the birth certificate for us to choose if we decided to adopt. Amidst the whirlwind, hospital staff treated us as if the decision had already been made. I felt overwhelmed—hadn’t we agreed just to meet?
During the drive back, Cheryl was already making calls to attorneys and our pastor. I felt frustrated, and as our pastor spoke to us, he asked how I was doing. I shared honestly about feeling rushed and unprepared. He listened, then gently reminded me of two stories in the Bible: one of Noah, who had years to prepare for the ark, and one of Peter, who stepped out on the water to meet Jesus with no preparation. Maybe, he suggested, this was our step-out-on-the-water moment. Slowly, the resistance in my heart eased, and I felt the quiet assurance that this journey was meant for us.
That night, Cheryl returned to North Carolina to be with new baby Carter, coordinating with the nurses and getting everything in place for his release. On November 13, we brought Carter Kent home—to a nursery that had been lovingly prepared for Lyza. The outpouring of support from family, friends, and community was overwhelming. Though we hadn’t planned this, we saw in Carter a miracle we hadn’t expected.
Since then, Carter has brought us joy beyond words. He and Cora, only 17 months apart, have been inseparable from the start. We are grateful for every moment and amazed at how life led us to this beautiful blessing, reminding us that sometimes the greatest gifts come when we least expect them.
Emma, Cheryl, Cora, Carter, and Adam Hatmaker taken at the court on adoption day.
Fast forward a year to November 2024. Carter is now a year old. We went back to see Santa and reminded him of his prophecy last year. He nodded and said, “Sometimes God just whispers things in my ear.”