Successful adoption of son after years of challenges heralds subsequent birth of biological daughter
PETALING JAYA: After a decade of marriage marked by heartbreak and four miscarriages, a 39-year-old civil servant found her path to motherhood redefined not by biology alone, but through faith, acceptance and an unwavering sense of responsibility.
For Siti Shazwani Saadon and her husband Mohd Khairul Izhwan Mansor, the arrival of their adopted son Muhammad Amir Akhbar Abdul Matin was never a second choice or a temporary measure, but a calling embraced fully after years of quiet struggle.
With the assistance of NGO OrphanCare, the couple were finally able to hold a child of their own – a moment that marked the true beginning of their journey into parenthood.
“We had been trying to have a child for a long time and went through four miscarriages. At one point, we truly felt that perhaps we would never be blessed with a biological child,” she told theSun in an interview arranged with OrphanCare.
Rather than allow despair to define them, the couple chose acceptance.
“When we decided to adopt, we didn’t see it as a ‘second choice’. We accepted it completely,” she said.
Siti Shazwani’s preparation for motherhood went beyond expectation. Before bringing Amir Akhbar home, she took it upon herself to induce lactation, determined to breastfeed him in line with Islamic principles on milk kinship.
“I made it a responsibility to prepare myself – including trying to produce breast milk beforehand. Alhamdulillah, Allah made it easy, and I was able to nurse him,” she said. For her, it was not merely physical but deeply spiritual.
“Since then, he is not just an adopted child. He is fully my son, including as my ‘milk child’. I did it for Allah, and to ensure that I uphold the rulings that He has set. This responsibility is very great for us.”
She vividly recalls the moment she first held him.
“When I first carried him, the feeling was overwhelming – not just love, but a deep sense of responsibility. After everything I had gone through to nurse him according to syariah, that moment felt incredibly meaningful,” she said.
“There was no hesitation. There was never a thought of ‘he is not born from me, why should I care deeply?’ The only thought was: ‘Amir Akhbar is my child. Help me, God, to take care of him.’”
Two years later, she discovered she was pregnant, something she once feared would never happen.
“When I found out I was pregnant, we were very thankful. But at the same time, I was more worried about Amir Akhbar. I kept thinking about his feelings and how he would cope with the changes.” But he adapted with unexpected maturity.
“Alhamdulillah, he accepted it very well. Even while his sibling was still in the womb, he was already showing love.
He became more caring and attentive.” Looking back, she sees no coincidence in their journey.
“We see everything as Allah’s arrangement. But for us, Amir Akhbar is not the cause of something else – he himself is a complete blessing.” More than that, she believes he transformed them.
“He is the one who matured us, who taught us patience, love and the true meaning of being parents. “What began as years of waiting and loss has unfolded into a journey of faith, love and fulfilment, anchored by a child.”