John and Raymond

Hi – we’re John & Raymond! Thank you for taking the time to learn about us and our journey to expand our family through open adoption.

We live in Maryland, in a diverse and peaceful suburb of Washington, DC with our rescue dog Yongyi. On a typical weeknight, you can find us sharing a home cooked meal (traditional Asian dishes if it’s Raymond’s turn or John’s famous pork chops if it’s his), going to the movies, or curling up with a good book. Our weekends are spent exploring antique shops, hosting a dinner for friends, trying out a new restaurant, or tending to our small but growing garden! 

Raymond is a lawyer working in juvenile defense for youth in DC; he was born in Toronto, Canada where his family settled after emigrating from Vietnam as refugees. Much of his childhood was spent with his large extended family eating delicious traditional foods that he is always attempting to replicate. He is an introvert who loves quiet evenings with friends, playing board games, and watching reality TV. In his job, he has found a passion for advocating for young people who have been overlooked and underserved.

John is a publicist working in strategic communications for non-profits; he was born in Springfield, IL and raised in St. Louis, MO in a big Catholic, Midwestern family. He is a natural extrovert and can find connection with anyone he meets. John is also an artist by nature and will often try his hand at a new artistic medium. His natural curiosity leads him down historical rabbit holes and he can tell you niche facts about everything from the last Empress of China to the largest pedestrian bridge in the world.

We specifically chose to pursue open adoption because we believe in fostering a strong connection between our child and their birth family – children should grow up feeling love from everyone in their lives. We also know that openness can look different for each family and change over time – no matter what form it takes for us, we are committed to creating a warm and welcoming relationship with our child’s birth family.

Living in Maryland, we know there may be greater geographical distance between us and our child’s birth family. Having friends and family around the world has made us both comfortable with maintaining meaningful connections despite distance. In addition to creating opportunities throughout each year to travel to our child’s birth family and hosting them in Maryland, we know that regular communication through text, phone, and video can go a long way. Our hope is that our child’s birth family will feel fulfilled by their connection to them no matter where they live.

We’re looking forward to filling our child’s life with new experiences, fostering a sense of excitement and curiosity about the world, and encouraging their innate kindness, independence, and strength.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us!