Dennis and Roel

We’re Dennis, Roel and Dex from The Netherlands. We would like to thank you for taking the time to read our story. Through this profile, we hope to give you a glimpse into our life and help you decide what is best for you and your child.

In 2018 we were lucky to adopt our son Dex from Philadelphia, PA. Because it is very difficult to adopt in our country we are grateful to be able to adopt in the United States and look forward to continuing our journey to grow our family.

Being surrounded by the love of our families and friends, the both of us enjoyed a happy childhood. It is our deepest wish to pass that on, providing a safe and nurturing home. Please know that this would also be our promise to you.

Thank you again for your bravery and for considering us as an adoptive family for your child. We believe that such a decision can only be made out of unconditional love. From the bottom of our hearts, we wish you all the strength and courage in the world, to make a choice for your child that feels comfortable.

About Us: Our story begins in the summer of 2010. We met in the beautiful city of Nijmegen, where we both went to medical school. We immediately felt a strong connection with each other and our shared wish to become a parent one day was discussed already during our first date!

After finishing our studies in 2011, we moved in together. At that time, we also started our medical specialty training. The first couple of years we were able to travel a lot and think about our future dreams, including adoption. Love, honesty and respect are key words that describe our relationship.

On June 15th, 2018, we got married. It was a beautiful day which we shared with family and friends. Only two weeks later we were blessed to become fathers of our U.S. adoptive son Dex, who was born on July 3rd. Even though we are very fortunate to have our wonderful son, we still have room in our hearts to love another child.

Fun Facts:

• We got engaged on the island of Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean
• Roel met the Dutch King at the opening of his hospital ward
• Dennis performed gymnastics on a high (national) level in his younger years
• We both speak four languages (Dutch, English, German and French)
• Roel built and restored several pieces of furniture that are in our home
• Dennis educates medical professionals in disaster medicine
• Roel achieved a black belt in judo
• Dennis grows exotic plants like eucalyptus, cacti and banana trees
• We love outdoor activities, such as hiking, skiing and paragliding

I grew up in a small but nice village in Limburg, together with my younger brother Luc. Our childhood was carefree with warm and loving parents. As a child, I loved to play outside, building huts and forts in a forest near our house. Family and friends are very important to me! Most of the friends I have today, I have known since elementary school. We are still very close and see each other on a regular basis.

After finishing high school, I moved to Nijmegen to study medicine. During my internships, I noticed that working with children is what I love the most. That is why I became a pediatrician. Currently I work at a university hospital. Even though I love my work, being a dad is the best ‘job’ in the world!

Being near family is important to us and it’s one of the reasons why Dennis and I moved back to Limburg. Now I can spend more time with my nieces Liv and Ize. On Mondays my parents babysit Dex, and they love to play with and take care of him. They look forward to doing this with our future second child as well!

By Dennis: “Roel truly is the love of my life. I have come to know him as the most honest, compassionate and responsible person I have ever met. No matter where I am, I feel at home when Roel is around. Family is really important to him. I love his sense of humor and I admire how easily he connects with other people, especially with children. Roel is passionate about helping families as a pediatrician. Roel is an amazing dad and he will love your child with all his heart.”

Roel’s Favorites

Sport: Skiing

Hobby: Photography

Color: Blue

Food: Italian Cuisine

Animal: Penguin

Children’s Book: Very Hungry Caterpillar

I was born in a small village in the middle of the Netherlands, where I grew up with my wonderful mom and dad, and my younger brother Patrick. My mother volunteered for an animal ambulance, so animals and pets were always around. My father is a gardener and he showed me how to nurture flowers and plants.

Our parents were always there for us. They taught us to follow our dreams and to care for other people, animals and the environment. This is what my brother Patrick also teaches his beautiful daughters Benthe, Blaize and Bobbie.

After high school, I moved to Nijmegen to study medicine. Here, I fell in love with Roel. In 2014, I finished my medical specialty training in emergency medicine and now I work as an emergency physician in a teaching hospital. Both Roel and I work part-time since we became a family of three, because we think it is important to spend a lot of time with Dex. I really love my “daddy days” and can’t wait to become a Dad again!

By Roel: “Dennis is my best friend and I am privileged to call him my husband. He is the ‘dreamer’ of the two of us and one of the most caring people I know. We share the same sense of humor and therefore laugh a lot and are able to act silly together. He is the one that keeps me leveled and supports me in everything I do. Dennis will give your child all the love it needs and encourage them to follow their dreams.”

Dennis’ Favorites

Sport: Fitness & Running

Hobby: Gardening & cooking

Color: Green

Food: Asian Cuisine

Animal: Whale

Children’s Movie: The Land Before Time

Dex is our cheerful, adventurous and lovable son. He was born on July 3rd, 2018 in Philadelphia. We immediately fell in love with Dex the first time we saw him. We are very thankful to his birth mother, who chose us to be his fathers.

Like no other, Dex enjoys the small things in life. He wakes up smiling and is happy all day long. He is crazy about music. Food is another great joy. Because we think healthy food is important, we like to prepare and cook all his meals ourselves.

It has been the greatest joy watching Dex grow and learn new things. He is very fond of cars and checks every object on how it is constructed. He also likes to act silly and he out braves us every day. We noticed very early on that Dex is very kind to other children. He loves to play with them and is more than willing to share his toys. We are confident that Dex will be a great big brother and your child and Dex will have adoption in common!

Dex’s Favorites

Food: Veggies & fries

Song: Wheels on the Bus

Book: Guess How Much I Love You

Animal: (Baby) Shark

Things we Like to do as a Family:
• Visiting family & friends

• Traveling to places we have never been before
• Cooking delicious food
• Spending time together
• Going to the nearby city zoo
• Hiking in the mountains
• Having fun at the playground (in the front of our house)
• Discovering Europe by road trip
• Enjoying the little things that make life happy

Family and friends are very important to us. We often meet with them for dinners, birthdays and other social events. At Christmas and Easter, our families come together to eat delicious food and share presents. We also adopted American holidays, like Halloween, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July. Another yearly tradition is the family holiday with Roel’s family. We either go skiing or visit sunny destinations such as Italy and Spain.

We have a diverse group of friends with different ethnic backgrounds. Many of them have young kids and some of our friends have adopted from the United States as well. Our family

and friends have all been very supportive of our adoption plans. Our parents will have an active role as grandparents and our brothers and their families cannot wait for the three of us to become the four of us.

Home Sweet Home: We live in Venray, a small city in the province of Limburg, close to the German and Belgian border. It is surrounded by some of the most beautiful national parks where we love to go hiking. The region is also known for its distinctive culture, great food and festivities like ‘Carnaval’.

Our home is modern, spacious and situated in a neighborhood with many young families and children. There is a playground just in front of the house. Schools, daycare centers and a hospital are also close by. The best thing about our home is that our family and friends all live within a thirty-minute drive.

More on The Netherlands: The Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, is known for its flat landscape with canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. It is one of the most prosperous countries in the world and is recognized for its outstanding education and healthcare systems. There also is a great respect for human diversity.

Our Promise: We deeply respect the great sacrifice you have to make in the interest of your baby. Please know that we will always respect you and speak of you in a positive way. We value the benefits of an open adoption and look forward to remaining in contact with you, to the degree you are comfortable with. When we are fortunate enough to adopt again, the both of us will take time off from our jobs to bond with your child. Something we experienced in our upbringings ourselves and therefore really value, is that children should be able to follow their dreams. We hope to teach your child how to face the world with an open mind and be respectful to other people, whatever their background may be. We promise that your child will receive our unconditional love and support to grow up as a happy and healthy individual. We will always provide a safe, stable, warm and loving home.

Thank you again for taking the time to read our story. We want you to know how courageous we think you are for trying to make the best decisions you can. Our greatest hope is that you will find happiness and peace of mind with whatever decision you will make.

With Love,

Roel, Dennis & Dex