Hi! I’m Carla, and I like to watch movies and true crime TV, make scrapbooks, play with my dog, and travel. My dog’s name is Massak, and he’s a 13-year-old American Eskimo mix. I rescued him when he was about 1 ½ years old. To date, I have visited 48 U.S. states and am preparing to visit the remaining two sometime this year. I have also visited several countries outside the United States, which has given me a unique perspective on the many privileges we enjoy as Americans. I work as a medical services professional for a local healthcare system. August 2024 marks my 20th anniversary working at my current hospital, but I have worked on the administrative side of healthcare since my teens.

My immediate family is very close. My parents, who are both retired now, were married for over 25 years before getting divorced, but they remain good friends. I am the youngest of three children. My dad lives close by with my older sister. She has one daughter, who is preparing to start her senior year of college. My brother and his wife live in Maryland, which is like my second home. Their youngest daughter is preparing to start her sophomore year in art school, and their oldest daughter is now in her late twenties, with a five-year-old son.

I also have a three-year-old cousin in Maryland, who is my goddaughter, and I sponsor two girls in Cambodia (ages 10 and 14), who I hope to meet someday. My family loves to have parties, so I am usually the planner of these events. Overall, we love to travel, see new things, and experience life together.

I have lived in Virginia for approximately 20 years. In 2013 I rescued my dog, Massak. In the Inuit (Eskimo) language, his name means “soft snow.” When Massak came to live with us, we were in a townhouse with a very small backyard. Massak loves to run and play, so we decided to move to a larger house with a bigger backyard. In 2016 we purchased our current home. We enjoy living in our neighborhood, which is safe and close to shopping, movie theaters, parks, and restaurants. The school system is one of the best in the region. Prior to the birth of my daughter, we added another bedroom and bathroom to the first floor of our house, so there is ample space for our household.

In 2020 I was diagnosed with a medical condition that required me to have a hysterectomy. In 2022 my doctor encouraged me to undergo fertility treatment so that I could have children. My gestational carrier gave birth to my daughter in April 2024, but unfortunately she was stillborn. At the age of 42, it will be difficult for me to have another biological child. I have a good friend who was adopted, and she is an amazing person. My mom also has a good friend who is an adoptive mother, and she has encouraged me to follow through on this path. I am confident I can give a child a loving home through adoption.