Forever Families

By Suzanne Kubler, Nora Blum and Cory Jackson

A Kept Promise

What does it mean to become a forever family? Read about three Northrop Grumman employees who have embarked on the journey of adoption, opening not only their homes but their hearts. 

Hurricane Dorian slammed the Bahamas in 2019, leveling homes, knocking out power and leaving the region in tatters. Shortly after, Systems Engineering Manager Stephen Sipprell, his wife and two sons met a displaced Bahamian family of six whose home was destroyed. The family lived with the Sipprells for six months before returning to the Bahamas to restart their lives. Shortly after, the mother fell ill.

"She called from her hospital bed asking us to adopt her four children, Alesha, Alicia, Johnique and Jonathan,” said Stephen. “My wife told her we would but didn’t fathom it was a promise we would end up fulfilling — of course she’d pull through.”

The mom passed away eight days later. The children’s father then abandoned them. 

“It was a sad situation, but it moved us to embrace these children as part of our family — a new family of eight,” said Stephen, noting that he’s received strong support at work. “My leadership and colleagues have been amazing. They’re constantly checking in, offering moral support and allowing me flexibility.” 

It took three years for the Sipprells to obtain guardianship of the children, but Stephen said it was worth every bit of effort. 

“It’s been a long difficult road with many turns and twists,” said Stephen. “But when one door closes, we move on to the next — because that’s what you do for family.” 

Finding Connection 

For Cybersecurity Engineer Eva Underwood, adopting her son, Peyton, in 2021 didn’t feel like anything out of the ordinary. Eva’s mother, Sheri — who recently retired after a 40-year software engineering career at Northrop Grumman — was also adopted as an infant and eager to share this special connection with her grandson. 

“Knowing that my mom had been adopted and that there are kids out there who need a home was something that I really felt a connection to,” said Eva, who had an arduous six-month journey between matching with a birth mother and finalizing the adoption. 

Early on, Eva joined the NGFamily employee resource group where she was able to connect with other employees who have gone through the process of adopting. Through the group’s Teams channel, members have a dedicated space to ask questions, give advice and share resources. 

“Families are defined in so many different ways,” said NGFamily Enterprise Chair Christine Sturm, who is also a member of the adoption and fostering community on Teams. 

“The mission of NGFamily is to be a community for all family members of all kinds.” 

Through this community, Eva has found comfort in hearing about experiences that are similar to her own. 

“Knowing that there are people who have been through this journey and can relate to what you’ve been through has been really nice,” said Eva. 

A Full House 

Software Development Analyst Tommy Hurley and his wife, Denise, had already raised their three children and moved on to the empty-nest stage of their lives — or so they thought. 

That all changed in 2016, when a family experiencing homelessness walked into the church where Denise works seeking help. The couple welcomed the family into their own home for a few months and soon felt a calling to help more families in need by obtaining a license to foster. 

“We felt like fostering would be a way to love these children and give them the attention and stability they needed,” said Tommy. 

Over the next several years, Tommy and Denise took in five separate family groups, doing their best to keep siblings together along the way. In 2020, they welcomed siblings Aryann, Grace, Abigail and Caleb, who ranged from ages four to nine. Although family reunification was always the goal, when the foster care system separated each sibling into more permanent foster homes, Tommy knew he couldn’t turn away. Tommy and Denise officially adopted the four children in November 2023 during National Adoption Month. 

“We have a full house, but it’s worth it,” said Tommy.