Baby Ephraim’s adoption story is full of hope, disappointment and love - and it's truly beautiful.

This is a truly beautiful story that will make you laugh and cry throughout.

In 2011, Chantel and her husband decided to adopt a baby but they didn't realise just how long and emotional the process would be. 

The couple were accepted by their first agency in November, one month after they started their adoption process.

However, by December of that year, the agency had gone bankrupt and the couple had to start again. 

In 2012, they got as far as being put on a waiting list and completing their online adoption training course before they found out that their second agency had ethical issues.

They terminated their application after that. 

Chantel and her husband, who were already parents to Raeca, had to start the whole process again: third time lucky, perhaps? 

Sadly, however, their journey came to an end again in April.

But the couple were not ones to give up; in August of 2013, after hearing about a South African programme from a friend, they decided to mail their application to agency number four – two years after they first started the process.  

And in 2014,  Chantel, her husband and Raeca all travelled to South Africa to welcome Ephraim into their life. 

But their journey didn't come to an end when they brought their son home. 

"I wasn’t prepared for the amount of time we’d spend dealing with some medical issues with Ephraim," Chanel wrote on her blog, www.chantelklassen.me.

"Overall he’s healthy but he’s had quite a few smaller things that add up to approximately 21 doctors appointments, one ambulance ride and one night in the hospital in the last eight months (with more appointments in the future and surgery in the next year or two).

"He came home on month four of six for medication for TB (of which two months worth were lost in our luggage by the airline), had appointments and skin tests at the TB clinic. 

"He’s had three seizures, updates on immunizations, specialist appointments for his eyes, allergy tests and has currently done three rounds of medication in an attempt to remove a parasite."

However, while they may have had a difficult start, Chantel could not be happier. 

"How has this little guy only been a part of our family for the last year?" the mum-of-two wrote.

"He is silly, rough and tumble and yet sweet and sensitive.

"He is seriously the funniest two-year-old I have ever known, he makes me laugh out loud every day. 

"He loves to make everyone laugh and his smile is absolutely contagious."

This is a story of disappointment, hope and love, and deserves your full attention.