Joys of Adoption

 

This is a subject close to my heart. A friend of mine has a friend who chose adopting a child from Korea, through the Holt Adoption Agency. They were already a mixed family of mine, yours and ours for children. Being a foster family for years, the welfare of children was always uppermost in their lives. Having many children of their own, adoption was difficult except if they were willing to accept a “hard-to-place” child. Shortly after submitting their application, they received photos and information on a female child with many health issues. She was 3 months old, had malnutrition, deaf, and blind as a result of albinism. They also reported that she responded very little and was considered retarded.At first glance of the picture, they fell in love with this tiny being. There were many, many steps to secure the necessary paperwork, as they feared her decline. She was, unfortunately, not in a Holt orphanage, but a local one. Conditions were extremely poor and all she had to survive on was very little milk and very little human contact. They were led to believe she would probably not survive from lack of human contact and was slipping into the baby syndrome that would most likely claim her life.

At first glance of the picture, they fell in love with this tiny being. There were many, many steps to secure the necessary paperwork, as they feared her decline. She was, unfortunately, not in a Holt orphanage, but a local one. Conditions were extremely poor and all she had to survive on was very little milk and very little human contact. They were led to believe she would probably not survive from lack of human contact and was slipping into the baby syndrome that would most likely claim her life.

The family was able to pay flight costs for the child and a missionary escort coming home for a visit. She was finally processed and cleared to come to the US at just over 9 months of age. Arriving at the Denver airport after long hours in an airplane surrounded with people she didn’t know, the infant was terrorized and crying. The joy and amazement experienced by the new mother and father upon sight of their new daughter, was filled with a love like none other. Thanking God that this little 9 plus month old child, weighing only 10 pounds, was still with us.

The travel by car was a distressing one for the infant, but it quickly became apparent that she was not deaf. She arrived with scabies and taken directly to a doctor for a checkup when they reached home.

By the time she was 1 year old she was 20 pounds and a completely different baby. She laughed, was learning to walk, eating well and loved the attention her new family was providing. Many years of extensive eye care for her legally blind condition also resulted in one eye surgery and special glasses. Of course, she was NOT retarded or deaf. The eyesight was challenging and she used special equipment in school, but was and is, an extremely bright child and now wonderful woman.

They traveled many roads and obstacles, including taunts from other children because of her pale white skin and hair and unusual looks, but after many tears, she learned to cope with them and move on.

Even though there were many corners to turn, the family would not have changed one single thing. The love for this child is as strong as for all the other children in the family.  They definitely say thumbs up on adoption.  Every child deserves a loving family of their own and this family received so much more in return than did the child. Don’t turn away from the possibility of adoption, whether you choose to adopt foreign or local.  There are so many children in our world that are begging for love and a family of their very own.

-Dr Fredda Branyon