Just as we were about to get into the heavy duty lift of dossiers and down payments, UNICEF used their influence to virtually halt adoptions from Ethiopia. I don't doubt that their intentions were noble, but I'm not sure stopping a program in its tracks served all involved, especially the many, many children in orphanages bursting with children. Referring to my earlier post, so many people want infant girls, and there was real concern that baby girls were being sold to unscrupulous orphanages for adoption. Please, anyone considering adoption, remember those precious boys - they are a blessing, too.
We sadly decided to withdrawal while our investment of time and money were at a minimum. I felt rather lost, as I had felt so sure that this was the path we were meant to take. I still felt that we were meant to go forward, to stay open to possibility, but we were definitely in adoption limbo until.....
A late night (typical for me) in March 2011, an email blast from Rainbow Kids http://www.rainbowkids.com/ (please check out this wonderful website, if you are considering adoption), an amazing photo that captivated me immediately, and the rest is history in the making.
Our journey is not complete, as our little boy is still in Haiti. We also discovered, well into the process, that our son does not have clubfeet, as was the original diagnosis, but a much more serious and challenging condition. We have been to Haiti twice, rode an emotional roller coaster as we processed the information regarding his condition, and are now eagerly awaiting his homecoming. There is much to tell, and I will expand on all of the highs and lows, as I seem to have been led to share our story again, but in the meantime, here is the photo that won our hearts...
Samy Leo Michel
