Our journey to adopt begins in a tiny village in the Forest Region of Guinea, West Africa. My husband and I were newlyweds, traveling to visit his relatives, and most importantly, my new step-daughter. We had applied for her visa to come live with us in the U.S. We didn't know how long that might take.
When we got to the village and saw her condition, we knew we had to get her out of the village right away, and get her to the U.S. as quickly as possible for medical care. It was clear she was being neglected physically, emotionally, medically and in every possible way. We had planned to stay in the village for a a week, but we stayed only two days, then drove for the next 24 hours back to the capitol.
While we were in the village, I also met my husband's grandson, who was 5 years old but looked no older than 3. His arms and legs were like sticks, but he had a round belly. His hair should have been black, but it had faded to the color of dust and was falling out due to malnutrition. While our daughter's situation was critical, this little guy's was definitely urgent as well. With no parents to love and care for him, he was getting whatever was left over after whatever relatives he lived with at the moment fed and clothed their own children.
In speaking with an immigration attorney, we sadly learned that the U.S. has no mechanism to sponsor your grandchild for a visa, even if he meets the legal definition of an orphan. It was going to be a long and difficult effort to get this child home.
We have been able to improve his situation by relocating him to a different guardian, and obtaining medical care and nutritious meals. He is also attending school, where he is proving himself a top pupil who wins the acclaim of his teachers and the headmaster of his school.
I went to Guinea to visit him last summer and to meet with an immigration official about his case. He is a curious boy who wants to learn how everything works. We think he might have a future as an engineer! It was devastating to have to come home without him again.
The one thing he needs most of all is something we cannot provide for him as long as he stays in Guinea: A stable family that will love and care for him forever. Therefore, we are working to adopt him.
International adoption is never easy. Nor is it affordable by any stretch of the imagination. Costs can top $50,000! We still have two daughters at home, who both have special needs, and whose care can be more expensive than most children. Because of the demands of their care, I am unable to work outside of the home.
We have been saving our pennies since bringing our daughter home two years ago, and have managed to save about half of our projected budget. My husband has been working two jobs, and I have been blogging, to raise the money we need to bring our son home. We have also taken on odd jobs here and there to increase our savings. For example, during Derby season, we shared a job helping out in the kitchen of an upscale Louisville restaurant; I worked the lunch shift while the girls were in school, and he worked the dinner shift until closing. We have also been selling some furniture and other items of value we have around the house.
Due to some unexpected complications, it looks like the total fees are going to be about $10,000 more than we originally budgeted. This is where we hope that OUR VILLAGE, our family, friends and caring others, might be willing to lend a hand to help our little guy.
His situation is not his fault, and we are doing our best to get him out of it. We want to see him grow up healthy and strong, able to fulfill his bright potential and contribute to the world all that he was created to give to our amazing planet! Will you join us in helping to change his life?
Thank you,
Kathryn & Hamidou
