I want to thank you with all my heart for the generous and wonderful grant you gave us through America World Adoption Association to help fund the adoption of my son. Things are going wonderfully so far. My son's Chinese name was Fuzhiyi- we named him Aidan, and he is soon to be 3 on April 9th.
When we got Aidan, he had a cleft palate and a repaired cleft lip. He was also quite sick with bronchitis. Three months after his adoption, he underwent surgery to repair the cleft palate and he will be having surgery again next week to remove his tonsils and place tubes in his ears.
He lived his life until now in an orphanage on Hainan Island a wonderful place, as it turns out. We were able to visit the orphanage while in the province, and I was so impressed with the care and love the nannies there showed the children. I was surprised that the orphanage was well equipped and well staffed. Apparently, this orphanage receives funding from "Half the Sky" and it really shows.
The trip was a lot more frantic than I anticipated. Everything is quick-moving in China, and traffic is wild. When I first met Aidan, I expected to feel overwhelmed with the love and anticipation I had begun feeling for months, but, at that moment, the orphanage staff brought him in rather abruptly and unexpectedly while he was counting money and I was signing papers. I was still amazed to see him for real this time, not a picture.
Aidan came right over to me, did not cry and had a very curious look on his face. He liked the toy train I gave him and we hugged. Then, he met his brother and they watched a DVD while I continued to sign papers.
It was so adorable to witness "firsts" with Aidan, even while we were still in China. Even though he was nearly 3, I don't think he'd ever been to a store or swimming in a pool, and he was just delighted. The housekeeping staff at the hotel just loved Aidan. They spoke to him in Mandarin, but he would not speak to them, maybe he was shy.
At first, the two boys (now ages 6 and 3) were more competitive for toys than I thought they would be. Also, Aidan had never before lived in a home with parents and just one other child. At first, he would wander from room to room and ask me where everyone was.
In just under a year, things have smoothed out amazingly well. We have all adjusted to each other, and Aidan is much more comfortable with his home and bedroom. He loves pre-school, and his personality has just blossomed. When I see how bonded to one another the boys have become, I just know that it was meant to be.
Aidan has made a remarkable adjustment here. He is a happy
child, not afraid of adults, and very open to affection. I believe it is because
he received an excellent start at the Haikou social welfare institute. We are
very lucky. Aidan is a joy.
I would like to thank A Child Waits for
the fantastic work they do. The grant money you provided was an amazing help
to my finances. I am a single mother (unfortunately divorced), but hoping to
remarry someday when the right person who loves kids comes along. My finances
are limited, and the help of this grant made so much more possible. I can not
thank you enough. You have profoundly impacted our family.
It truly is life-changing, for not only the child being adopted, but for the family who is adopting. The transition has not always been simple - there have been many days that were frustrating and trying - and I'm sure many more to come. However, I can honestly say that I have been profoundly changed and opened up as an individual to what it means to love to the best of my ability. I've also been profoundly moved by the fact that children are often better at it than adults. Though it was my idea to adopt an orphan and love him for the rest of my life, it was Aidan who simply loved and accepted me as mommy from the day we first met.
With gratitude Victoria Bullock
