Comments on: Haiti — Still Can’t Grasp the Devastation

By: Geraldine

Geraldine — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:52:00 +0000

Both of those stories make me so sad. I also have a friend who was beginning the process on adopting from Haiti.

We are hosting an art show in Venice Beach tonight to help raise money for the orphanage.

It’s just hard to see all the pictures and all the people suffering.

By: Debi

Debi — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:48:41 +0000

Yes, signing off on the Visa was the problem my co-worker kept having. They thought they had covered every possible angle (searching for relatives that might have an interest in the children, researching everything that could go wrong to prevent it, etc.) When the process started the children were 2 and 3 and I guess you have to be precise on the forms of what age you intend to adopt…well, USA dragged their feet so long that by the time they thought they were finally going to bring them home, one of the children turned 7 and their forms said they wanted children 6 and under! So, even though the money was paid and everything was taken care of up to that point, they had to fill out and sign new forms that included the older age and have the US and Haiti sign off again. Isn’t that just crazy?! I have so much respect for people who are adopting these children and feel bad for how unfair the process seems. I sure hope your co-worker can find her children and bring them home safely!

By: mizwrite

mizwrite — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:29:34 +0000

Oh my gosh, Debi, what a story! I’m so glad your coworker is okay, and what amazing timing!

My coworker added to her story and said her friends were having major difficulty getting the US Gov’t to sign off on Humanitarian Visas to bring the children home. They were turned back from the Embassy and told to come back with pictures of all the kids. She included a Google map of Jenae’s orphanage (“SOS, HELP” on the roof). Not sure if the link will come out, but it’s here: http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en... So much to worry about. …

By: Debi

Debi — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:27:48 +0000

I work with a woman who had been trying to adopt both a brother and sister there for 3 years. The process had taken that long, not because of Haiti, but because of the USA and Visa issues and she was really getting frustrated because, well 3 years is a long time! They would always seem to be “there” and some more red tape would show up. Anyways, they planned for them to be here for Christmas and that didn’t work out, but finally – they were able to go to pick them up this month. Well, her and her husband went and got their children, got on the plane and while they were waiting for take off, the earthquake hit! They were the last plane out and made it here safe and sound! It just gives me chills to think about it and it makes me so sad for all those other people who weren’t so lucky!