Hopeful (but cautious)

Families impacted by the recent bankrupcty of Imagine Adoption voted yesterday at the first creditors' meeting held in Kitchener-Waterloo (THANK YOU RUTH FOR REPRESENTING US) to work with the bankruptcy trustee BDO Dunwoody to present a proposal to rescue the agency from bankruptcy. Work on the proposal should be completed within the next two to four weeks. If the proposal is accepted by the court, the restructured agency will continue to work to complete the adoptions of families.

This is just a first step, but my heart is beating (slowly and cautiously) once again...

"Latte Drinking Yuppy"

I made the mistake of reading a few comments after my interviews with CTV, CBC (local and national), CNN, and Wpg Free Press. "Latte Drinking Yuppy" was only one of the many names I have been called over the past couple weeks. Man, people are so uneducated and ignorant. I actually stopped reading comments after only a few (of 100s) - I was beginning to take the comments so personally, considering my face was in the photos. To combat this ignorance (if it is even possible), the local organization I volunteer for (Friends of Adoption Manitoba) submitted an article to the Wpg Free Press over the weekend. What else can we do besides try to educate others????

As an update, we continue to fight - I can't seem to stop - but I am still not quite sure that people understand what we are fighting for - will people really care about those of us with no referrals? - Most people only see us as losing money and nothing else. How do we fight for something we never had? How do we express to others that our baby has been a part of our family for many years now and just because we have not seen his face doesn't make it any less painful or devastating that we may never will.

Our journey is still not over...

Dear Mr/Ms MP - Just Copy and Paste

Find your Member of Parliament using your Postal Code:

Dear MP

I am writing to you regarding the recent bankruptcy announcement of Imagine Adoption, based in Cambridge, Ontario. This agency was one of only two that is currently licensed to complete adoptions in the country of Ethiopia. Many families from all over Canada (once approved by a provincial adoption agency) have become clients of Imagine Adoption. It has been reported that there are over 400 families that are directly affected by this tragedy.

In the long process to adopt, these families have invested both emotionally and financially in order for Imagine to fulfill not only a legal contract, but their dreams to complete their family. It is imperative that the contract be fulfilled and that these families may bring home their long awaited children from Ethiopia, whether they have received a child referral already or not.

This has been an already very long journey for most of these families. They did everything by the book. They trusted Imagine and the government who licensed them. I am asking that the government now take action to support all the families affected.

I am writing to you to ask for your help; to immediately determine a solution to facilitate and complete all of Imagine Adoption's active files affected by this bankruptcy.

It is imperative that the federal government take an active role in ensuring the well-being of the many hundreds of children and Canadian families who have found themselves completely at a loss in this situation.

We trust that swift government action will accompany the bankruptcy announcement of Kids Link/Imagine Adoption and we await your timely response to this letter.

Sincerely,

Perspective - "You are all I need"

Sara: "Mommy, before I came to you, were you sad?"
Mommy: "Yes, I was so sad."
Sara: "Did you cry?"
Mommy: "Yes, I cried sad tears. But guess what I did when you came?"
Sara: "You cried happy!"
Mommy: "Yes, I did, lots of happy tears."
Sara: " When Ethiopia opens up, you can cry happy tears again."
Mommy: "Yes. But you know what? You make me happy everyday. You are all I need, Sara. You are all I need, forever."

"Mommy can I write to our baby?"

Sara: "Mommy, can I write to our baby?"
Mommy: "What do you want to say? I can write it for you."

Dear Baby,
Goodbye baby. I miss you. I love you. I wish I had you. I want to hold you all the time and I want to kiss you. ("Mommy, can you write Xs and Os for me too?")
OXOXOXOX
Love, Sara

PLEASE HELP

Our family is one of hundreds of families across Canada affected by the recent bankruptcy announcement of our adoption agency, Imagine Adoption. Our hearts are breaking and cannot believe that our dreams are shattered. We are tired. We are devastated. We want to give up…but we cannot, we have dreamed of this child for so many years – this keeps us moving forward.

HOW YOU CAN HELP OUR FAMILY:

1. Sign the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SaveOurDreamofAdoptingInternatio/index.html
2. Make lots of noise – contact your local media and tell them that this is unacceptable.
3. Contact your local MP and ask that the Federal Government step in to assist in this tragedy – I will even help you draft something.

Thank you and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers – we are in for a very long ride.

I BEG YOU TO SIGN

I beg ANYONE who reads my blog to tell EVERYONE you possibly can to please sign...
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SaveOurDreamofAdoptingInternatio/index.html
(after you sign, the site takes you to a donation page - you may skip this option)

One small step...PLEASE.

Paralyzed

I cannot speak. I cannot fight. I cannot move. I am paralyzed.

Thank you for being my voice.

Are prayers enough?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/adoption-agencys-bankruptcy-devastates-families/article1217223/

Just pray

Please...for some kind of miracle...

"That's just the way God made me"

Mommy: "Sara, eat your cheese!"
Sara: "Well Mommy, I don't like cheese anymore. I can't help it...that's just the way God made me!"

It dawned on me the other day...

that the likelihood of getting a referral during court closures this year (August and September) is NIL, NADA, ZILCH, ZIP. With the new process of all children having to go through regional court approval before they can be referred means two months of static, stale, dead air, with no hope of moving forward for anyone. We will be sitting in limbo for over two months until courts regroup again in the fall.

I am really hoping that I am wrong, but what are the chances of regional courts staying open when federal courts close. I am still waiting to hear the details of all this...but I can already predict the outcome...as I am sure you can too...

This sucks...

Why do I even bother?

Because I NEVER receive the answers I want.
Because it is always a vague reply.

Because I can predict the answers before I ask.

Because it is always the same answer every single time.

Because I always feel like crap afterward.
Because I am always expecting more then what I get.

So we have now been "only two months away" since October and recently, the time has extended even longer. It has taken from January to July (over 6 months) to get through the May08 referrals (and longer for girls), which means, realistically we could be waiting well into or past December for our referral - OMG OMG, writing that just gave me a mini panic attack.

Remember a few months ago when I was feeling really good...well lately, the word "CRAP" comes to mind when I think about how I have been feeling. And not the kind that just sits there, but the kind you step in and gets stuck on the bottom of your shoe. Lovely, just lovely.

My marathon high and distraction is officially over - I knew it was too good to last. Will this EVER end??????????? I can't take this much longer...