A Success Story
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 4:38 PM
Subject: [gen-x-adopt] one year ago today . . .
One year ago today . . .
It was Monday, March 4th, 2002 and our DTC Jan 01 group had been a-buzz for over a week with rumors that referrals had been sent from China. When I woke up to get our boys off to school that morning, I immediately checked online and saw that several East-coast families had indeed received THE CALL that morning. We live in WA state, so I wondered if West coast referrals might start being announced as the agencies here opened. As soon as I took the boys to school, I dashed home and called our agency. They said they had NO word of any referrals on the way, and that they NEVER receive them on Mondays.
So, I went about my business and eventually headed into town to drop off the baby blankets my mom and I had made at the embroidery shop. They are 3 identical Precious Moments blankets, and we wanted "Marisa Hope" embroidered on each one. Despite our agency's warning that we would not be hearing anything that day, I was shaky and nervous. I called and checked our answering machine multiple times. I made one last stop to buy some Easter Beanie Babies for the boys' baskets at a little shop in town, and checked the machine one last time before heading home. There was one message--and when I played it, I heard a very friendly and calm voice say, "Hello, this is Janelle from AAI, just give me a call when you get home."
I could not believe what I had just heard. I started frantically debating whether I should call her on my cell phone or wait until I got home. I finally decided I had better just get home, get my list of questions out and be composed enough to digest the information. I kept telling myself that this call didn't mean a referral, it could be a hundred other things. But the fact that she didn't tell me why she was calling made me think it just might be.
I didn't even take the time to pull the car into the garage. I ran in the house, got out my list of questions, took some deep breaths and called. And indeed, our referral had arrived . . . on a Monday!
I was told we had a beautiful daughter from the Anhui Province, Hefei Children's Welfare Institute. She was younger than we'd anticipated, at that time 9 1/2 months. She was very cute and had lots of hair. I don't remember much of what I said, I was in such shock. My husband called through on the adoption agency's other line, as apparently they had left a message on his pager. I asked them to tell him to hang up and call me so I could tell him myself! He already had a few details, but I got to fill in the rest.
Janelle tried to fax me a picture, but she couldn't get the fax machine to work on her end. It kept connecting to our fax machine, but nothing would come through. I kept sitting at the fax machine waiting and waiting. Finally she got it to connect and the picture came through in what seemed like slow motion--almost completely black. I could tell she had a head and arms, but that was it.
My husband decided that he would drive up to Port Angeles, about 90 minutes away, to pick up the referral packet, instead of waiting for FedEx to bring it in the morning. He was in the Operating Room of a local hospital attending a case (he sells medical equipment), and he told them, "I gotta go!" As he turned to leave, he knocked over an entire tray of medication! He made it up to the agency in time to get their fax machine to work better and fax me the pictures before I left to pick up the boys from school. I got there a few minutes early and had the office call them down so I could tell and show them in private, before sharing the news with teachers and friends at school. I'm sure the office staff thought I was telling them about a death in the family by the way I looked--a mess!
My mom and stepfather came over to see the pictures and packet as soon as Brian got home. They brought a balloon that said, "It's a Girl!!" . . . something I'd been waiting my whole life to hear. Having given birth twice, I have to say the "high" from receiving THE CALL is just as intense and overwhelming. Perhaps more so, because of the long wait, and not being in intense pain for hours ahead of time!
Here's the message I sent out to friends and family right after getting THE CALL:
We just got THE CALL about an hour ago!
Her Chinese name is Zhang Zi Qian
DOB May 22, 20XX
She is in the Anhui Province at Hefei Children's Welfare Institute.
On Jan. 7th, she weighed 16.5 pounds and was 26" tall. She had a neg. Hepatitis B test and normal bloodwork. We are waiting for a faxed picture, but the agency gal said she is very cute and has lots of hair. The report, at least what is in English, seems to indicate she is healthy. We will get the translated version tomorrow. Brian is dashing up to Port Angeles--about 90 min. from here--to get the referral now.
Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement! Please keep 'em coming!!!
One year ago today our lives changed forever. God blessed us with the perfect daughter, and I will always be thankful to Him, Marisa's birthparents, the People's Republic of China, our adoption agency, Hefei Children's Welfare Institute and the prayers of our family and friends for making her adoption a reality.
Take care,
Sharyl
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