Urgent Need to Complete Our Haitian Adoptions

A draft of this campaign was started in February 2024, shortly after we moved back to Port-au-Prince so that we could finish our daughters' adoptions after two years of being displaced to the south of Haiti. Our plan was to share this on March 1st and then hit the ground running in full Operation: Adoption mode on Monday March 4th as soon as the government offices opened for the day.

Little did we know that on February 29th, our whole world would suddenly change as Haiti entered into this current state of government collapse and extreme violence. Instead of moving forward with our plan, we found ourselves fleeing our home again as gangs fought for control of our community. A month later, we are still displaced and unable to return home yet as bloody clashes between police, gangs, and neighbors caught in the crossfire continue to terrorize our neighborhood and country.

We have also spent this last month exhausting every option to evacuate our family, but because our adoptions are not complete, we are being told by every authority, both in the US and Haiti, that there are no options for our family at this time.

So, we have decided to share this now so that when the smoke clears and some level of order is restored, hopefully sooner than later, we can be ready to resume Operation: Adoption to get our girls legally recognized as members of our family.

Here's the original draft. While some of the details have changed, the need and hope is as great as ever:

We're reaching out with hearts full of hope as we work to complete the adoption process for our amazing daughters B. and L. These two incredible souls joined our family at just 4 months old, having already overcome unbelievable odds from a rough start in life. Our tiny but mighty girls have grown into intelligent, kind, hilarious, and beautiful six-year-olds with an unmatched zest for life, all while being raised in the middle of some of Haiti's most turbulent years.

Unfortunately, the adoption process has been a slow and costly endeavor, with government instability and dangerous gang activity adding layers of difficulty. Moving forward on their adoption process will open up more options to keep them (and all of us) safe as the violence in Haiti is rapidly increasing all around us. We're more committed than ever to push through, but we can't do it alone.

Donations will go towards adoption-related expenses, covering lawyer fees, processing fees, and even the small details like motorcycle taxi fares for the million trips back and forth to the social services department, notaries, clerks, judges, records bureaus, government offices, and everywhere in between. Your support will bring us one step closer to providing B. and L. with the stability and safety they deserve.

We still have a long road ahead, but with your help, we can do it. Any contribution will be a giant leap toward making our family official and creating a brighter future for our girls. Thank you for being a part of our journey!