The Mitchell Family is Doubly Blessed this National Adoption Day
Since they were nearly six months old, Aaliyah and Aleesha have lived with their grandparents, Deirdre and Bruce Mitchell. On November 17, the twin sisters, who turned six in September, will be formally adopted by the Mitchells as King County Superior Court celebrates National Adoption Day. (Watch a video profile of the Mitchell family here.)
“It’s a relief knowing that they are going to be with my husband and myself and nobody can take them away from us,” Deirdre Mitchell said.
“We’ve been Mama and Papa,” Bruce Mitchell said, “and now we are getting the papers to prove it.”
The girls had a difficult start in life; they were in the hospital from birth until they were four-and-a-half-months old, Deirdre Mitchell said. The years-long process of adopting them was also challenging, but the couple was determined.
“I just think it’s about being patient,” Deirdre Mitchell said. “There were times we were a little discouraged. We just kept on fighting for them, knowing where they need to be. We were their voice, and we continued to be their voice.”
They describe the girls as smart and kind, with a close bond with each other. Aleesha, who is deaf, has cochlear implants. So, when Aaliyah introduces her to other children, “Her first response is this my sister, and you can’t touch her ear.”
“They’re really close,” Deirdre Mitchell said. “They have to hug every morning.”
The couple shares the responsibility of picking up and dropping off the girls from school.
“When I leave and come back, they say ‘Oh you came back,’” Bruce Mitchell said. “They struggle — they still have to be reassured that we are coming back to get them.”
Bruce Mitchell said being adopted represents security for them; “Knowing that will be there for them always.”
The Mitchells have six grown children between them. A second wave of parenthood has its advantages, they said, including experience and financial stability. The girls like to go to Chuck E. Cheese (or as they call it, Cheese Chucky) and the pumpkin patch.
“We’re at a point in our life where we can do things,” Bruce Mitchell said. “We just don’t have the youth.”
Added Deirde Mitchell, with a laugh: “Our next step is Disneyland, and we are worried about, how are we are going to walk?”
Aaliyah and Aleesha are among the dozens of children who will be adopted into safe, loving homes at the November 17 National Adoption Day celebration at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
“Finalizing adoptions for families like the Mitchells is one of the greatest privileges I have as a judge,” said King County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Parisien, who will preside over the event.
In Washington, there are more than 10,000 children in foster care. More than 2,000 of those children are waiting for families to adopt them. King County Superior Court is one of dozens of courts across the state and nation finalizing adoptions and celebrating all families that adopt.
“Through events like this throughout the country, we hope to encourage families to step forward to adopt all children, but particularly those in our foster care system,” Judge Parisien said.
What: Adoptions being finalized for children and families
Who: Families and Superior Court Judicial Officers available for interviews
When: Noon, Friday, November 17 (Adoptions will be finalized in the morning, prior to the celebration at noon.)
Where: Jury Room 2-E, Second Floor, Maleng Regional Justice Center, 401 4th Avenue, Kent, WA
