Everyone deserves a family
As the father of seven beautiful children, I know that parenthood is a gift. I consider it my biggest fortune in life to be a father and watch my children grow into amazing, well-rounded individuals.
Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to have a family. There are so many couples across this nation struggling to complete their family, and so many children hoping to become a part of one.
Today, more than 102,000 children in the United States are in the foster care system, patiently waiting to be adopted. This statistic, of course, does not include the colossal number of children around the globe hoping to find their forever home.
November is National Adoption Awareness Month, so I wanted to bring awareness to the worthy cause that is adoption. Over the past two years, I have had the chance to meet with several families who have successfully adopted, and hear all about their inspiring fight for family.
Perhaps most notable of these families is the Molitor family, who received an Angels in Adoption Award this year. Joy and Matthew Molitor’s story begins in 2011 while on a trip to Haiti. They were in the process of adopting a seven-year-old boy named Wilson, and during this trip, they also fell in love with a little girl named Catharine and decided to adopt her as well.
Over the next three and a half years, the Molitor’s visited Haiti fifteen times while patiently waiting for the day to take their children home. In October of 2015, the Molitor’s received some devastating news. They had learned that their paperwork was no longer valid and that the Haitian government was no longer allowing simple adoptions.
This news, while horrible, did not stop the Molitor’s. They were determined to bring their children home. Even though the recent elections in Haiti had caused riots and chaos, Joy would walk from one government agency to the next for four months, refusing to take no for an answer. Finally, on February 10, 2016, Joy successfully obtained the visas for Wilson and Catharine and they were all able to fly home to Minnesota together.
Matthew and Joy Molitor perfectly represent the love that parents have for their children. While their story has a happy ending, it also depicts how difficult the adoption process can be for so many families.
Everyone who wants a family deserves to find one. That is why I believe more must be done to raise awareness about adoption, as well as to promote legislation that supports the adoption process, both foreign and domestic. We must be sure to stand with families like the Molitor’s, who strive to complete their families and provide a loving home to children in need.
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