Foster mothers from South Korea visit Holt Headquarters
Two foster mothers from Seoul, South Korea, made the long journey to Holt’s headquarters in Eugene, Oregon in November for a very special day that would reunite them with the children they had said goodbye to so long ago.
Mrs. Jang, Woo-kyung and Mrs. Lee, Chung-sun have dedicated their lives to orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children for over 15 years, each selflessly taking care of 40 and 38 children, respectively, some of whom have special needs.
On that same day, seven adoptive families, some from as far as the Midwest, also traveled to Holt’s headquarters to reunite their children with the foster mothers and show their appreciation to the women who had cared for their children and prepared them for a lifetime of love with their new families.
“When we arrived at Holt’s headquarters, Mrs. Lee turned and saw Trent. In a voice that was part sigh of relief, but completely joyous, she said, “Hyo-sung!” said Dawn Reed, mother of Trent, one of Mrs. Lee’s foster children. “Hyo-sung was Trent’s Korean name, and Mrs. Lee knew him. This woman, who had only mothered my son for two months, recognized him 6 years later. She told us that she knew his eyes.”
When children come into care at Holt Korea, it’s the foster mothers, like Mrs. Jang and Mrs. Lee, who wrap them up and give them comfort and warmth for most likely the first time in their lives. They love the children as if they were their own and provide for them until they go home to loving families.
During the emotional visit to Eugene, the foster mothers and adoptive families got the chance to visit Harry and Bertha Holt’s home in Creswell, and spent some time in the place where the legacy of love and caring began over 50 years ago. The children were allowed to play on the property and bond once again with the first mothers they had ever known.
“Trent fell off the rope swing while playing at the house,” said Dawn. “Mrs. Lee went to him as fast as I did, brushing him off and crooning words of comfort to him. She glanced at me as if to ask whether I was accepting of her doing that, which, of course, I was…once a mother, always a mother; the bond between them was obvious.”
Before Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Jang made the trip back to South Korea, a reception and award ceremony was held in their honor at Holt’s headquarters, and the adoptive families were allowed to express their deep gratitude and love for the foster mothers who had taken such good care of the children they now call “son” and “daughter.”
“This is a celebration of love,” said Paul Kim, Director of Programs for Korea speaking to the parents. “It is a celebration of the love that your children have received since birth.”
As the ceremony came to a close, each adoptive family stood and spoke to the foster mothers from their hearts.
“You will forever be a part of our family,” said Dawn. “Trent bonded with us so immediately, and that was all because of the love that you gave him…thank you, and we love you.”
Many children come and go from Mrs. Jang and Mrs. Lee’s care, and each time a child leaves, the foster mothers feel the joy of watching him or her go home to a permanent family, but also feel the deep pangs of sadness that come with saying goodbye…and yet their strength and compassion for vulnerable children allow them to continue on as more children enter their care.
“I think the thing that impresses me the most is that you ladies have some incredible emotional strength,” said Steven Kershaw, father of one of Mrs. Jang’s first foster children. “To be able to take a child in and keep them for six months, and love them and then to have to give them up. Holt is to be commended for finding people like you who are able to do this.”
After this joyful and emotional event and some more time spent with their foster children, Mrs. Jang and Mrs. Lee got on a plane to return to Korea, carrying with them the love they will forever have in their hearts for the children they said goodbye to so long ago.
“I feel sad when I have to say goodbye,” said Mrs. Jang. “But am so happy to see the children and see that they are being well-cared for and loved.”
[...] Family Reactions | by kevinkos Holt International, the agency we’re connected to in Korea, describes the visits of two foster mothers to meet the children for whom they had cared. “When we arrived [...]