A childhood ailment leads to a bright future for a college graduate

By Susan Cavendish

We adopted Mindy through Holt from South Korea in 1987.  It was discovered shortly after that Mindy had a huge hole in her eardrum. Over the next months, her eardrum deteriorated until there was no eardrum in her left ear. She suffered frequent ear infections and febrile seizures, as well as had major speech delays.

We moved from Nebraska to New York and began seeing a new Ear Nose and Throat Doctor who Mindy adored. He told us about a surgery that Mindy would be able to have when she was 8 years old. Meanwhile, she would have to undergo surgeries to remove the cysts that formed deep in her ear canal. Mindy lived with pain in her ear most of the time, and we constantly prayed that something could be done.

A few months after our first visit to the doctor, Mindy had an appointment to schedule surgery to remove a painful cyst. That night Mindy awoke screaming in pain. I carried her downstairs where I was watching the movie “The Greatest Story Ever Told”.

Mindy asked, “Mommy, can Jesus still make people all better like He did in the movie?” I really didn’t know, and I said so. Mindy folded her hands and bowed her little head. She prayed out loud: “God and Jesus please fix my ear and make it better. I love you. Amen.”

The next morning, we went to see Dr. Rodriguez for the pre-surgery visit. He looked in one ear, then the other shook his head and said, “There is a brand new baby eardrum in there!” Well, the nurse had to look. Then the doctor had to look again! Pretty soon, people were coming in and out, looking in Mindy’s ear. Dr. Rodriguez said, “I just don’t know how this happened. Two days ago, there was no eardrum in here.”

Mindy said, “I asked Jesus to fix my ear, and He did!”

I almost fell off of my chair! Mindy smiled sweetly and told the doctor her ears didn’t hurt anymore. Read the rest of this entry »

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. Read the rest of this entry »

President of the United States Barack Obama recently urged Americans to “obverse National Adoption Awareness Month by reaching out to support and honor adoptive families, as well as to participate actively in efforts to find permanent homes for children.”

Tomorrow courthouses across America will celebrate National Adoption Day by simultaneously finalizing hundreds of adoptions.

The finalization of an adoption symbolizes many wonderful things, one of which is the completion of a complex and emotional process that began with a carefully made decision and commitment of the heart.

“This month, we celebrate those families brought together by adoption,” said President Obama. “And we renew our commitments to children in the foster care system.”

If you are interested in more information how to build your family through the wonderful journey of adoption, Holt International invites you to join us for an upcoming Webinar to learn about our unique, child-centered approach to intercountry adoption. Also learn about timeframes, the steps involved, travel, costs, and receive your questions throughout the live Webinar.

Or if you are ready to begin the adoption process, you can apply online today.

Feel free to call Holt with any questions you may have. 888-355-HOLT or e-mail us.

Click-here-to-read-President-Obama’s-entire-proclamation

A graduating college student and aspiring journalist credits her parents for her accomplishments in life

by Kristin Sherrard

Being a journalist means that you are responsible for recording the events and experiences that will become the history for tomorrow. You learn that everyone has a unique story to tell, including yourself.

My story begins on March 23, 1988, not on the date of my birth, but the start of my life. At eight months and ten days, I was still new to this world and didn’t know much. But from the moment I was held in the arms of Gene and Pat Sherrard, I knew I was home.

My parents have always played an important role in my life. Birthdays and vacations, sporting events and school projects, they were there for every one. It is with their love and guidance that I have become the person I am today.

Throughout my life, people have asked me if I ever wanted to try to track down my “real parents,” and every time I respond in the same way: I already know who my parents are and have no interest in finding my birth parents. While I would love to travel to South Korea one day as a tourist to see what it is like, I have everything I need and could ever want here in Kentucky.

As I sit here writing this, a college graduate looking for her first “real” job in the professional world, I worry about things like the economy and insurance for the first time in my life. However, one thing I do know is that I want to be a journalist. Through my words and photos, I want to record today’s history for future generations to find and to learn from.

My parents always told me to give my best effort in everything I do and to never give up on my goals or on myself. I believe that as long as I continue to work hard and pursue every opportunity, things will eventually fall into place. No matter what happens, I know that I will always have parents who love and support me, and I will always remain thankful to Holt International for bringing us together.

the Fall 2009 issue of Holt International magazine, available in November, is filled with many more stories of Holt Adoptees who have graduated from high school, college or vocational school.  We look forward to this issue every year and applaud each graduate for their impressive accomplishments.  Although starting out abandoned and homeless—with help from their parents—the 2009 graduates have become vibrant and talented young adults with promising futures ahead of them.  Congratulations to the 2009 Holt Graduates!

A 25-year friendship has brought perspective on life

By Kim Fenneman

Life takes unexpected twists and turns over the years, but when you’re 7 years old it’s still a simple, extraordinary world of wonder and possibilities. But as you grow older you understand the important things in life…health, happiness, family and friends.

Friends. How simple yet life-changing they can be. Let me start from the beginning….

I always knew I was adopted and it never bothered me. I didn’t always know exactly what it meant; I just thought I was special, and since no one in my family or community treated me any differently than anyone else, I had no reason to feel awkward or self-conscious. I was just a young Korean child running around and exploring the broad countryside of a small, dairy farm in north central Iowa. What’s so unusual about that? I value the time I had on the farm, but that all changed on July 18, 1983. It was a day that drastically changed my life and the lives of my family. It was around 7:30 a.m. when my older brother screamed, “The house is on fire!”

A few months before that tragic day, I wrote Holt to request a pen pal. They published the request in an issue of their magazine. I received over fifteen letters from girls all over the country and was shocked and excited that so many people had responded. I wish I could have kept in contact with all of them, but I kept a few and let my friends write to the others. As the months went by some had stopped writing, but one continued to write. Ironically, her letter was the very first one I had received. Read the rest of this entry »

“Part of communicating who we are is our logo, but we wanted it to portray so many aspects of who we are,” said Holt President and CEO Kim S. Brown. “That’s why we knew it would be an involved effort when we started considering updating our traditional logo well over a year ago. I’m very pleased now to present our new Holt International brandmark. We’ll begin publishing this new brandmark on our communications over the next several months.

“With Holt so much can be said. Little things, like the way we make sure infants are held when they’re fed. To big things, like bringing about significant changes in the child welfare system of an entire country where we work. Holt has come a long way since Harry and Bertha Holt sat at their kitchen table and answered letters from prospective adoptive parents. But in many ways, the Holts’ legacy continues as the foundation of our work every day. Simple nutrition and loving care are still our most effective tools for helping weak and under-nourished children to survive. Finding the most appropriate solution for each individual child who needs a family continues to be our hallmark.”

The new brandmark incorporates an image of a couple lovingly embracing a child. This represents the importance of parents in a child’s life—the nurturing, security and encouragement offered by a permanent family. The concept connects with the belief that launched Holt in the mid 1950s—that a family is the right and best place to raise and nurture a child.

A logical update of Holt’s traditional parent/child logo, the new design reinforces the Holt International tagline, “Finding families for children.” Read the rest of this entry »

A return to Korea, with the Holt Heritage tour, brings understanding and an unexpected connection

by Courtney Rader, Holt Adult Adoptee Outreach Director

Is this your first time back to Korea? I don’t know how many times I was asked this question. Technically, the answer is no. I was in the airport for a layover to Hong Kong once, but that doesn’t count. I was adopted in 1980, and this was my first time back to Korea.

I tried not to have high expectations. I wanted to share this experience with my husband and the 45 people on the two-week tour. For many this was the first time back to Korea. Smiles and laughter seemed to be a constant theme, however, I saw and experienced many tears. In a country so foreign to me, I felt this connection as if I had never left. I saw myself in so many faces, including the children, but at the same time, I realized that we didn’t have much in common besides being Korean. It felt so weird to see people who look like me everywhere, but to feel so disconnected to them at the same time. Yet, I felt a close connection with the other adoptees on the Tour.

The Heritage Tour took us to Incheon, Seoul, Gyeongju, and Busan. We visited the Korean Folk Village, Changdeok Palace and were invited to a special dinner hosted by the district mayor of the Jongno District. We did our best at making kimbop at the Kyoungbuk University Korean Cultural Program, visited the Jeonju Babies’ Home, the Daejeon Maternity Shelter, and Holt Ilsan Center. We were honored in the Mapo District with a ceremony that granted us honorary citizenship commemorating our visit and reestablished our roots and ties to Korea

My most memorable experience was the host family stay. Where we were guests for one night. You would think the language barrier would be an issue, but it was not. The youngest daughter translated very well and at times I could tell she was nervous and rubbed her face in embarrassment as I complemented her English. Her pronunciation was perfect. Later in the week, we met them for an evening, and in a touching moment our host mother gave me a hug and said in English that she was my “Korean mom”.

There is no way to clearly describe my experience back to Korea. Just like the nod many adoptees give each other, there is a common understanding among those who have experienced their first trip back. It’s a journey I have opened my heart to and have no expectations as to where it may lead. I do know, however, that I have gained a better understanding of my birth country and knowledge of Holt’s services. I have seen how beautiful and proud the Korean people are. I know I will return to Korea and look forward to growing my relationship with a country I once called home.

For information about next summer’s China and Korea Heritage tours, contact Lisle Veach at lislev@holtinternational.org (China tour) or Paul Kim at paulk@holtinternational.org (Korea tour)

The following article was published on Monday, June 22nd on Brewtonstandard.com.  It tells the story of a young woman adopted from India in 1991, and all that she has accomplished since coming home to her family.

by Lydia Grimes, Feature reporter Brewtonstandard.com

Father’s Day is an important day in any father’s life. Mike Perry is doubly blessed, having both a son and a daughter.   Perry, who is a local attorney, and his wife, Tammy, who is a retired school teacher, have a son, James, and a daughter, Melissa. In 1990 their son was several years old and the Perrys wanted to complete their family with a daughter. Because of some medical problems, they decided to check into adoption as a way to get the daughter they both wanted.

“I had a couple of little girls in my class at school that had been adopted and they were just the cutest little girls,” said Tammy Perry. “We started to talk about going to an overseas adoption agency and settled on Holt International in Eugene, Oregon, which is one of the leading agencies handling adoptions from foreign countries.”

They had decided to adopt a child from India. Adoption sometimes can take a long time and that was the case with the Perrys. They were given the number 36 and had to wait until it counted down to number one. Melissa was born in 1990 and it just so happened that the countdown to number one was Melissa.

“I sometimes think about how close we came to getting another child instead of Melissa,” said Tammy. “Thank goodness, we were lucky that it worked out the way that it did.”

The Perrys got the word that their child was going to arrive early in 1992, but instead she came a little bit early. They were supposed to travel to Chicago to meet their little girl, but again they were lucky enough to have a volunteer escort Melissa to Birmingham on Dec. 20, 1991. Read the rest of this entry »

by Susan soon-keum Cox—Vice President of Public Policy

We at Holt International want to inform our constituents about a movie entitled “Orphan” scheduled to be released in July by Warner Brothers. We are concerned about media depictions that demean or degrade children. We are especially alarmed about the movie’s negative portrayal of adoption and children in need of families.

As adults we have a responsibility to speak out and advocate on behalf of our children. Many people have already contacted Warner Brothers with their concerns, and at least two groups have developed petitions to respectfully protest the messaging of this movie. One group, Orphans Deserve Better, has developed a website to mobilize efforts against the film. Please review their petition’s information and include your voice among those who are making it clear you do not support the movie “Orphan.”

Warner Brothers has already responded to initial protests about the movie and made efforts to remove some the offensive language from the movie’s original trailer. In response to pressure from adoptive parents and other concerned individuals, Warner Brothers has removed the line: “It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own,” from recently released trailers. However, it remains unclear whether or not the line was removed from the movie.

Amy Weinkauf and her family share in the experiences of Holt-Korea adoptees traveling to Korea for the first time

By Amy Weinkauf

It is the end of day seven, and I understand that I have an interesting position on this Holt Heritage Tour. I don’t have any adoptees to immerse in Korean culture, or to go over files with at the Holt office in Seoul, or to rejoice with in meeting a foster mother for the first time, or to prepare to reunite with a birth family. Yet, in my own life, the mission of Holt has profoundly impacted me.

I have a beautiful sister-in-law, Emily, who was adopted from Korea when she was a toddler. She is the younger sister I never had. She is smart, talented, funny, and wise. She is a great mother, sister, wife, and friend. My life would not be the same without her.

I also have a dear friend, whom I call my “sistah.” Kim and I are on our third trip with Holt. We first met not quite three years ago on a gift team trip to Korea. Our husbands traveled with us then, and we had an instant bond. We quickly discovered that we have the same quirky sense of humor. At a deeper level we found that we share a desire to see the story and legacy of Holt carried to the next generation. This has bonded us for a lifetime. It has made us a family in a way only made possible through adoption.

I am here again in Korea Read the rest of this entry »