When it comes to parenting, some couples choose to adopt.
There are various reasons that could lead to this decision. Whether a couple is unable to have their own biological child or simply wants to share the love they have to offer, adoption is a selfless act that helps millions of children who otherwise wouldn’t have a home.
Unfortunately, however, adoption isn’t always fast, easy, or cheap. It can cost thousands of dollars and years of training and waiting before a child can be placed with a good family.
When one family decided they were ready to adopt, they didn’t want to wait for years.
They knew that if they adopted domestically, it could take a long time. They decided to adopt from a third-world country. They knew there were more children available from these countries, and they were saddened by the struggles and trauma these children have to face.
Jessica and Adam Davis already had four children of their own.
However, they have plenty of love to share and wanted to give a home to a child in need. They chose to adopt a little girl from Uganda. They knew it would be a challenge because she couldn’t speak English and likely had a rough start in life.
The little girl’s name was Namata.
The couple was told that Namata’s father had died and that her mother was neglecting her and unable to care for her. They were convinced that she had never attended school, had been starved and abused, and had nobody else to love her.
Namata had lived with the family for about six months before she learned a little English. Once she did, she opened up about the life she had left behind. She told them that she wasn’t neglected, and her mother was very loving. She had also attended school, and her mother had walked her there every day. She missed her mother and cried for her often.
The family was shocked, and they believed the girl.
They decided to find out the truth about the adoption. It turns out that Namata was taken from her mother under false pretenses. The adoption agency had tricked her mother into believing that her daughter was going to live with a family for just a couple years, so she could get a good education, and then would be returned. Her mother had no idea that she was signing away the rights to her daughter forever.
Jessica and Adam got an attorney. Keren Riley, who runs a group called Reunite Uganda, helped them get in touch with Namata’s real mom and return the girl to her family.
The Davis family attorney told them that they could legally keep Namata, but they refused.
They had grown to love the little girl in the short time that she was with them, but they knew her mother loved her, too, and Namata deserved to be with her real mom. They couldn’t take her away from her if she really wasn’t being mistreated. They allowed Namata to go back and live with her real mother.
Adam said:
“The only trauma this child ever experienced was because we essentially placed an order for a child. She was home and happy with her mother until they selected her for us.”
The State Department learned about the story and looked into other adoption cases from the agency the Davis family used and others like it.
They found numerous other adoptions that were illegal. These children had stories similar to Namata’s and parents who loved them back in their own countries. They also shut down these adoption agencies.
Now Namata is back where she belongs, and the Davis family is thankful that they helped reunite the mother and daughter. Of course, they miss Namata, but they know they did the right thing.
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