FANA Tour 2004
We returned to FANA this week for another tour of the facility. We are awed by it's excellence each time we visit. This visit was extra special because we were able to observe Luke in his first home. He took it all in stride and was certainly not as emotional as his mother! He ran through the halls, smiled at the babies, whispered "shhh, sleeping", peeked in at the toddlers playing, and shrieked with delight at the "big kids" playing outside. We sat dowm with Flor for a "Social History" of Sophia's birth mother. We listened very carefully, and through tears of love for this amazing woman, I tried to write down as much information as I could. This is Sophia's story, and like Luke, she will learn it in time. It will be her story to share as she wishes. For now, we will share with you what we have told Sophia: that her birth mother was a very loving young woman who only wanted the best for her baby. - That she wished a good life and education for her child. That she came to FANA a few times, and probably held her close and told her that she loved her, and wished upon her a good family. -That she was brave, and selfless, and mature, and gave Sophia the most important gift of all - LIFE. -That we are very proud of her, and wish her peace as she probably struggled with this extremely big decision for a young woman. -That we can only now pray for her, and thank her everyday for the blessing she gave to our family, for the impact she had on all of our lives. |
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(Above Photo) Returning to FANA, with Luke!
Our Referral Story...
We attended the Annual FANA Fundraiser Gala Golf Tournament and Silent Auction Dinner weekend last weekend in Buffalo, NY. It was wonderful to be part of the weekend events and, as always, to see all of our friends and families at the Family Picnic on Sunday. "Families of FANA of WNY" is our extended family, and we are proud to be a part of their contibutions to FANA, and Colombia. As the weekend went on, we convinced ourselves that yet again, this was not going to be OUR referral weekend because, well, the wait has been long, and other fanilies are just as anxious. To our shock though - the gave us the referral at the golf dinner. Sarah's parents, sister Deb and her husband Will, our dear friends the Wisors, our special friends from our "1st Family" at Betty's Place, and our original Buddy Family, the Buccieris, were all there with us. Even with the cameras pointed at us, and the picture of the baby on the video screen, and Alonso Castellanos decribing what we were wearing - we did not realize we were her parents!!! Only after hearing part of Paul's name, and the screams that erupted immediately, did we realize the surprise was on us. What an amazing thrill! We are so blessed to have the support of Families of FANA, WNY, our own families and friends, and our beautiful children. It was so special to be able to share the referral with all of you. Thank you to Jerri Wegner, who tirelessly led us through the process, and to the Suraces and Dietricks who organized the event, and to the Castellanos (Amigos de FANA Bogota) who held the suspense until the end! Looking back now, all the cameras, evading, and strange behavior of those "in the know" makes sense! Thank you for making it such an exciting night.
CLICK BELOW to see a great informative site.
Colombia Information Website
CLICK BELOW to visit "Families of FANA, WNY" website.
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