CHSFS - lies birthfamilies

9 February 2011

just wondering...

Hey guys...

I am a mom of a child by birth and two children from Ethiopia. Both times we used chsfs. (we would never again, ever btw...)

But you didn't want to hear that, here is what I am curious about:

Well, before I ask, I just want to say that both our adoptions had incorrect information about both our kids. First my son, we adopted him at the start of the ethiopia program for the agency. No info on papers except everyone died and Uncles name. My son came to us with full blown TB. Everywhere. Lungs, heart etc. He would of died in 6 months in Ethiopia. (He is better now btw) Oh, and the TB wasn't on the paperwork either :(

We decide to adopt our little girl. When we brought home our son, there was no video, birth family meeting etc. So we requested that while we were down in Hosanna could someone try to contact my son's uncle. They did. So we had my daughters birth mother to meet and my son's uncle showed up. First my daughters birth mom... she clearly had some sort of mental illness so who knows what is true on my daughters paperwork... ie: did they coerce her to give up my daugher? who knows with 2 interpreters and this is the kicker; an employee of chsfs told me and I quote, 'she is waiting for you to give her money now.' 'That is what all families have done here...' WHAT???
Now my son, the first words out of the uncles mouth was (in english as he was the village maths teacher), 'I am sorry, we lied.' He thought that if my son had any living birth parents that they wouldn't except him. He said he would like to show us my son's village. The dream of every AP right? Visit where their child was born etc. My life has never been the same from that moment we arrived in a beautiful valley near Doyo Gena. There were no less than 45 relatives to meet!!!! Birth mother, with a NEw Baby on her hip, birth sister just a few years older than my son. She looked just like him!! Uncles, aunties, even maternal grandmother and grandfather. I know my son was sick and probably would not of made it, and that is why they made that decision. (and his birth father did pass) Don't ask me where that new baby came from....

Ok ok , so this is what I am wondering:
Has anyone who has found out that their children had so much false info. and if it wasn't for IA, has anyone brought their children back to their first family??

And before you think that I would, forget it! My son is my son. There I said it. Have I thought about it? God yes. But no. He Is My Son now. I just need to say this because from everything that I have read so many parents are telling their stories. Has anyone ever done this and what was the outcome, we Never talk about that. The adults who have been adopted and don't believe in International adoption etc have they just ever gone back??

Also, in the eyes of the U.S. government, where do they stand? If we all come together to stop IA from Ethiopia and really tell them our stories, would they revoke our 'parentship' for lack of a better word and send them back??

These are honest questions from my heart that I have thought and thought about. Dani, what do you think?