Embracing the Journey
An Interview with America World Adoptive Mom, Althea Miller
If you’ve been following the news, you know that the situation in Haiti continues to be devastating. Thank you to everyone who has answered our calls to sign petitions advocating for the children matched to families. We are so grateful to God that some children have been able to come home, and we pray for the matched families who are still anxiously waiting to be united with their children.
Today, we are excited to share an adoption interview from Althea Miller. She and her husband, Ryan, adopted their twin girls, Lovie and Youvie, through our Haiti program in 2019. Their adoption process took a long time, but they have embraced the journey that adoption is. Keep reading to learn more!
How did you decide to adopt?
One day, early in our marriage, Ryan heard a radio program about adoption. We discussed it that evening and from then on, adoption was always a part of our plan to grow our family.
Why did you choose Haiti?
We chose Haiti because of our family’s long relationship with the country. Ryan’s grandfather started an organization that drills wells for fresh water around Haiti, and different members of his family have lived there for many years.
How were you matched to your girls?
Our home study approved us for two children. We submitted our paperwork in October of 2014, and after that, it was in the hands of the Social Services Branch of the Haitian government. I was out for lunch with a friend when I received a complete surprise call one February day in 2019. We had been matched with twin girls! While I don’t believe that God chooses to separate biological families, I do believe he prepared us for each other. The wait was not easy, but I cannot look back without thankfulness. We had so much to learn about transracial adoption and trauma-informed parenting. The wait gave us time to get farther in our journey of learning!
Did you visit Haiti during the process? For how long?
We traveled to Haiti for a family wedding and for the birth of our niece during our waiting process. It was special to be able to experience Haiti. After our match, we traveled to Haiti for our two-week bonding trip in April of 2019. The highlight of the trip was obviously meeting our girls, playing with them, and holding them close while they napped! We also enjoyed the mangos, the delicious food, the warm weather, the beautiful mountains, the artwork and crafts, visits from family and the beautiful people! Things are very hard in Haiti, but we can’t let that overshadow the beauty and resilience in every corner of the country.
How do you integrate Haitian culture into your family’s life?
We are now a Haitian-American blended family, so it’s important for us to celebrate both cultures. The main way we do this is by including Haiti in our everyday conversations, our art, music and books. Some of our favorite books are I Want to Ride the Tap-Tap, Freedom Soup, and Bonwit, Kabrit. We also celebrate Haitian Independence Day and make soup Joumou and celebrate Haitian flag day in May.
How is your family doing now?
We are so thankful to be a team as we embrace the journey of life together. We will never be able to talk about the joy of adding Lovie and Youvie to our family without also recognizing the big loss they experienced to join us. Our days are full of love, healing, fun, co-regulating, unlearning, relearning, and growing together.
What do you have to share with people about adoption?
Do as much learning about the neuroscience of behavior, attachment, and nervous system regulation as you possibly can! Value the voices of adoptees. Pursue your own emotional health as you prepare. Find a support system that will be there for you to help you be the safe place your children need to process all the complexities of adoption. Be prepared to mess up, change, and grow because kids don’t need perfect parents. They just need parents who repair when they make mistakes.
Give hope to a child in Haiti!
While we are so grateful for families like the Millers who have stepped forward to give hope to children in Haiti through adoption, we are not currently seeking new families to adopt children from the country due to the unrest. Please join us in praying that the situation will change soon!
In the meantime, we’d love to invite you to help us support a group of 26 children at a children’s home.
These boys and girls have no hope of being adopted, and with the ongoing unrest, violence, and skyrocketing food and fuel costs, the needs are great. Because we have Haitian staff on the ground in the country, we continue to provide for and check on these children on a regular basis, and we are doing our best to keep them safe.
Just $28 provides basic nutrition for one child for a month!
Will you give hope to a child in Haiti today?