A4C - Adoptees for Children

All the adoptees with Molly Holt

Yesterday was National Adoption Day in Korea.  This is the 5th annual...and it is significant because one of the goals of this program is not to highlight international adoption, but encourage domestic adoption, which is currently almost non-existent due to serious societal constraints and lack of support for unwed and/or single mothers.

Me and Kim Brown, President and CEO of Holt

 
I was able to meet Molly Holt, the daughter of the founders of Holt Adoption Agency.  She looks unmistakably like her mom and dad (Bertha and Harry Holt).  I also was able to meet Susan Cox (one of the first adoptees, hand-picked by Harry Holt in 1956) and also the VP of Public Policy and Advocacy for Holt, and Kim Brown, the President and CEO.  Kim is the first adoptee to serve in this position.  I got to meet Dr. Cho too...who has been the doctor who checked the babies in Seoul for over 50 years.  Since I was found in Wonju, I'm not sure if she ever examined me or not, but she was so sweet and warm (it sounds like I'm describing a biscuit).

 The event was held at the Grand Hilton and occupied a huge ballroom.  The room was filled with foster moms and babies waiting to be adopted.  Many different adoption agencies were represented and honored, and there was even representation from Korea's movie industry and K-pop music.  I was told that several movie stars and/or musicians have adopted babies recently, which definitely highlights the need.  There was also tons of papparazzi!

After all the presentations and awards, there was a magician (not very good...needs to watch more David Copperfield), a group of children that sang, a children's dance troupe, a K-pop group (lots of screaming fans), a small band, and the Korean version of the three tenors (great voices) who sang "The Impossible Dream."  The event was well organized.  We even got "goodie" bags when we left, which contained a bottle of baby lotion and a pound cake.  Several of us sent our baby lotion home with one of the adoptees who is living at the Ilsan orphanage.

Some of the highlights of my day were meeting other adoptees (including a former Miss Wisconsin who is now a pediatrician in MN), an adoptee that is currently living in the East Bay not too far from me;  seeing all the babies waiting to be adopted...they were so cute;  and meeting all the people whose life work is to help these children find families.  While we were taking pictures, I got a little overwhelmed...I guess the combination of all the events and the babies, hearing people's stories...I'm not sure.  It was a fantastic day!