Deb's Story...
Our Cambodian adventure began when I met Lisa and her
friend Marcy at the airport and knew that we were about to begin
a journey in 1991 that would touch many lives, many times over.
Our family of 5 lived in Michigan City, Indiana at that time.
Our sons were 10 & 8, our youngest daughter 6 years old.
We knew that we wanted to have a fourth child join our family
and we were hoping that that “caboose” would be another girl.
We had always been interested in adoption. We also felt that
with Mom being a nurse, opening our home and lives to
someone with special medical needs would be a terrific option
for all of us.
I still remember the day that I stopped by the post office to sign for a certified letter from Vietnam! Inside I found a sad little face holding a sign with her name. Oeun Voeung was 3 years old and was born with a congenital club foot that had not been repaired.
My mom was with me in the car and asked me what was in the envelope, to which I simply replied, “my daughter.”
Please see Lisa’s notes about our shared journey together in 1991.
I can only add that when I saw Kaley for the very first time, I was stunned. She was so very frail. I worried that she was going to be healthy without any long term problems, but not Lisa!
She instantly knew that this scrawny, fragile infant was to be hers.
We had so many fun adventures during that trip and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to travel again with those with whom we began our journey many years ago. Leanne is now finishing her first year of college and has grown into a wonderful young woman. I know that she is both excited and nervous to be able to return to her homeland. We hope to visit the place where she lived and to perhaps find someone who may remember her.
I, too, have always felt a special bond for Cambodia and Vietnam.
My dearest friend adopted two sisters from Hanoi in 1994, the same ages as my daughters. When thinking about the children of Southeast Asia and our responsibility to them, both now and in the future, I am reminded of that poem about the old man and the starfish. Please help us make a difference!
The Starfish
There was a young man walking down a deserted beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a frail old man. As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand into the water. He asked, "Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?" The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. "But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish!" exclaimed the young man. "How can you make any difference?" The old man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it to the safety of the sea, he said, "I make a difference to this one."
