We did hire someone to locate Ally's foster family and facilitate a meeting with them. They came to meet us at our hotel and we took them out to dinner. Lots of tears of happiness. Miriam, Ally's official foster mom and her family loved and took care of Ally for 7 months. Ally was Miriam's 9th and final foster child. There was a little boy in her care at the same time, Armando and Miriam adopted him herself because our agency could not find anyone to adopt him. He was born with a cleft pallet. The agency subsidized surgery (and we even helped with that some 10 years ago) but still no one wanted him. But Miriam and her family loved him and they have raised him. It was so special to finally meet him and see other members of the family again.
Miriam with Ally and Armando then and now.
Possibly the cutest picture of 2 Guatemalan babies ever!
The facilitator, Orlando acted as our translator as well. Ally did pretty good with her Spanish and could answer their questions directly herself and ask some of her own. But to have real conversation the translator was really helpful. The family told us they were so surprised and happy to hear from us and meet us. We are the only family that has ever contacted them -and the only child they have seen again. So the time together was very special. Armando told them all day at school he was so excited to meet Ally but so worried we would cancel. He was so much like Ally. Very quite. He brought a fidget spinner so I got out some extra putty I always carry for Ally and gave him that. He played with it all evening.
Ally with Miriam and her sister Norma. We met Norma on our pick up trip to bring Ally to the USA.
I've always believed being a foster parent is one of the most difficult jobs. Sometimes it gets a bad rap in the USA because foster parents are paid. Miriam was paid too. It's what she did as a job for many years. Now she cleans schools (like a custodian). But can you imagine caring for a child and loving that child and knowing you had to give her up? And yet doing it so well? I told the family their love and caring for Ally was such a gift. We are so grateful to them.
After dinner while we waited for the check (our treat of course) I told Ally she could play games on her phone with Armando. We found out they have the same favorite food: pancakes! It was a huge laugh amongst the adults, that these two children born of different mothers, raised as infants together for 7 months, adopted into different families have the same favorite food. Turns out they are both pretty quiet and reserved kids as well.
I had a video of Ally at her gymnastics meet ready on my iPad to show the family. Ally was pretty proud of it. We had put together a 100 picture photo album for them. Ally pictures over the past 10 years and then pictures from the last 12 months that show what Ally does in a year: school, friends, holidays, ballet, lots of gymnastics, our pets, vacations etc. Ally and I went thru the album with Miriam and Norma in person and at home we had dated the 10 year picture series in Spanish and wrote captions on the last year.
They told us a picture I emailed them when Ally was 3 or so hangs in their house. It's the last time I had emailed them. I'm going to try and send updates at least once a year now. They asked that we visit again when we come back to Guatemala next. I promised we would.
The family was so thrilled that Ally spoke Spanish and that she has pride in her birth country and has other friends from Guatemala.
I think Ally's smile speaks volumes. Miriam said she is so grateful to see Ally and know she is so happy and with such a good family.
Miriam took a picture of Beth and Becky and me.
It was late when they left and we were all pretty tired. Ally has been getting eaten by mosquitoes and has some golf ball size welts and is super itchy. Some Benadryl and hydrocortisone cream helps a little. I feel bad for her, we do spray her down with insect repellent but she is like a magnet.
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