Deciding to adopt a child and give them a chance at a better life is not something you decide on a whim. It takes strength, commitment, and patience. It’s making room in your heart and home for a person you know will change your life forever.
It’s understanding that it won’t always be smooth-sailing, but it will always be rewarding.
The process may be tedious, but the rewards make up for it. It’s a journey, an adventure, a lifetime of indescribable joy, and days filled with learning.
And sometimes, it comes with stories that rival the ones you read and watch.
In 2004, a family from Chicago decided to adopt a Chinese baby girl abandoned near a textile factory in Yangzhou. Then, halfway across the United States, a family from Miami agreed to adopt a girl, too – on the same spot. As if that wasn’t coincidental enough, the families (who weren’t even aware of each other’s existence) named their little girls Mia.
But fate wasn’t done just yet.
Thanks to the internet and countless groups on international adoptions, families can connect and reunite siblings. Holly Funk and Diana Ramirez, the girls’ mothers, met on a website for parents who experienced the international adoption process.
It all started when Diana posted a message about her daughter Mia turning three years old that June. Holly, thinking the similarity was interesting, responded that her daughter Mia would be turning three in June as well.
After the moms figured out that their daughters were also found in the same location, they began exchanging photographs. It was clear they were related!
Then, an amazing thing happened: a DNA test confirmed that the girls were sisters.
Diana recalls how she felt upon finding out. She told The Sydney Morning Herald:
“I was in shock. I was like, ‘Okay, well, now this is for real.'”
The moms decided it was time to meet.
They waited for each other at the O’Hare International Airport in Chicago one Friday. The two recall how shy they both felt towards each other at first. There was some hesitance, but warmth immediately took over as they reached for each other’s hand. Holly shares,
“I’m just awed. Grateful to God. To me, it’s a divine thing; it’s a miracle. In the sea of humanity, these kids found each other.”
Since there were no biological parents around for more accurate DNA testing, experts had to gauge the probability of the girls being siblings using data like age and physical similarities, concluding they were likely fraternal twins.
Thanks to the wonderful adoptive families, both girls will not have to be apart for the rest of their lives.
Holly and Diana, along with their families, committed to staying in touch and let the girls speak on the phone often.
The girls were blessed with more than just amazing parents – they now have instant friends in the form of siblings! The Funk family has five biological children, while the Ramirez family has two sons. It’s incredible how much unfolds when you open your heart and mind to adoption and its life-changing wonders.
Here’s hoping more families consider giving other children loving homes and wonderful memories to cherish as they grow.
Watch the video below to see when both moms and their daughters went on Oprah!
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