Final 3 Haitian Orphans Brought To Pittsburgh After Earthquake Adopted
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It's been two years since the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti.
Hundreds of orphans there were left with nothing.
Dozens of those children were brought here to Pittsburgh for a new life; and today, the last three adoptions were finalized.
After months of waiting and filling out paperwork, the parents say today has brought them a lot of relief.
That relief and joy was obvious as the children and their new parents and siblings walked out of the courtroom.
"Very excited to get the legal part done and get our lives moving forward again," said Michael Owens, an adoptive parent.
Owens and his wife, Carmen, adopted two of the 54 children flown to Pittsburgh from a badly damaged orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Carmen was a volunteer at Holy Family Institute in Emsworth when the brothers, 13-year-old Stanley and 9-year-old Kensly, arrived shortly after the quake.
"We already have six kids, so now we have eight; and fortunately, we have children the same age as them," said Owens. "So, it was a little bit louder, and it remains a little bit louder, but the transition was pretty natural."
The kids themselves are thrilled to have new brothers and sisters.
"We play outside, and we shoot basketball," said Kensly.
"It was fun because you get to do a lot of things and learn English and go to school," Stanley added.
The third orphan, now with a permanent home in here Pittsburgh, had few words, but displayed his excitement through his moves.
"He fits right in," said Eileen Dusch, an adoptive parent. "The kids press each other's buttons and they help each other out, you know, just like every normal siblings."
Families formed out of difficult circumstances as the images from the earthquake are still clear in the minds of the three boys.
Despite that, they are excelling and doing well socially and academically.
"They don't complain; they seem to just go with the flow and they've been delightful," Owens said.
RELATED LINKS:
Haitian Orphan In Pittsburgh Completes Adoption Process (1/12/11)
Haitian Teenager Returns Home After Life-Saving Surgery (2/14/12)
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