GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A Greensboro mom is one of hundreds who are stuck in a tough spot after China closed international adoptions.
The announcement left parents in limbo who had pending adoptions.
“The children … belong to China, and we just hope that they are gracious and allow the rest of us to continue the process,” Angel Jarvis said.
Jarvis and her husband had already adopted one little girl from China, but after she got home, they realized she had a twin sister, and their journey to bring her home has been long and complicated.
The girls are now nearly teenagers. Mackenzie lives in Greensboro with her parents. Her twin sister, Meilyn, is still in China. Her parents have waited more than five years to go and get her, but they are not sure it will ever happen.
“We have to reunite these little girls because twins belong together,” Jarvis said.
The pair were not intentionally separated. They were dropped off two months apart, and nobody knew they were related until Jarvis saw their pictures side by side.
“I just felt this urge, and so we did do DNA in 2019, and it came back as a positive match as identical twins,” Jarvis said.
At that point, she knew what she had to do next.
“Then we sent out a letter of intent to adopt, and then we have to do a home study. We had completed all the home study, and then we … were smacked upside the head by COVID,” Jarvis said.
Each day, time runs thin for a happy ending.
“She has a very unique genetic mutation called SCN8A … Children like Mackenzie have a very short life expectancy… For us, that urge to move forward is kind of urgent,” Jarvis said.
Both girls have the same diagnosis and the same mom fighting for their chance to be together.
“Maybe a change of heart to allow us to travel to bring Meilyn home, so the girls can be together for whatever time that is,” Jarvis said.
Mackenzie is nonverbal, but her emotions are expressed loud and clear.
“When we told her that Meilyn is going to be staying in China for a little bit longer, she fell apart,” Jarvis said.
Their home is full of toys, clothes and blankets in sets of two.
“We want them to have that time together … Twins belong together,” Jarvis said.
At home, they sit and wait together and hold onto hope for when their family will be complete.
“I always cling to hope. There is always that chance of hope that things will turn around,” Jarvis said.
Angel says she hopes the US government will fight for these parents with pending adoptions.
Even if International adoptions through China close for good, she hopes that these families can go to China and get their children.
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