Sean's Story
By Gerard & Laura D
My husband and I decided to adopt a child in the spring of 2004. Close friends of ours adopted a precious baby girl through Wide Horizons For Children the previous spring, so the decision to use them was not a difficult one. They spoke of the high quality of foster care their daughter received and this appealed to both of us. We contacted them that summer and put the wheels into motion, submitting our dossier in early 2005.
We were on vacation the last week of August 2005 when we received a call from my dad, our emergency contact when we were out of town. Erica Pelaccia had called my father with the good news. There was a bouncing baby boy, Angel David Xiloj Cua, looking for a mom and dad. The Federal Express package included several photos - a bundle of joy with lots of dark hair, strong hands, and bright pink chubby cheeks. When I showed the pictures to a co-worker she dubbed him "chubby cheeks", a name that has stuck with him even though he is also Sean David to us.
We went to visit him in January of 2006 and then traveled to Guatemala in March of that same year to pick up our little boy. Oscar Mario showed us a wonderful time in Antigua and we could not be happier with our experiences with Dona Laura (the foster mother) and her caring family. We also had the unique experience of meeting his birth mother.
It was a touching visit, where we learned of her struggle to provide for her two older children. My husband and I reassured her that her infant would be in a very loving adoptive family. All three of us then survived a long flight home through the Charlotte airport and brought baby Sean home just before midnight on March 16th, 7 months from the day he was born exactly. We snuggled him into his first night at home in the good old USA in a Redskins sleeper, since you cannot live in the Washington, DC area and not be a Redskins fan!
"Chubby Cheeks" has grown into an active, vibrant two year old. When he is not dismantling the DVD player, he is busy running, dancing, and playing outdoors. He adjusted quickly to our family and is thriving, blessed by doting grandparents and a loving extended family. We chose to contribute to Wide Horizons For Children's sponsorship efforts in Guatemala by providing support to his half-sister and half-brother. We hope to return to Guatemala when he is a little older. In the interim, Sean's cheeks are still chubby to complement his big smile and beautiful brown eyes. We encourage other prospective parents to "take the plunge" and consider adopting or sponsoring a child from Guatemala.
We look forward to our lives forever with our little "chubby cheeks."