Matthew's Story
By Linda & Angelo N
We started our journey by sending in our paperwork on March 11, 2004. After looking into several agencies we chose Wide Horizons. It was the feeling we both felt after leaving an introduction meeting - we can't put it into words but we knew it was the agency for us.
We were a family of 3 - we had one biological son, Angelo (AJ), now age 7, when we decided to have more children. Nothing happened. We knew right away adoption was the right thing for us.
The journey began after attending several program meetings and we knew Russia was meant for us. We hated the idea of traveling - we had never left our son Angelo anywhere that we could not get into a car if needed and be there, so this was the scariest part for us. But we also knew we had another child out there waiting for us to come and bring him home. Once we got knee-deep in paperwork we both felt that a waiting child was the journey that we needed to take. Over the next 14 months we hit a few road blocks, lots of emotional ups and downs, and we even thought about calling it quits at one point.
Then it happened: we received Matthew's information through the waiting child program and who thought love at first sight could happen twice in a lifetime? We read over his medical report, thought it over and said you know this little boy needs us and we need him, and we accepted Matthew's referral. Then more paperwork and the wait. It felt like forever but then we recieved the call! We flew out on Mother's Day, which was bittersweet because I had 2 sons - one in one country, one in another and I was in between! Then the day came - we were to meet Matthew. Talk about nerves and butterflies in your stomach. Then this amazing little peanut comes walking into the room and melted our hearts. We knew at that moment all was perfect, nothing else mattered.
Matthew has been home for 1 year now. He has blossomed into a beautiful little boy. Our sleepless nights have turned to story-time and giggles and now instead of tears at bed-time we get, "one more hug and kiss, mommy and daddy." Our boys Angelo and Matthew are connected to each other and are as we call them a package deal. They are always together. They are amazing boys with so much love for each other. If I am shopping with Angelo and tell him to pick out a matchbox car, he comes back with 2 because he has to get one for Matthew! And Matthew, we call him AJ's little sidekick! The most amazing part of our journey is that the day we started our journey, March 11, 2004, is the day our angel Matthew was born. So we know that this was God's plan for all of us. We would like to thank everyone at Wide Horizons for helping us be united with our little gift from God.