A winding path of perseverance and joy
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| Greg and Lauren Haas adopted daughter Maria from Guatemala. The family is in the process of adopting another daughter, Reina. |
By Deb Amend
Adoption as a way to grow a family has always been an option for Greg and Lauren Haas. Lauren, who comes from a large family, even had adoption on her mind before she and Greg married.
"I remember talking to him about it even before we were married. I told him that having children was very important to me and that if, for some reason, we could not have biological children that I would want to adopt. He said that was okay with him!"
That was over ten years ago. They were married in 1997 and became pregnant for the first time several years later. After two miscarriages and months of waiting and working with their doctor, the Haas decided to see a fertility specialist.
This specialist quickly discovered the problem causing the miscarriages. However, when months of medications and surgical intervention did not solve the problem, they began to consider adoption, an option their specialist supported, as he, too, had adopted a child.
"Our main goal was to become parents, and we decided that we needed to look at all sides of this issue," says Lauren, relating the frustration they were feeling at that time.
So, they began to research adoption. Before long, they had narrowed their search down to two possible countries: Guatemala and Russia. Due to the risks involved in a Guatemalan adoption at that time, they decided to go to Russia.
After choosing an agency, Lauren began the paperwork. But she couldn't shake the feeling that Russia just didn't seem to be the right fit for them. Finally, she and Greg agreed: Guatemala was the country they wanted. Amazingly enough, once they made that decision, adoptions from Guatemala opened up and began smoothly moving along again.
On New Year's Eve, 2003, they got their referral for Reina, a little girl, born on October 14, 2003. Surprisingly enough, though, Reina was not the first Haas girl to come home. Although things had progressed quickly, some difficulties caused that adoption to come to a halt. Lauren and Greg waited for some time, but finally realized that they needed to move forward on a different path. Without giving up hope that Reina would come home, they began a second adoption from Guatemala.
On August 8, 2004 Maria Haas was born, and the following January she arrived home to Cincinnati with her family -- just a bit ahead of her soon-to-be older sister. The Haas family is still pursuing the adoption of Reina, and was even able to visit with her this past Thanksgiving. They are now waiting for her paperwork to get through the system in Guatemala and hope to complete her adoption in the near future.
"We knew we were adopting Reina, but we didn't know what would happen after that," says Lauren, reflecting on the surprises the adoption has brought." Maria was a blessing we didn't expect… what has happened with Reina was hard, but, in hindsight, if it hadn't happened, then we wouldn't have Maria. "
Throughout both adoptions, the International Adoption Center (IAC) has been a big help. From helping Greg and Lauren choose what country to adopt from to equipping them with the information they needed to confidently move forward with their adoptions, the IAC classes were a big asset. Lauren also benefited from the Parents Helping Parents support group that is moderated by Nancy Kayes.
Lauren also has appreciated the support from Mary Allen Staat, MD, MPH, regarding both her girls. The IAC was able to detect that Maria had been exposed to TB and she is now receiving the proper medication to combat it. And, with each visit to the IAC, Dr. Staat always asked about Reina — a fact that was very encouraging to Lauren.
Though the adoptions have not followed the path that they first thought they would, Greg and Lauren are very happy about their decision. And Lauren notes that Maria has been a tremendous joy and blessing to their family.
"People tell you that you will love your children, but I just never knew how much. Maria and I are like two peas in a pod — she brightens every day. Some days I just go in and look at her and my eyes tear up. I just never expected how much I would love her. "
