On Sunday families of all kinds celebrated Mother’s Day with food, and gifts, and time spent together. Brenda and Gary Gorman of Keller, Texas honored Mother’s Day by remembering their daughter Zia.
The Gorman’s adopted their four year old daughter Zia from the Democratic Republic of Congo. After being matched with Zia they were informed that she suffered from a very rare heart disease. After delivering this news their agency asked if they still wanted to continue with the adoption. They did want to continue, but this was a shock for the family. Brenda recalled her initial reaction to the news, "And I was silent for the longest time and I felt like I was going to throw up. I said, ‘Are you kidding me? She’s our baby. She’s our baby.’ She was our baby the moment we looked at her," Brenda told CBS News.
Not every family could have made that choice, knowing difficulties lay ahead, but for the Gorman’s it wasn’t a choice. They’d known from the minute they were matched that Zia was their daughter. Brenda did the only thing she could do, she was a mother to a little girl who needed her. She spent every moment of their 33 days together before Zia passed last weekend.
"I’m thankful for 33 days," she said to CBS, crying. "And given a choice between no time or 33 days, I’ll take the 33 days every time. Rip my heart out every time."
We are moved by this family’s strength and wanted to share their story. We are so thankful for the strength of all adoptive and foster parents for their unwavering commitment to children in need of families both in the United States and around the world.
Screen capture from CBS News.
For more information about MLJ Adoptions’ international adoption programs, please click here.
MLJ Adoptions
MLJ Adoptions is a Non-Profit, Hague-Accredited adoption service provider located in Indianapolis, Indiana, working in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Pacific Isles. We are passionate about serving children in need.