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Show i Lakeside Review North, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 1983 vv 5B ,y ' , wJa 4 !'XXl A. , , 'V5 w p - 'f? il ANTICIPATION GRIPS the Martin family (above) as they wait for their new addition to their family, Jonny from Korea. Julie Martin (left, foreground) and her daughter Aimee pensively watch out the Photos by Robert Regan windows before the plane lands. For Julie and her husband, the challenge to have a foreign child in their home will be great, but their joy will be even greater. . u MAwilliia Love Knows All Languages Foreign Family Affair anticipation with Mrs. Anderson, her out of the airport. With their first family, and friends. adopted son they had held back to give Does he speak English, Julie was him time to adjust, he began daring BOUNTIFUL Western Airlines flight 392 was due to arrive at the Salt asked. No, she answered. No, they cars in the street to run over him. She Lake City International Airport in 20 never do. Three of the Andersons said that her husband took firm discichildren had been adopted from Korea. plinary action and put a stop to it. minutes. A handful of people were al' One, Tony, was Black Amerasian, and ter that,' he was really good, she said. the the at gate watching through ready Why do the Andersons and other irt huge windows for a glimpse of the Jonny would be the second. AnFIA said Mrs. his He knows mother, was The because adopt? Each family has their own flight plane. special, i Jonny, an Korean boy, was derson. Because of the situation over reasons, but they all agree that it is very there, the natural mothers see a chance important for both husband and wife to r aboard flying to his American family be in agreement about the adoption. to better their children, explaining ' v Bountiful. from i Mrs. Anderson said that in their situHis new mother, Julie Anderson was how the children are given up to Amerfamilies.' ican ation, she and her husband felt that at the gate early with her seven other cases heard she She of said had that they had a lot to share with other chilher children, neighbor Dianna Martin,. and Mrs. Martins children. Mrs. Mar- where Amerasian children were tripped dren. My parents had always taken in tin explained that her husband was on and spat upon because of the attitude foster children and that impressed me and instilled a desire in me. the plane. He had flown to Seattle that of Asians toward mixed races. She said that she and her husband one of As touched the down, to meet who plane had morning Jonny, the FIA women wiped tears from her , had always wanted a large family, but stopped there on his way from Korea. The Andersons youngest daughter, eyes in the only outward display of that the doctor advised them to have only four. We have felt that we were Lindsay, sat in a stroller clutching her emotion from the crowd. Lines formed at the entrance and meant to parent more children. So the used Slinky. She brought her slinky to Andersons turned to adoption. soon someone exclaimed, Oh hes gorgive to Jonny, Mrs. Anderson exbrown-eye- d Since they already had four children, geous! Jonny plained.. seemed a bit bewildered, yet friendly as they were told that they would have to The waiting area soon became occupied with people who came to support he eyed his new family and friends. He adopt foreign 'children, which was fine the Andersons and welcome Jonny. turned to Mrs. Anderson shyly as, she with them. They adopted Corey, 11, held her arms out to him, but as the through a man who had brought back Children filled up the row of chairs facother children circled him about he was Korean children after the Korean war. child ing the window. Blond, Whitney was adopted through a private waited with darker complexioned dren comparing his new watch and exchangadoption, and Toni through the FCVN, oriental and Latin brothers and sisters. ing kisses with his new brother, Tony. We have to discipline from day. Friends of Children of Viet Nam. They Around 30 members of FIA, Families Involved in Adoption, mingled in quiet one, said Mrs. Anderson on the way obtained Jonny through the Childrens CHERYL ARCHIBALD Review Correspondent - - - . . Curly-haire- blue-eye- d, JONNY MAY not speak a word of English, but the Korean boy shows in & universal smile that he already enjoys his new family. Home Society of Minnesota. are wards of the state, by Randall CarBecause he was black and Amerasian, lisle, KUTV Coordinating Producer. and because of his age, there were not Most of all, FIA members support many who were interested in Jonny, each other through social gatherings but the Andersons felt that it was affairs where and parents can discuss meant to be. Ive felt like all of our and children can make problems adopted children were meant to be friends with other who are in the same mine. situation. FIA has many others who feel as Even though it costs from $3,000 to strongly as the Andersons do. $5,000. To adopt a foreign child, Mrs. David and Elaine Platt, of Bountiful Stevens, FIA president, echoed the had four natural children of their own views of many members that it is and when their youngest was three Mrs. rewarding to help foreign children who Platt was paralyzed in a car accident. may not have enough to eat and who She was told she would never walk have very limited opportunities. again, nor would she have more chilMrs. Platt said adoptive children in dren. I became depressed, and I felt our own have in many cases,, like another child would keep me even morecountry needs. However, the needs busy, she said. After you have someare more difficult for parents to meet. thing like this happen to you, you want Many of the older children that are up your life to count (or something. for adoption in the United States have been in the foster parent system for She convinced her husband, and now they have adopted a child from Mexico, years, and have been abused and neone from Korea, and, just recently, glected by natural parents. They end up with emotional problems that are more three children from Columbia. Mrs. Platt, who is now recovered and difficult for adoptive parents to cope able to walk emphasized that the FIA with or change. If only some of these has been a great help for those parents children could be released for adoption sooner, many of the emotional probadopting foreign children. Many times, lems would never have occured, said people who dont understand will have Mrs. Platt. the attitude, You adopted them, so now why are you complaining? She She said that there are very loving said that the problems are not that families in FIA who have taken handigreat they are just unique and FIA is a capped, older, and emotionally disturbed children and have been very group willing to listen. There are, five FIA support groups in successful with them. Utah, with 133 families who belong. Four days after Jonny flew into the it Organized in 1974, the orgaarms of his American family, he was nization provides services to adoptive off to school with his brothers. going parents to ensure successful placement He is different than the others in that of children, especially special needs he can understand English and speak a children and minorities. little, said Mrs. Anderson. He told his Adoption option meetings are held mother that he wanted to go to school, the first Wednesday, of each month at she felt that it was best because he and the Salt Lake City Library at 7 p.m. to seemed homesick staying at home with inform those who wish to adopt about her. agencies and channels through which to After he was in school for a few adopt children. hours, Mrs. Anderson went to peek on They lobby in the legislature, and him and found Jonny in the schools hold training session. Families take turns answering the language class with head phones on listening intently to the recorded Enphone for the Wednesdays Child program on KUTV, and the group has glish lesson. been commended for saving taxpayers Now, its as though he has always untold thousands of dollars required to been with us. I feel as though I could take care of special needs children who not live without him, she said. -- non-prof- ve fc 4 ft V |
