 |
| Annie and Thomas |
How a dying wish, a long-held dream and a special boy have brought happiness to a new family in Tanzania
by Boh Hatter
Long before she arrived in Tanzania, pediatrician Annie Buchanan knew she wanted to adopt. “I have always wanted to adopt, since I was 18 years old,” says the 41-year-old pediatrician working on a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre-Duke University Collaboration. “I first put in my application to adopt as soon as I arrived here in July, 2007.”
Her path to parenthood was as unlikely as it is touching.
Annie first met Thomas when he was just one month old and weighed just three pounds. “I followed him closely in my clinic for HIV-exposed newborns,” she says. “His mother, Tumaini, and I became friends as I saw him frequently due to his prematurity and low weight.”
Sadly though, Tumaini (which means “hope” in Swahili) continued to deteriorate from HIV, Hepatitis B, and eventually, liver failure. One day in February, she brought Thomas into the clinic and asked Annie to help her. “She was quite sick that day and needed to be admitted,” Annie recalls. “She asked me if I would take Thomas. I said of course I would, and asked her for how many days. She said ‘forever.’"
“I was quite shocked, though I admit I had been thinking to myself how I would love to adopt this baby if anything ever happened to Tumaini,” says Annie. “We talked for several hours, and she assured me this was what she wanted.”
Annie hoped to admit her that day, but she wanted to go home so that Thomas could stay with his grandmother. She promised to return the next day, and when she didn’t, Annie assumed the worst. “She never missed a single visit with me,” Annie explains. “I was frantic. I thought for sure she had died at home or something terrible had happened.” About 24 hours later, as Annie prepared to go to the village to find her, Tumaini was brought into the emergency room. “When I saw her, she said ‘I want to sign the papers’ so that I could legally take Thomas,” she said.
Her condition was critical, but made a miraculous turnaround after receiving antibiotics and fluids. “We were all pleased that she would pull through this time,” Annie says. Later that evening the papers were signed, relinquishing Thomas to Annie’s care.
Annie went to the village to get Thomas and returned to the hospital to visit Tumaini. “I told her I now had him, and she seemed very happy, relieved maybe,” Annie recalls. “She really looked good and I was so pleased that she was doing so much better. I told her I was going to take Thomas home to feed him, and that we would come back later in the afternoon to visit her.”
Within an hour, Annie was called to the hospital as Tumaini’s condition had
 |
|
Thomas (right) with his Bibi (Swahili for Grandmother) |
“Life has changed for sure,” she says. “I became a mom with 24 hours notice. The first week was a real struggle -- I was so emotional with his mom dying and then getting him. He was like a newborn, feeding every three hours -- so I was sleep deprived and still working full time. Now things have settled down, and we are really bonding.”
Now a year old, Thomas has thrived, continuing to gain weight and achieve developmental milestones. Amazingly, he is negative for both HIV and Hepatitis. Annie is fostering Thomas now, waiting for the court date when she will have the adoption finalized. “ I hate waiting but the important thing is that I have him with me,” she says.
ISS-USA has supported Annie by obtaining the court-required references. “This is such a touching and amazing example of how a child can have a loving home, opportunities and regular access to his family, culture, language, and identity” says executive director Julie Rosicky. “ISS emphasizes finding permanent solutions in the best interests of children. While Tanzania has not signed the Hague Adoption Convention, the convention emphasizes the principle of subsidiarity, where local solutions with kin are sought first, then domestic adoption, and intercountry adoption as a last resort. Annie’s story is so unusual in that is all three solutions rolled into one. Technically it’s a private intercountry adoption between an American mother and Tanzanian child. However, because of Annie’s desire to remain in country, it is a domestic adoption too. Finally, because Thomas’ family has so clearly welcomed Thomas and Annie to be part of the family, this is a kinship placement in a sense as well.”
|
|
| Annie visits Thomas' birth village as his relatives sign legal documents endorsing Annie's adoption of Thomas. |
.jpg)
The connection to Thomas’ family is important to Annie. “They have practically adopted me into the family,” says the new mom. “His grandmother refers to me as her daughter, and we visit on a regular basis.” Thomas was baptized on Easter Sunday in his birth village, which is about 45 minutes away from his new home. He celebrated his first birthday there with his grandmothers, aunts, uncles and cousins. “There were about 50 people who came to the party and I only made one cake!” says Annie. “He has two great grandmothers that look to be about 100 years old each and they were so happy to see him.”
Life is good for Annie and Thomas. “I can honestly say that I have never been happier or more fulfilled in my entire life,” she says. “He is such a joy, and I feel that if ever there was a baby I was meant to have, it was him. Tumaini gave me the most incredible gift and entrusted me with his care and I am so blessed to have him in my life.”
Editor’s Note: Annie’s fellowship through Duke University concludes in June 2011 after which she hopes to find a long-term job in Tanzania. She is working with the local authorities to adopt another child. ISS will continue to provide support in the form of certification of documents, or reference reports as requested by Annie and as required by Tanzanian authorities.