Reunite Sophie & Alicha 2025

This fundraiser is to offset the legal, agency and medical bills we are facing in trying to fight for reunification of these best friends and crib-mates.They were orphans from Haiti, who were torn apart by international adoption. Sophie (our daughter) lives in Canada, Alicha (her best friend and crib-mate from the orphanage), is in Texas.

The last time they saw each other was May 16, 2023–in Haiti at their orphanage. We took what we considered a harrowing trip to pickup our daughter (Sophie) as kidnappings and killings overtook Port-au-Prince. Once we were handed Sophie, we boarded our plane and white-knuckled it out of Haiti, hoping bullets didn’t pepper the plane.

What was to come for Sophie’s best friend just 11 months later was another story altogether. She was evacuated in a now historic rescue of a handful of Haiti’s orphans that Easter weekend 2024 by US military evacuation. Alicha was among a few orphans that endured this particular life and death evacuation, however, her real fight would start once she reached US soil. 6 days after her arrival, Her adoptive parents were suddenly dealing with a family crisis that threatened the future of her life in Texas. We fought to bring her to Canada last May, but the process was too overwhelming for the parents and complications forced us to back off. By August, after it was clear that it was not meant to be (yet) and we tried to pickup the pieces of my daughter’s broken heart. We lost contact with the family to preserve our hearts from further heartbreak. They would have to find each other later in life...but God wasn't done.

THE BACK STORY:

SOPHIE-our daughter, was brought home to Canada in 2023 after an 8.5 year adoption process. To say the adoption program in Haiti is broken, is an understatement. Born in the slums of Cite Soleil. Cite Soleil is a place that you go to, but you usually don’t make it out. When she had gained weight, she was brought to an orphanage in the hills above Port-au-Prince, where she remained until she was 5. It was a good orphanage. Sophie speaks fondly of her life there, under the circumstances & increasing dangers, we are grateful to them.

ALICHA: Sophie’s best friend, arrived to the orphanage two months after Sophie in 2017. She too, was abandoned in a similar fashion, so we surmise by the documentation.

Sophie’s happy ending was suppose to end in, Alberta, Canada. Alicha—would settle in Texas, USA after her evacuation last Easter. It was supposed to be a happy ending.

It was not.

What was really strange was that Sophie AND Alicha’s adoption was unusually long. Almost a decade each (our paperwork stuck before they were born), but these two files were persistently delayed…and almost simultaneous in how the barely functioning Haitian government was processing their files. The other families matched to children at the same orphanage had left with their kids after 4 or 5 years in the process, so how these 2 best friends managed to “wait for each other” was a baffling phenomenon since the Central Authority is not involved in the friendships of kids, nor do they care. So it wasn’t long before the other adoptive mom contacted me over Facebook. (Their little girl that was always popping in on Sophie’s zoom socialization calls with us.

All hell broke loose in Feb 2024, trapping orphans from freedom and throwing their adoptive families into mental anguish.

I know…I was on a chat with Alicha’s adoptive mom. As the US Embassy was trying (after multiple failed attempts) to land the helicopter in the night: Bullets were flying—would any of these kids have to take one? Alicia’s evacuation could have easily been our reality, it was luck of the draw WHO you were matched to. Alicha could have just as easily been ours—but, our angel, Sophie, was fast asleep in her bed. Alicha was fighting for her freedom and life. I assure you, every word I tried to console that mama with was futile. A home-bound orphan is a valuable asset to Haiti’s gangs. We were acutely aware of this and the dangers the child was facing. It means foreign money is attached to that child. And so is love. What price do you put on love? And what about the price of freedom: what would you pay for that? What’s it worth? Angels were perched on each tiny shoulder that night. Whisked away after the helicopter’s third attempt—bullets flying like skittles. Critical documents, however, were left behind in the ordeal—which would prove to be a major hurdle for us. MAJOR. 

February 11, 2025: “The Text”. The day life changed for us. The adoptive family was once again in an impossible situation. Plus Alicha's trauma of losing her old life in Haiti, Sophie, her nannies, plus WHATEVER she saw in the 3 day evacuation, had spiralled into the reality we have now: it was clear the girls couldn't do life apart. We are scrambling to pick up the baton, ANY baton to get her reunited with Sophie before we lose her forever to the re-adoption program in the USA. This cannot happen. I will fight till the end to not let this happen.

The girls are lost without each other. Like peanut -butter-and-jam. I cannot fill the hole in my daughter’s heart from the loss of Alicha either. This seems to be an impossible situation, with a lot of wheels turning and we are working with 4 lawyers to find a resolution to this tragic circumstance. These funds will be used for legal fees, agency fees, medical expenses & trauma therapy. Simply put, we do not want to have to ask them for any further financial assistance once she is here. They have been through enough. We will pick up the baton as best we can for all involved, God willing.

The path ahead, is a heavy one, but this will be her spitting chance at healing; together with Sophie. We’re humbly are asking our village to assist, so we can concentrate on HER and not the costs that we and her adoptive family are facing to pull this off. We are honoured that their story has touched so many hearts across (at least) three countries and we beg that you please share, far and wide. 

These girls are living testament to the power of love, loyalty, and friendship. There are still miracles playing out in the land most have given up on. Haiti's children, with their futures lying in the balance between gunshots and lullabies. If you listen carefully, the children have lessons for us all. Hope is never lost. And we need our village in 2025.

…and in our fear and worry, we brace for the fight of a lifetime, to reunite two orphans after a very VERY long and broken road back to each other.

“ I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.”

—John 14:18