I have some wonderful friends that are helping me raise money to bring our children home. As most of you know that we have now gotten added costs to our adoption that were unexpected after the bankruptcy of our agency. So my friends and family are helping us out by putting on a benefit dance here in Charlottetown PE. Should be a great night. If you are in town and have nothing to do on a winters night come join us in celebrating a night out for a good cause. Hope to see you there!
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=229482704379&ref=nf
Check this site out as it has all the information about where the dance will be.
Kelly and TJ
Dec 30, 2009
Dec 24, 2009
Happy Holidays!
I just wanted to say Happy Holidays to all my readers. Sometimes I forget that there are actual people out there reading this blog. I guess I get trapped into my own little world and forget that I'm reaching out to so many of you out there. I know that some of you might not agree with our path to a family but glad that you stop by and read how the journey is going for us. Maybe through our journey you can open your minds to how we are affected by comments like those on the CBC site. My life isn't a scripted reality TV show....it's real life with real feelings. So from my heart I do wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas. Take this time to let the loved ones in your life how much you love them. This is the season to share the joy and peace onto others!
All the best in 2010!
Kelly & TJ
All the best in 2010!
Kelly & TJ
Dec 22, 2009
P.E.I. couple waits after adoption agency bailout
A Charlottetown couple will have to wait until next month before they can find out when they might be able to adopt a baby through the adoption agency they helped rescue.
T.J. and Kelly Keenan are among 50 Canadian families who paid an extra $4,000 each as the Imagine Adoption agency restructured and climbed out of bankruptcy so it could resume its international operations.
The Keenans had been working with Imagine for 18 months and had paid $15,000 when the agency went into receivership in July, deflating the hopes of about 400 families across the country in the process of adopting children from overseas.
"It was devastating news to ourselves and our families," Kelly Keenan said.
"We've had some pretty big blows trying to have a child and I don't want to get my hopes up until I know for sure when I see that picture and the write-up of everything about the history of that child to actually then feel 100 per cent that, yeah, we're going to have some kids," Kelly said.
The Keenans have been married six years. After two miscarriages, and considering the long wait times for adopting a child in P.E.I., they decided to try adopting from Ethiopia.
When a restructuring plan was proposed this fall that would have the agency rescued by having clients pay any outstanding balances and an additional $4,000, the Keenans and 250 others pitched in.
Imagine went back to work last month and placed two children from Ethiopia with couples in Saskatchewan.
The Keenans will find out next month how far down the waiting list they now are and how long they might have to wait for their turn to adopt.
Domestic adoptions take longer
Among the options available for couples hoping to adopt, international adoptions can be comparatively quick, but expensive.
Adopting a Canadian child can take six years, longer if the couple wants to adopt an infant.
The international route can cost up $20,000, but the Keenans were told that Imagine could arrange an adoption in less than two years. Approaching 40 years of age, the Keenans opted to go that route.
But it can come with some criticism.
"I know a lot of people feel strongly that if we are Canadian people we should be looking out for Canadian children first," says Tammy MacKinnon of the P.E.I. Adoption Coalition.
MacKinnon has already adopted two children from China and is currently waiting to adopt another from Canada.
"It's not like I'm going to adopt domestically, and, boom, let's have a child, " says MacKinnon. "People don't understand it's a long process in P.E.I."
T.J. and Kelly Keenan are among 50 Canadian families who paid an extra $4,000 each as the Imagine Adoption agency restructured and climbed out of bankruptcy so it could resume its international operations.
The Keenans had been working with Imagine for 18 months and had paid $15,000 when the agency went into receivership in July, deflating the hopes of about 400 families across the country in the process of adopting children from overseas.
"It was devastating news to ourselves and our families," Kelly Keenan said.
"We've had some pretty big blows trying to have a child and I don't want to get my hopes up until I know for sure when I see that picture and the write-up of everything about the history of that child to actually then feel 100 per cent that, yeah, we're going to have some kids," Kelly said.
The Keenans have been married six years. After two miscarriages, and considering the long wait times for adopting a child in P.E.I., they decided to try adopting from Ethiopia.
When a restructuring plan was proposed this fall that would have the agency rescued by having clients pay any outstanding balances and an additional $4,000, the Keenans and 250 others pitched in.
Imagine went back to work last month and placed two children from Ethiopia with couples in Saskatchewan.
The Keenans will find out next month how far down the waiting list they now are and how long they might have to wait for their turn to adopt.
Domestic adoptions take longer
Among the options available for couples hoping to adopt, international adoptions can be comparatively quick, but expensive.
Adopting a Canadian child can take six years, longer if the couple wants to adopt an infant.
The international route can cost up $20,000, but the Keenans were told that Imagine could arrange an adoption in less than two years. Approaching 40 years of age, the Keenans opted to go that route.
But it can come with some criticism.
"I know a lot of people feel strongly that if we are Canadian people we should be looking out for Canadian children first," says Tammy MacKinnon of the P.E.I. Adoption Coalition.
MacKinnon has already adopted two children from China and is currently waiting to adopt another from Canada.
"It's not like I'm going to adopt domestically, and, boom, let's have a child, " says MacKinnon. "People don't understand it's a long process in P.E.I."
CBC Interview and Comments....
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2009/12/22/pei-adoption-keenan.html#socialcomments
Dec 21, 2009
CBC Interview today
I had received a call last week to do a follow up to our adoption story. We agreed and met this morning to do the interview. I can't tell you how nervous I get when you have a camera in your face asking you personal questions...lol I was happy to have done the interview but always uneasy on how people will react when they see us. I still remember the first interview after the the news of the agency going bankrupt. I couldn't believe how some people could be so cruel to our situation. How they felt like they had the right to judge us without knowing all the facts. It just makes me think of the time of the little old lady coming up to me in Sobey's asking me what was wrong with Canadian kids. Do I want to be Angela Jolie and have a trinket on my arm???? Here I thought when this little sweet looking lady approached me that she would be supportive...man was I wrong. Though in the same breath we have had so many supporters that we didn't even know we had. Without them we might have not been able to get through all of this. Not be mention all of you supporters out there in our cyber world standing by us and helping us along the way. So I just want to say THANK YOU! It's means so much to TJ and I that we have your support.
Dec 17, 2009
Good News!
Imagine received their Ontario Ministry License renewal early this week. They have further received word today that their NGO license renewal in Ethiopia has been approved! They are also very excited to inform us that they have been able to commence the process of referrals once again!!!! There was two referrals as of yesterday. One family have siblings under the age of 3 and the other a daughter of the age of 4. I'm so happy for the families. What a Christmas present!
I look forward to hearing more stories soon of those who get a referral in the new year!
I look forward to hearing more stories soon of those who get a referral in the new year!
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