An Alberta family’s long wait to bring their adopted son home from the Democratic Republic of Congo ended this week, but many more adopted children are still waiting to come to Canada.
Josh and Cindy Nichol became three-year-old Christopher’s legal parents more than two years ago – but they quickly ran into struggles in bringing their son home.
They encountered complications starting in September 2013, when the Congolese government stopped issuing exit papers for internationally adopted children, a move that trapped Christopher, and many other kids in the country.
“It’s been such an up and down journey thinking he’s going to come and taken away and that’s happened three or four times and it’s just to the place now where we just wanted him here however we could do that,” Josh said.
In the years the followed, the family has lobbied both the Congolese and Canadian governments to help bring Christopher to Canada.
Recently, Congolese authorities started reissuing some documents, and many adopted children are finally coming home.
Late Tuesday night, the wait ended for the Nichol family – Josh and other extended family members were on hand to greet Cindy and little Christopher when they arrived in Edmonton.
“There were times when I did give up, well not give up, but lost hope for sure,” Cindy said.
“It is a Christmas miracle, we’ve been blessed.”
“I’m excited they finally get to have him in their arms, and spend time with him and begin building those bonds,” Janice Goofers, Christopher’s aunt, said.
Currently, 16 adopted Congolese children bound for Canada are still in the African nation – families are calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reach out to Congolese officials to bring those children to Canada.
With files from Nicole Weisberg
