By Will Robinson- Smith
A big family brunch is not what you'd typically expect on a Tuesday. But then the Schwindlings and the Braddocks aren't typical families.
"It's official and it's finished. It's just nice for it to be done," T.C. Schwindling said.
The "it" is the Schwindling's adoption of four-year-old Zoe. She's a little ball of energy who was born as Petronie more than 7000 miles away in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Schwindlings had considered adoption since early in their marriage and had both spent some time in Africa over the years.
They had finalized their adoption back in 2014 with DR Congo, but the Congolese government issued a degree in the fall of 2013 denying exit visas for adopted children.
"They had suspended before for short periods of time and so we thought that that would happen and they would reinstate. And instead the situation grew worse and worse and worse and worse over time,' Maegan Schwindling said.
For about two years, Maegan and T.C. tried everything they could on their own to try and get Zoe home. She was one of more than 350 children stuck in the same boat.
"There's this tug of war between emotions of, 'Gosh let's just let this happen. This needs to happen. Why is she stuck over there?' and 'It'll happen when it's supposed to happen," T.C. said.
After trying everything they knew to do from near home, they along with the Braddocks and another family, the Powells, decided to take their case to Washington D.C. to look for more help.
"There was a moment when we sat down as families and said, this may not happen, but when we go to bed at night, in three years, in five years, we want to say we did everything we could and that means going to Washington D.C. and fighting for these girls," T.C. said
They continued to stay in touch with a number of representatives including Congressman Mo Brooks and Senator Jeff Sessions.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the issue, which the three families attended and plead their case.
Several congressional letters were sent to the Congolese Ambassador to the United States. Maegan said that Assistant Secretary of State Michelle Bond also made two trips to the capital city of Kinshasa to push for the release of these children to their families.
President Barack Obama also made a call to DR Congo President Joseph Kabila in March, urging a "timely resolution to this situation."
In March 2016, the Schwindlings and Katie Braoddock decided to make a trip to DR Congo themselves to try and push for their daughter to be able to come home with them.
The process ended up keeping them there for 24 days as they waded through copious amounts of paperwork and bureaucratic channels. But there was a silver lining.
"Getting to know her on her terms, in her space before we brought her to our space. And that's so valuable. You can't buy that," T.C. said.
Following the success of the adoptions, Congressman Brooks issued the following statement:
"I'm pleased both the Schwindling and Braddock families' adoptions have been finalized following a long and strenuous process. After months of close work among parents, Congress, and the State Department, we were successful in seeing that the Democratic Republic of Congo finalized all 1,000+ pending adoption cases with families here in the United States. International adoption can be trying but is ultimately rewarding. Due to the ceaseless advocacy by parents, we can celebrate the bright futures these children have in America."
They had finalized their adoption back in 2014 with DR Congo, but the Congolese government issued a degree in the fall of 2013 denying exit visas for adopted children.
"They had suspended before for short periods of time and so we thought that that would happen and they would reinstate. And instead the situation grew worse and worse and worse and worse over time,' Maegan Schwindling said.
For about two years, Maegan and T.C. tried everything they could on their own to try and get Zoe home. She was one of more than 350 children stuck in the same boat.
"There's this tug of war between emotions of, 'Gosh let's just let this happen. This needs to happen. Why is she stuck over there?' and 'It'll happen when it's supposed to happen," T.C. said.
After trying everything they knew to do from near home, they along with the Braddocks and another family, the Powells, decided to take their case to Washington D.C. to look for more help.
"There was a moment when we sat down as families and said, this may not happen, but when we go to bed at night, in three years, in five years, we want to say we did everything we could and that means going to Washington D.C. and fighting for these girls," T.C. said
They continued to stay in touch with a number of representatives including Congressman Mo Brooks and Senator Jeff Sessions.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the issue, which the three families attended and plead their case.
Several congressional letters were sent to the Congolese Ambassador to the United States. Maegan said that Assistant Secretary of State Michelle Bond also made two trips to the capital city of Kinshasa to push for the release of these children to their families.
President Barack Obama also made a call to DR Congo President Joseph Kabila in March, urging a "timely resolution to this situation."
In March 2016, the Schwindlings and Katie Braoddock decided to make a trip to DR Congo themselves to try and push for their daughter to be able to come home with them.
The process ended up keeping them there for 24 days as they waded through copious amounts of paperwork and bureaucratic channels. But there was a silver lining.
"Getting to know her on her terms, in her space before we brought her to our space. And that's so valuable. You can't buy that," T.C. said.
Following the success of the adoptions, Congressman Brooks issued the following statement:
"I'm pleased both the Schwindling and Braddock families' adoptions have been finalized following a long and strenuous process. After months of close work among parents, Congress, and the State Department, we were successful in seeing that the Democratic Republic of Congo finalized all 1,000+ pending adoption cases with families here in the United States. International adoption can be trying but is ultimately rewarding. Due to the ceaseless advocacy by parents, we can celebrate the bright futures these children have in America."
Fast forward six months, little Zoe is now a little sister to Emory Ann Schwindling. She got to honorarily dismiss court along with two of the other Congolese girls, Nora Nsenga and Lucy Kanonga Braddock, after their very last adoption step.
And now, like the princesses she's quickly learned to love, Zoe get her happily ever after too with her new family.
If you want to learn more about child policy issues, click here for the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) or here for Equality for Adopted Children (EACH).
Fast forward six months, little Zoe is now a little sister to Emory Ann Schwindling. She got to honorarily dismiss court along with two of the other Congolese girls, Nora Nsenga and Lucy Kanonga Braddock, after their very last adoption step.
And now, like the princesses she's quickly learned to love, Zoe get her happily ever after too with her new family.
If you want to learn more about child policy issues, click here for the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) or here for Equality for Adopted Children (EACH).