Adoption, a very personal story – 領養，個人經歷

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TRANSCRIPT

Gretchen Ryan

Adoption is the greatest gift in my life.

When I was a little girl growing up in Taiwan, I lived near an orphanage and I found that there were children that did not have families. So, when I was really little, I already had an awareness that there are children that are waiting for their own forever family.

I became a social worker, my calling in life has been really to come alongside children that are waiting for adoption and support them, and bring them into families, then it really became a personal journey as well. And I would also share that I went through infertility with my husband Jeff and our family is built through adoption. And our first child, our first baby came into our lives as a 13 year-old. So, a little bit out of the ordinary, but it just goes to show that families come in all forms, shapes and sizes and ages. And so she’s now a 44 year old with two daughters.

And then we’ve raised four more children, after her all through adoption. To me family is the gift that lasts forever. And so I would say that adoption is the gift that lasts forever, is a gift that we don’t take for granted, that we treasure, that we receive and it’s so special, and then it lasts forever means that it’s always growing. So, we’re always growing as a family.

Adoption is a lifelong journey. And so we are committed to growing together for a lifetime. In Hong Kong there are many, many children that don’t have their own family. Bain (& Company) has done a pro-bono research for Mother’s Choice and we have found that there are as many as 4,000 children living in institutional care in Hong Kong.

Those are not necessarily children that are all waiting for adoption, but those are all children that are waiting for a forever family that are stuck in the system. And we’re committed at Mother’s Choice to our vision that at Mother’s Choice is that every child has a loving family, and that giving hope and changing life stories for every vulnerable girl and baby.

領養是我一生中最大最好的禮物.

我小時候在台灣長大. 住在一所孤兒院附近, 我發覺原來有些孩子沒有家庭. 所以我自小就知道, 有些小朋友在等一個永遠的家. 我成爲了一名社工, 我的使命是陪伴和支持等待收養的孩子為他們提供一個家.

這也就成了我的個人歷程分享一下我的個人經歷，我和我先生Jeff經歷不孕. 透過領養建立了一個家庭.

我們第一個孩子，在13嵗的時候走進我們的生命, 雖然跟平常有些不同, 但這表現出「家」不只一種形式，型態，大小和年齡. 現在她已經44嵗，有兩個女兒在她之後我們再收養4個孩子.

對我來説，家庭是一份永久長存的禮物, 所以我會說領養是一份永恆的禮物, 是一份不會覺得理所當然的禮物, 我們會珍惜，我們得到的是如此的特別. 而且是永遠的，會一直成長，我們會是一個不斷成長的家庭.

領養是一生的旅程, 所以我們承諾永遠共同成長. 香港有很多孩子沒有自己的家. 貝恩咨詢公司為「母親的抉擇」進行了一項公益性研究, 發現香港接近有4千個孩子住在院舍. 他們不一定全都在等待收養, 但他們都是因爲等待一個永久家庭而滯留在寄養機制裏. 我們在「母親的抉擇」致力實現我們的遠景, 每個孩子都擁有一個關愛的家,為弱勢少女和嬰孩燃點希望.

Marco Raccuia 

Thanks for listening to this very inspiring personal and professional story!

Please support and spread the word about the #ProtectYourChildren campaign. You can find all details about direct donations to Mother’s Choice on their website, as well as on Hugill & Ip’s website!

Our firm’s Estate Planning team will prepare a Deed of Guardianship for you, your family, friends or for someone in need who is part of the Mother’s Choice network. Donations last until 6 December, while appointments with our firm can be scheduled until 30^th April 2021. Donations are tax-deductible.

Thank you for the support. You know it makes sense!

多謝收聽這個具啓發性的故事!

請支持及宣傳#ProtectYourChildren活動. 您可以在「母親的抉擇」及Hugill＆Ip的網站上找到有關直接捐款到「母親的抉擇」的所有細節.

我們的遺產規劃團隊會為您, 您的親友或「母親的抉擇」的盟友準備監護權契. 捐款活動於12月6日截止, 而高葉律師行的預約期將持續到2021年4月30日. 捐款可申請扣減稅項.

多謝支持！你們每位的參與都不可少！

 

This video is for informational purposes only. Its contents do not constitute legal or professional advice.