By now it is no secret that the Dateline NBC will unveil a kidnapping scheme. Like everyone else, I am very curious to see how this was to be pulled off given the safeguards in place. It's worth noting that this did occur before 2nd DNA testing was mandated.
As an adoption advocate, I hate stories like this casting a dark shadow over all adoptions. But as a child advocate, I can not ignore the reality that three children were abducted, connected to adoption, and that only two of the three have been returned to their families. There is still a child missing and that can not be ignored.
Please click on more for larger pictures and more info on this.
Enma Galicia was abducted along with two of her sisters. She was seven years old at the time and would be eight right now.
Ename was abducted on Oct. 23,2006. If she was referred to a family, it likely would have occurred between then and Mar. 2007. Her parents did not have any recent pictures of her. The most recent picture was from when she was two years old.
Credit for this poster goes to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1-800-THE-LOST) for taking the three year old picture and trying to estimate what Enma might look like today. So in it, the older child look is a rendition, but it has how she definitely looked when she was two.
If you think you have any idea where Enma could be, PLEASE let me know. While her parents are overjoyed to have two of their kids returned to them, it is bittwersweet since Enma is still missing.
It's worthy to note that when the US Embassy added a second DNA requirement, it caught some people by surprise. It is possible that Emna could have been referred to someone at that time and then the PAPs "lost" the referral or the case turned into an abandonment. In addition, there's no way of knowing how accurate the computer generated picture might be. It's also possible she was referred as being a child much younger than she is. And of course it could never have happened with her real name. I hate the fact that I'm having to post any of this; but we, the proud parents of children adopted from Guatemela, know what a parent's love for a child is. I can not fathom the pain of having one of my kids abducted. If our community can somehow help to find this child, we need to do it.
Posted by Kevin at January 19, 2008 11:11 AMKevin, thank you for posting the picture and I hope they find this little girl. I have to ask because this is driving me absolutely crazy but how are these kids connected to adoption? US adoptions? Even without DNA2 surely someone would know if the child they were going to adopt was the one they picked up? We would have. She's old enough to talk. Theres little chance of a child this age being adopted. So wheres the connection? I am having a hard time believing these kids were tied to US adoptions. The one reported by dateline I thought was completely made up but of course you are verifying it appears and now this little girl? I have mixed feelings about this because on one hand I despise the idea of anyone connected with adoption involved in something so despicable but on the other hand I hope she was adopted by a loving family so she's safe and hopefully they can track her down and return her to her family since if she didn't go to a family theres a chance she fell prey to human traffickers for something far worse. I just don't understand how this happens with all the parties involved and as difficult as it is for us to get through the process. There are so many children who need homes I hate hate hate that people would ruin the lives of these children and other children for financial gain. Some people just have no soul. I hope they find her.
Posted by: Lisa2 at January 19, 2008 01:50 PMKevin, Thanks for posting this. We pray for her safe return. Question: The director of the agency we used five years ago claimed that some other countries that allowed their citizens to adopt from Guatemala never required DNA tests and their embassies didn't scrutinize the adoption documents as well as the US Embassy. The director also said that she felt that any stolen children were probably ending up in those other countries rather than in the US. What do you think?
Posted by: SC at January 19, 2008 01:51 PMHow incredibly horrible.
Posted by: cheryl at January 19, 2008 02:16 PMOk, now that I've thought about this a little more if she came into the US she would have had a VISA right? So can the authorities check all the VISAs issued for boy or girl [in case they passed her as a boy] for her age range for the time period in question? Surely this is possible? Flight lists?
Posted by: lisa2 at January 19, 2008 02:52 PMI agree with Lisa2. Of course it is possible to check visas for kids in her age range. They should waste no time in doing so immediately!!! I fear this child is being abused somewhere.
Personally, I do not see how an abduction of a 7-year-old relates to the adoption of an infant. This child clearly wasn't stolen to be adopted. Something more nefarious is at work here.
Hopefully the Dateline story will result in this child being reunited with her family. Let us pray it will.
Debbie
Posted by: Debbie Johnson at January 19, 2008 05:20 PMThis is just so horrible.
I just hope and pray that they find her and that she is safe. How were the other two found?
Thanks for posting this on the chance that it can help to find her.
I too want to know how this is connected to adoptions.
Lizzie
Mama to Anarosa
anxiously waiting for Migdalia
This is sad and I will send my prayers to her family for her safe return. Julia
Posted by: Julia at January 19, 2008 05:29 PMThe numbers on the poster look like a date, but Nov. 8, 2009? That can't be right. Any clue what those numbers represent?
Posted by: Donna Spezzano at January 19, 2008 07:11 PMvery sad. Let us pray that the adoptive parents (if this child was indeed adopted) see this and come forward.
As to 'how this could happen with all the safeguards in place' - oh my, it is very simple. All that is needed is one of the Guatemalan adoption service providers who is familiar with and comfortable doing "quickie" 'abandonment' procedures and a Courts of Minors where a judge is amenable, and within a few months the child is issued a Certificate of Abandonment despite the fact that no "investigation for birthfamily" has been done.
Really, it is not hard to do - I do not know what percentage of adopted 'abandoned' children have these "quickie" CofAs, but I know they are done and I personally know several families who have adopted children where this was the case.
Praying for this child, her first family and her current family,
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa at January 20, 2008 12:14 AMMy daughters CofA took 14 months to get. That doesn't sound quick to me.
Posted by: Amy at January 20, 2008 10:11 AMThis is the first I've ever heard of "quickie" abandonment cases. The COA for the little girl I'm trying to adopt is no where in site and I'm on year two now.
Posted by: Susan at January 20, 2008 10:25 AMRegardless of what country this little girl went to wouldn't there be some kind of record of visa's issued for probably someone passed off as about 5 years old? There are not that many children ages 5-9 being adopted from Guatemala so is shouldn't be too hard to start there...I don't know what the proceedures are for countries like the UK, but they must have some record of who comes into their country?
I will pray for both familes and especially this little girl!
This is so sad. I will be praying for this little girl, and the family. May she be found safe and unharmed, so that she can be with her family again.
Posted by: Cindy at January 20, 2008 01:06 PMsomeone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain that the DNA requirement (both 1 and 2) are requirements of the US government, not Guatemala. I believe that adoptions from Guatemala to other countries would not have to have DNA testing done. However, the vast majority of Guatemalan adoptions are children coming to the US. So the CofA mechanism seems the most likely in this case.
Posted by: SJBJ at January 20, 2008 02:15 PMAll I can say is that I hope this child is reunited with her family and until then that she is safe.
Lisa
the UK also have a DNA test requirement and an entry visa process - then a lengthy readoption process follows - a child of this age would be interviewed by a government social worker with translator as part of the readoption process
i hope that this little girl is reunited with her family asap - i have no words for how awful this must be for all concerned
Posted by: mk at January 20, 2008 05:47 PMOkay, Kevin. What do I do now? My son has been home several years, but one of the named persons or agencies named on Dateline was specifically named.
Now, I am wondering.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. I am sure I am not the only one who's jaw just simply dropped tonight.
Posted by: rmc at January 20, 2008 08:14 PMAdoption Blessings Worldwide was formerly owned by the same woman that use to own and operate Tedi Bear Adoptions. Tedi Hedstrom.
Her agency license was revoked in Florida. Google Tedi Bear Adoptions to read the details.
She then drove 100 miles up the road and was licensed in the State of Georgia.
Problems again? Not surprised.
Having said that, I have a daughter via Tedi Bear Adoptions that while unprofessional, I do not believe to be illegal. I can only say that, since I had the privelage of meeting the birth mother.
I hope this might give rest to some.
What is the purpose in bashing an agency or it's director? What kind of rest do you think that you are providing? How do you know that the same employees are employed by the agency in Georgia? Just because you had a bad experience with Tedi Bear Adoptions, does not mean that it is the fault of the current employees. As quite evident in the Dateline story, there were several other agencies that had bad experiences with bad facilitators. It can and will happen to any agency. It was the luck of the draw. International adoption is risky in any country and with any agency. That is the chance that we all take. Some of us have a smoother ride than others.
Posted by: Betsy's Mommy at January 20, 2008 10:48 PMBetsy's Mommy, the cat has been out of the bag about Tedi Hedstrom for a good long while now. She did exactly as the poster mentioned - it is fact, not conjecture at this point.
Posted by: Jane at January 21, 2008 08:34 AMI too would like to know more about the so called " quickie" CofA's. We have completed one Cof A, and are in process of the second. In both cases, a representative from PGN, a social worker from our "departamento" ( townships) and our lawyer and the judge were all present, and all 4 parties need to give their consent for the abandonment. In one case it was unanimous, but the second, the PGN rep is requiring more advertising, ect before he will consent to the CofA. Then, it all goes to PGN for their signature. There is absolutely no way that we can proceed without their approval! So in order for there to be a "quickie", there must be someone accepting bribes in PGN too!( I know, I know, that is common knowledge, huh!) But at the minimum, 6 mo is required to get an abandonment. Not a quickie in my book!
GuateRose
Posted by: GuateRose at January 21, 2008 11:13 AMlamentablemente guatemala como muchos paises latiamericanos es un pais de corrupcion y seria fantastico que existiera un website donde pudieramos ver fotos de los ninos que han sido dados por adopcion y los que han sido secuestrados, lamento el dolor de aquellos que han perdido a sus pequenos y espero en Dios haya justicia un dia.
Posted by: juan carlos orozco at March 4, 2008 09:30 PM