Allie Smith, academic secretary for the department of communication arts, and her husband Ronnie have fostered seven children over the past six years and have given birth to three of their own. They are now attempting to adopt from Ebola-stricken Sierra Leone.
“We hope to adopt a little boy named Santigie,” Smith said. “But the agency we were going through knew the government was closing the country due to the Ebola outbreak, so they held off on finalizing our home study.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with a strain of Ebola virus. The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting multiple countries in West Africa.
The Smiths originally hoped to adopt one of their seven foster children, but none of the circumstances yielded in adoption.
It was only after Smith and her daughter visited The Raining Season that the family considered international adoption.
The Raining Season is a 24/7 orphan care facility, housing more than 120 children in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The center’s staff of 64 includes pastors, caregivers, cooks, housekeeping, security, social workers and medical and therapeutic staff.
“My oldest daughter and I traveled to Sierra Leone in August 2013 for her 13th birthday,” Smith said. “As a family we thought about it over the fall and we decided after Christmas to get the adoption process started.”
Initially hoping to have the adoption process completed by May of 2015, the Smith’s are unsure of when the country will reopen their immigration office for adoption.
“All we can do now is pray for them,” Smith said.
Smith said she was able to keep in contact with Santigie via Skype once a month, but the center has been on lockdown for the past two months, limiting the number of staff members available to help the children keep in contact with sponsors and potential adoptive families.
“For them, the crisis is so much different than it would be here because their ability to contain this epidemic is so limited,” Smith said.
Smith said hospital beds are often shared, making containment of the epidemic nearly impossible.
Ebola is spread through direct contact with blood and body fluids of a person infected by and already showing symptoms. It is not spread through the air, water, food or mosquitoes.
The Smiths desire to raise awareness of Ebola by participating in 91 for 91, sponsored by Young Life Africa.
Young Life Africa is urging others to pray Psalm 91 together for 91 days as a source of strength and hope during the Ebola crisis in West Africa.
Participants are asked to pray and fast for the protection, courage and resources for Young Life leaders and kids.
The campaign began Oct. 27, 2014 and will run through Jan. 26, 2015.
To learn more about The Raining Season, visit therainingseason.org.
