My Adoption Story: Charity

My name is Charity McDonald, and this is my story of the journey to adopt my daughter.....

The journey to Anna Clare McDonald started in my heart. Many, many years ago, before children were even a fleeting thought, somehow I knew I would come to this place.... to adopt. I didn't know where from, but I knew it would happen. At one point in time I was married and had my son Cameron. Even after having him, adoption never left my mind. Having a biological child was wonderful. It was a miracle all its own. It didn't take away my desire to adopt though. One did not "replace" the other. Soon, I became a single mom. Still the desire to adopt did not go away. Although it was unfathomable at that point in my life, adoption still pulled at my heart ~ as it had for nearly 15 years. When Cameorn was 3 1/2 years old I was offered a job and a great promotion with a pharmaceutical company. I'd been working as a Chemist / Validation Specialist in one company for 11 years. I wasn't looking for a new job. Literally, it fell into my lap. So with great hesitation, in March of 2003, Cameron and I moved from Michigan to South Carolina and began a new chapter in our lives. The new chapter that allowed this adoption journey to begin. I truly believe that God had more in store for me than just a new job when we made the move here.

We got settled here right away. We immediately found a wonderful church and a church family. The adoption whispers that kept tugging at me, suddenly turned to loud roars. In June, just 3 months after moving to South Carolina, I began praying about this decision. One month later, the papers were signed and the journey began for Anna Clare McDonald.

Once the process began, I became fearful. It was real now. I was going to fulfill my dream. That was the wonderful part. The scary part was - what if they told me no? That wouldn't cross the minds of most people, but what I haven't told you yet, is that I'm legally blind. I have almost no peripheral vision. I have a visual field of about 20 degrees, compared to a normal visual field of 180 degrees. I can see only what is in front of me. Thankfully, for now, God has blessed me with 20/20 vision with correction, in what is left of my sight. My only real challenge is that I can't drive. Except for that, most people wouldn't know I have this condition. But, I began to fear that I would be rejected because of it.

I continued with all of my paperwork, homestudy, criminal background check, financial statements, fingerprinting, medical exams, Orphan Immigration application, and finally dossier submission. My dossier was completed and sent to China on Jan 30, 2004 and was logged into the CCAA on Feb. 10, 2004. With a glowing homestudy (and no questions from China) I have little fear of not being placed with a child. My adoption agency and social worker have calmed all of those fears. Now I look forward to traveling to China and having my little girl placed in my arms. At that moment, a year of prayer will have been answered and a dream over 15 years old will come true!

- Charity