Tom and I are the Maloney’s from New Jersey, and we have a daughter, Allison (age 8), and a son, Kevin Joseph (age 2.5).  Our son was adopted from Guatemala in 2002.  Our lives are full of joy as each day is a new experience for us. 

We decided to adopt from Guatemala as I am of Latin descent (Mexican and Italian) and Tom knew he wanted a boy to share his passion as a fan of the New York Giants.  Our experience began with Catholic Community Service (CCS) in Kearney and then with Children’s Home Society and Family Services (CHSFS) in Minnesota.  We never looked into other adoption agencies; we just went with what we were told we had to do.  Thank goodness we were steered in the right direction.  Our first encounter was with Norina of CCS and then Argerie of CHSFS.  Argerie would become so familiar with my voice that she did not have to rely on her Caller ID to know who was on the other line, wondering where we stood in line to get a referral.

On July 19, 2002, we were presented with the option of accepting Jose Luis Perez, who was at that time 48 hours old.  Were we nervous?  How do you possibly know what is right from a picture and a few body measurements?  And to all of you waiting to do the same thing, all that I can offer is that you just know.  When the picture came, our little chicken with tiny legs and arms started up at us and God knows the love began at that very moment.  As we told our family and friends, the importance of adding Kevin to our family became that much more special.   Unknown to us, my Dad would shortly be beginning the last month of his life with us and he wanted so much to hold his first and only grandson.  That was not in the plans, however.  Rest assured, everyone who visited his bedside knew that he was going to have a grandson in his family.  I trust that after my Dad’s death that he visited Kevin in his dreams and kept him safe until we were able to be with Kevin in person. 

Kevin was brought to us in the lobby of the Marriott in Guatemala City.  We did not know who we were looking for, but we soon knew as parental instincts kicked in.  Our son with big wide eyes and a chubby body was being carried by a little lady through the hotel.  He was finally within reach!  As we signed the papers in the small sitting area, we could tell that the foster mother was unsure of letting go.  We had also thought that there was a slight possibility that Kevin’s birth mother would be coming, but that did not happen. 

Our short time in Guatemala involved taking care of our son, who had RSV.  I did make a few trips to the local store to buy diapers and another container of powdered formula.  The odd thing about walking down the streets was the presence of armed men, but not policemen standing about every two or three stores.  As we were in Guatemala around Thanksgiving, decorations were up.  There was a tree in the center of a walkway.  At the same time, there were signs of poverty everyway we turned.  The most uncomfortable sight that will stay with us forever was seeing a mother huddled on a street corner with three very young children all wearing oversized sweatshirts and sharing one lollipop.  There were young boys with makeshift shoeshine boxes looking to earn some money by polishing shoes using their bare hands.  Did all this bring home the fact that what we were doing was the right thing?  You bet.  We knew that for whatever reason, we were sent to make a difference in the life of Jose Luis Maloney Echeveria. 

I wish I could share with you that we spent time exploring the birth country of our son, but we really only ventured to a small mall and a tunneled typed “mall” across the street from the hotel. But what Tom and I did see through the artifacts sold was that Kevin was from a country filled with strong traditions and religious beliefs.  We hope to share and explore more of this with Kevin as he gets older and as he questions his beginnings. 

The one thing I will say is that CHSFS and its attorney system have the judicial system quite well managed.  When it became time to go before the embassy to complete the visa, everything was timed perfectly.  We were ushered along to get the pictures needed and to reach the line at the embassy at precisely the moment to enter through the gates.  I must admit that it was reassuring to get to the window and meet someone whom we could converse with easily and, most importantly, to have the feeling that at that point we were almost home free.  

We flew out of Guatemala into Houston, TX on Thanksgiving 2002.  It was an amazing feeling going into immigration and getting Kevin’s passport validated as a US citizen.  The airports that day were surprisingly quiet and easy to move around.  Landing at Newark Airport on the other hand was filled with anticipated excitement.  Tom and I videotaped our families’ reactions to seeing us wheel in our son to meet them at the gate.  What a great feeling introducing Kevin to his sister and our siblings and parents.  

Our quest to expand our family has finally ended.  On October 31, 2003, we went before the adoption judge in Hackensack, NJ to finalize the adoption in New Jersey – getting the final name change and birth certificate completed.  It was amazing that this part of Kevin’s adoption occurred almost a year to the date that our adoption became complete in Guatemala.  Was this whole process difficult?  Not for us.  Everything moved along swiftly and quietly.  Perhaps our guardian angel was watching over us. 

Our lives have been filled with adjustments, as it would be for any family with a newborn and an older sibling.  But, it is now more than two years later and life has quieted down.  Kevin is that much older and able to take a stand; voice an opinion and give us all hugs and kisses without reservation.  He loves his “Allisin” and he knows how to cry dramatically when he wants to get his way and he is developing a love for sports and trains.  Kevin is truly our gift from heaven. 

Learn more about adoption from Guatemala