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Exeter Times -Advocate
Wednesday, April 7 , 1999
235-3141
Page 21
Guatemalan baby a welcome gift to local family
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
USBORNE TWP. — For Mery and
Teresa Hern, frustration over adopting
from within Canada has led them to look
abroad — five times.
The Heins' most recent addition to the
family Is 15 -month-old Justin, who was
born in Guatemala. But where the Heins
found Justin is not the only interesting
part of this story, it's how they found
him.
While she was waiting to adopt a fifth
child, Teresa decided to search the
Internet. She eventually found a site
where she learned three boys from
Guatemala were available for adoption.
Teresa says she was skeptical because
she knew the fee to adopt a child would
be- too expensive. In fact, the fee for
Justin was $5,000, but the Herns were
able to adopt him for $500 because the
Guatemalan lawyer handling the case
was worried that, at five months, Justin
was getting too old for adoption. Mo
children in Guatemala, Teresa explains,
are already adopted by the .time they, are
about four months old.
Since the Herns then knew they could
afford the adoption fees; the process was
put in motion and the adoption papers
were ready in June. While everything
was going forward without a hitch,.
Teresa says there was a minor hurdle
when Justin's birth -,mother decided*+
wanted him back. Whilethe mother'
eventually changed her mind, Teresa
says it was a stressful time.
"I just about had a heart attack," she
says, adding that with foreign adoptions
things can go wrong right up until .the
adoptive parents have taken the child out
of his or her birth country.
During the adoption process, Teresa
says waiting to get Justin was an anxious
time for her because there are many
people involved such as lawyers, who
can delay the process or even change
their minds about letting the adoption
happen.
"It's totally out of your control," she
says of waiting for the adoption to go
through.
When the Herns went to Guatemala in
November to bring Justin home, though,
Teresa says everything went smoothly.
Justin had been living in a foster home
and, while the home had cement floors
and bars on the windows, Teresa says he
was in good care and healthy.
Many people in Guatemala aren't so
lucky, though.
"It's so sad there," Teresa explains.
"The people have nothing," and there are
many child beggars on the streets. She
also says there is a large division
between the rich and the poor in
Guatemala. She describes the country as
noisy and polluted,
Once home;. Justin joined his new
brothers and sisters, all of whom have
been adopted: Eric, from Romania, is
almost nine ars old; Courtney, six
years old, ,ad Alex five, are from
Guatemala; and Samantha, five., was
adopted from Romania. All four are stu-
dents at Usborne Central.
The Herns adopted outside of Canada
because, according to Teresa, it's too dif-
ficult to adopt from within Canada. On a
waiting list for nine years, the Herns sim-
ply couldn't wait for a child any longer,
leading to their adoption of Eric in 1991.
She said Canadian social workers want
Canadians to adopt other Canadian chil-
dren because there are many who need
homes, but Teresa says the process was
s}�lyking-toa long..._ _
Although they are young, Teresa's chil-
dren — with the obvious exception of 15 -
month -old Justin — know they are
adopted and know where they•are from.
She said all the children talk about when
they'll be able to visit their birth coun-
tries.
"We think it would be great," Teresa
says of taking her children back to
Romania and Guatemala.
While Teresa says the children are too
young to have any identity problems or
"issues" about being adopted, she says
the family belongs to a. support group
which will help the children if they have
any problems about being adopted.
Although the Herns now have five chil-
Fifteen-month-old Justin, born in Guatemala, is the latest addition to Usborne
Township's Hern family. Justin is the fifth child the Herns have adopted from a for-
eign country. Pictured beside Justin are Eric, left, and Courtney. Seated in front are
Samantha and Alex.
dren, Teresa says she would "love to
adopt again", but financially it's not real-
ly possible.
After her ,exciting, discovery on the
Internet, Teresa "loves computers" and
says "if you can find a son on the 'Net,
you can find anything."
She says she wants to get the word out
to other people interested in adopting
that more and more countries are open-
ing themselves up to foreign adoptions. A
lot of Chinese babies have recently been
adopted in Canada, she adds. Teresa, is
also willing to help anyone with ques-
tions about adoption, but she cautions
each country has different adoption poli-
cies and laws.
Ross Lamont selected Liberal candidate for new riding
LUCKNOW - Liberals from Exeter to Saugeen Shores
in the newly -formed provincial riding of Huron -Bruce,
gathered on March 24 to select a candidate to represent
the party in a yet -uncalled election.
Close to 350 voting members selected Ross Lamont of
Port Elgin as their candidate. He was challenged for the
nomination by Joan Van den Broeck of Goderich.
Lamont has a long involvement in party politics. He is
immediate past president of .the Ontario Liberal Party,
was chairman of provincial Liberal leader Dalton
McGuinty's leadership campaign, and campaign
manager for Murray Elston in 1990 and 1987.
"We have a big job ahead of us," Lamont told
supporters in his acceptance speech, saying the
election can be won "street by street, riding by
riding." He urged them to get out and work "to
put either Helen or Barb on the unemployment
roles."
Huron MPP Helen Johns and Bruce MPP Barb
Fisher are vying for the Progressive
Conservative nomination in the newly -formed
riding which consolidates their previous ridings,
that they have held since 1995. That nomina-
tion meeting is scheduled for April 17 at Blyth
The New Democratic Party nominated Tony
McQuail of West Wawanosh at a nomination
meeting earlier this winter in Goderich.
RallyTroops
The candidates' speeches centred on themes that will
certainly predominate the election campaign in Huron -
Bruce: health care, education and agriculture.
Lamont said there is a crisis in health care, education
and agriculture today, all created by Ontario Premier
Mike Harris and his "handful of backroom strategists."
"Mike Harris does not understand or appreciate local
health care...The Tories are moving quickly into a two-
tier health system," Lamont predicted.
He pointed to a recent pledge by the premier to spend
$375 million to hire 10,000 nurses iti the province;
many of them the same nurses Harris got rid of several
years ago, doling out $400 million in severance pay.
On the topic of education, he said the
Conservatives have taken millions of dollars
out of the system, along with local decision-
making powers, all the while stepping up per-
sonal attacks on teachers. "Do not be fooled,
the Tories are not improving education."
Agricultural issues get short shrift from the
Conservatives too, Lamont claimed, with mil-
lions of dollars being cut from the agriculture
budget. In fact, the word 'farm' cannot be
found in the Common Sense Revolution, the
Conservative manifesto' that was pivotal to
the party's 1995 election win. •
On a topic near and dear to the residents of
Bruce' County, Lamont, manager of opera-
tional business planning at the Bruce Nuclear
Power Development, said the future of Ontario Hydro
will have an impact on riding residents.
The Conservatives promised a balanced budget in
their first term, Lamont continued, but will not be able
to deliver. "Do not believe he (Harris) will keep his
promises this time."
Ross
Lamont
"The Tories will fight hard and dirty (in the coming
election). Liberals must put- forward an alternative."
Lamont urged those present to uphold the tradition in
Huron and Bruce counties of sending Liberals -- Murray
Gaunt, Jack Riddell, Murray Elston and Eddie Sargent --
to Queen's Park.
Rescue Mission
In her speech to the voting members, Van den Broeck,
a former board of education trustee and chairman and
Children's Aid Society volunteer, likened the coming
election to a "rescue mission", rescuing the people of
Ontario from the policies of the Progressive Conservative
government.
Van den Broeck said decision making must be
returned to the Legislature, calling today's Ontario an
'oligarchy'. Governments consult before making deci-
sions, Van den Broeck noted. "You can't put politics
ahead of people."
She too pointed to crises in health, public education
and agriculture.
"My goals and aspirations are rooted right here," she
pledged. "I will work with you and for you to ensure our
rural voice is heard at Queen's Park."
Prior to the March 24 nomination, two candidates
withdrew from the race. Dave Scott, mayor of Seaforth
and newspaper editor, announced he would not seek the
nomination as the employer said it constituted a conflict
of interest. Grey Township Deputy Reeve Alvin McLellan .
also withdrew from the race.