A Very Special Day

Axel was adopted in December 2010. Four months later, in May, 2011, I was able to return to Serbia to meet Axel's birth family. They really are amazing people who made a very difficult decision at a time when, for them, there were no other options. 13 years ago when Axel was born, and even three years ago when we adopted him, things were very different in Serbia for kids with Down syndrome.  Axel's first mother and I now share a son on opposite sides of the world. We keep in frequent contact and they are able to follow along in Axel's life. We love them dearly.

Yesterday was a historical day for our family. The purpose of Axel coming along with me to Serbia was so that he could meet his first family. A family who loves him, cares about him, and worries about him, just as parents do. A big brother who misses his little brother.

I know you all have a lot of questions about what Axel understood of the visit, so I will just explain it this way: We really have no idea what Axel does or does not understand, or what he remembers of his birth family. I know that he would not understand the concept of having two mothers. We do know that Axel understands "friend" and "meet new friends", so Axel was told "We are visiting good friends who are excited to see you."

Our visit was amazing, and all of us adults were able to contain our emotions where Axel was concerned so that he was not left worried or confused. Axel's first mother shared with me pictures that are rare for the mothers of internationally adopted children to see. I will cherish them forever. They are a gift like no other.

With the permission of Axel's first family, I am sharing with you pictures of our visit.