Stephana Jean survived the earthquake in Haiti. Now her adoptive parents have brought her to their home in Colorado. |
DENVER - An orphan from Haiti got a warm welcome at Denver International Airport Thursday.
11-month-old Stephana Jean arrived in the arms of Kerry and Jeff Simpson. The Centennial family was in the process of adopting the baby girl when the earthquake hit.
The tragedy actually sped up the process.
The adoption is not complete, but the baby girl is here as a refugee parolee while the process continues. After all she has been through, the baby seemed quite at ease, and very comfortable snuggled in on her soon to be new mom.
Stephana's story is amazing.
Her orphanage was damaged in the quake. The directors, who are from the Pittsburgh area, worked with the governor of Pennsylvania and others to get a plane and fly all the children to Pittsburgh.
That is where the Simpsons saw Stephana for the first time.
"We just cried. We just wept. We were overjoyed because we knew she was safe," said Jeff Simpson.
The Simpsons were able to fly Stephana home to Colorado, where she will meet her new extended family. Simpson says Stephana's 3-year-old sister is also being adopted by a family in Boulder, so the two will get to see each other growing up.
11-month-old Stephana Jean arrived in the arms of Kerry and Jeff Simpson. The Centennial family was in the process of adopting the baby girl when the earthquake hit.
The tragedy actually sped up the process.
The adoption is not complete, but the baby girl is here as a refugee parolee while the process continues. After all she has been through, the baby seemed quite at ease, and very comfortable snuggled in on her soon to be new mom.
Stephana's story is amazing.
Her orphanage was damaged in the quake. The directors, who are from the Pittsburgh area, worked with the governor of Pennsylvania and others to get a plane and fly all the children to Pittsburgh.
That is where the Simpsons saw Stephana for the first time.
"We just cried. We just wept. We were overjoyed because we knew she was safe," said Jeff Simpson.
The Simpsons were able to fly Stephana home to Colorado, where she will meet her new extended family. Simpson says Stephana's 3-year-old sister is also being adopted by a family in Boulder, so the two will get to see each other growing up.
