Florida woman fighting to adopt, save six-year-old from Haiti
FORT MYERS - Michelle Reed says her sons Vidal and Jiberson are getting accustomed to American life.
She adopted the nine and eight-year-olds from Haiti in 2022. They came with just the clothes on their back.
"A photo of them standing at the airport before they boarded the plane in Haiti," Reed said. Terrified, really thin. And then I look at them now. Vidal's almost doubled in weight and they're just growing like weeds."
She thought she adopted all the siblings, but they are now six-year-old brother Esai is still in Haiti. She's trying to adopt him as well.
She says Esai has been moved to three different orphanages, and now she doesn't know where he is. She last spoke to him two months ago via video.
"There were gunshots all around," Reed said. I was talking over gunshots. He seemed unfazed."
Reed is asking the State Department for what's called humanitarian parole, which would allow the Esai to wait in the United States while the paperwork is being finished. But she says the State Department isn't helping her.
"We will follow every step of the adoption process," Reed said. "But we want our children home so they can be safe."
CBS News Miami reached out to the State Department for comment.
"We continue to work to identify solutions for children who do not have an adoption decree," said a spokesperson for the agency. "We encourage adoption service providers to continue case processing in Haiti when circumstances permit."
Esai's brothers just want to see him again.
"I miss him," said Esai's brother Vidal. "Because in Haiti it was too dangerous. That's why I'm adopted."
Reed says it took 6 years to adopt her two boys. As for Esai, she's worried she won't have that much time.
