Georgia adoption group fight for stranded Haitian orphans amid violence

ATLANTA - A metro Atlanta adoption group says 101 Haitian orphans, all set to be adopted by families in the U.S., are stranded in the country because of the unrest and violence there.

"He's an amazing kid. He's been waiting a really long time and still has a lot of hope that he'll be here at some point," said Alinna Mehaffie.

She says they have waited for 15-year-old Zachary to join their family for five years.

Mehaffie asked FOX 5 not to show a current picture of Zachary out of fear that gangs may want to kidnap him for ransom.

Mehaffie met Zachary in 2016 when he was on tour with the Love Him, Love Them Haitian Orphan Choir. FOX 5 reported then they became stranded in Georgia because of Hurricane Matthew.

Now, Zachary is stranded in Haiti, unable to join his adopted family because of the chaos in the country.

"It's not just like another story on the news. That's my child that I’m just trying to help… that fear is really real. And I think that maternal instinct to want to protect him and to not be able to and that he's just at the mercy of what's going on there is really scary," Mehaffie said. 

Linda Gunter is the volunteer CEO and founder of the group making the adoption possible, Love Him Love Them.

She says with the reports of Haitian government offices being ransacked, she worries these children's records could be discovered by gangs, who would then target them for kidnapping.

"A gang member thinks, ‘OK, now I've got information on a child that is tied to an American citizen.’ So, it makes them very high on the ranking to be kidnaped," Gunter said.

She says the U.S. State Department got kids who were ready to be adopted out of the country in 2010 after the earthquake there.

"The United States government can make this happen because they did it then. Everyone who was scheduled for adoptions then, they gave them humanitarian parole and got them out," Gunter said. 

FOX 5 asked the State Department if they would do that in this case. A spokesperson responded in a statement that reads:

"We understand how difficult this situation is for families pursuing parenthood through adoption in Haiti. The Department of State will continue to communicate with U.S. adoptive families and adoption service providers regarding recent developments, and we are assessing the situation as it unfolds. 

"We are working closely with the Haitian government to figure out options for children at various stages of adoption processing and are responding to individual inquiries from Adoption Service Providers and parents.

"Limited consular services may be available as we determine the level of consular staffing that will remain in the embassy. The Department will continue to work to maintain lines of communication with Haitian adoption authorities.

"Prospective adoptive parents should remain in regular contact with their adoption service providers in the United States.

"Prospective adoptive parents are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive updates about the situation in Haiti as circumstances change."

Maheffie says she just wants her son to get home to his new family safe and sound.

"This keeps me up at night. This is breaking my heart that he is there and afraid," she said. 

However, she said there are a few ways you can help. First, Gunter and Maheffie are asking people to sign an online petition and to also write to the State Department about this at adoption@state.gov. 

They’re also urging people to contact their elected officials to get their support in bringing these kids to the U.S.