Mount Pleasant Magazine May/June 2019

57 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.ReadMPM.com feature because it was such a deep sense of loss. Emotionally, I was preparing for a baby,” Courtney shared. The Dailys later matched with another expectant mother and quickly discovered the breadth of emotions that can be involved. While the birth mother had chosen adoption, other family members vehemently disagreed with her choice. When Alana was born, Courtney was apprehensive that the family might not sign the adoption paperwork amid problems with access to the child in the hospital, an absent agency representative and upset family members, but the birth mother was steadfast. “How do you even put into words the emotions? It shows her maturity as a mother to be able to make this choice for her unborn baby. Even when she was signing the papers, she was doing it in tears, but she knew this was the right choice,” Courtney said. After two tense weeks, the Dailys returned home as a family of three. Alana has settled in nicely, and their open adoption allows annual visits with her birth family. Courtney occasionally texts them pictures or stories. “It’s valuable to us and to Alana’s future. I’m getting help from counsellors who know about open adoptions,” she added. “The whole world of adoption is so fragile. There’s no framework or road map — it’s all different. It’s really the most personal journey you can take. But our hearts are overjoyed, and we couldn’t be more grateful.” THE BOWERS FAMILY Adapting a 7-year-old from a sheltered life at a Chinese orphanage to a family in Mount Pleasant is not something that happens easily or overnight, but the Bowers family — Alyssa, Nathan and their biological son, Gray — have watched adopted daughter, Lia, blossom over time. Concluding a 16-month adoption process, Alyssa and Nathan traveled to China in 2018 to adopt Lia. They spent two weeks finalizing paperwork and then gave her an American name. “It was awkward. I would look at pictures and say, ‘I love this name, but that doesn’t look like her,’” Alyssa said. “We named her Lia and kept her given Chinese name, Qing, as a middle name. For the first few months, we called her Lia Qing to help her with the transition.” That was the first of many transitions. “She got carsick constantly because she had never ridden in a vehicle, and that continued for a few weeks,” Alyssa said. “She also wouldn’t eat. She was almost in shock. Our first breakthrough at home was a trip to the grocery store. Her face lit up as she saw foods she recognized. In those first months, we ate a lot of noodles, broth and cans of corn and green beans because that’s what was familiar to her.” As for transitioning with their son, Gray, the change was difficult, but the two are very talkative, and, as Lia quickly picked up English, their relationship grew. Though she is two years older, the school allowed Lia to be placed in kindergarten with Gray. Things noticeably improved when school started in August, and the structured schedule has since helped her thrive. “The transition process can take a while, depending on the person,” Alyssa said. “Though children continue to change — as we all do — they have a fairly set personality. Photo courtesy of the Bowers family.