Ruth and Ken Pohler from Hudsonville, Michigan were ready to begin the adoption process. The couple started talking to adoption agencies in their area to see what they could do. One day, the Pohler’s got a phone call that would change their lives forever.
A newborn baby had been abandoned in a market in China and was in need of a good home. They sprang into action and jumped on a plane, eager to meet the baby they hoped would soon be their own.
Finding Jingzhi
Jingzhi wasn’t even a week old yet when she was left at the market in Suzhou. She had been wrapped in several blankets and left in a basket on a bench. When one of the vegetable vendors arrived and found her, he called the authorities. Jingzhi was taken to the local children’s welfare office, who has connections to several adoption agencies in the United States.
One of those agencies just happened to be the one that the Pohler’s use in Hudsonville. Little did they know that day that their dreams of becoming parents to this little girl were about to become their reality.
Welcome Home
The Pohler’s were no strangers to raising children, so they were fully prepared to take on the responsibilities that go along with adopting an infant. They had already successfully raised two children of their own, and they were ready to add a new member to the family. The couple personally knew someone who had adopted a child from China, so that’s where they started. But the adoption process wasn’t something that would happen overnight.
No, it wouldn’t be until Jingzhi was almost a year old that they were cleared to come and pick up their new baby. Ruth and Ken returned from China with the child in their arms. Not long after they arrived, they renamed their new daughter: Kati.
The Note
When Kati was found in the vegetable market in China, just a few days old she was very tiny. The vendor that spotted her found something on her that would shock authorities. Kati had a note attached to her blankets. One that would bring anyone who read it to tears.
The Pohler’s knew that one day, they would share the note with their daughter, too. When she was old enough to hear its content, they would show her.
American Girl
Since Kati was so young when she arrived in the United States, she didn’t have much to compare her experience to. After all, she was just a baby when she left China, so she couldn’t remember anything about her experiences there. What she did know was her new home in the U.S, and she seemed to absolutely love it.
The Pohler’s couldn’t have been happier with their decision to adopt Kati. She was such a sweet and fun-loving little girl and they loved every moment they spent with her.