A WOMAN from a village near Malvern who started a new life in Africa is trying to raise funds so she can adopt a child who has ‘changed her life forever’.
Emilie Larter, originally from Leigh Sinton near Malvern, has currently raised more than £2,500 through her Go Fund Me page which tells of her heart-wrenching story of how she first met baby boy Adam during a two-month volunteering stint in Uganda and how she has brought him up.
Now living in Uganda permanently because of the bond she has created with the youngster, Emilie, 25, lost her teaching job at the end of last year meaning she is relying on donations to help complete the adoption process which covers cost of lawyers and court fees.
On her Go Fund me Page she says: “Just before Christmas, I lost my job.
“There are very limited positions for expats out here and despite searching, I have not yet found any options.
“My incredibly supportive parents hope to help me to remain out here until I am able to return with Adam.
“But first, I need the money to finish the adoption process. Lawyer fees, court fees.. it all adds up. I no longer have an income to be able to pay for this as I had originally intended.
“I am asking for your help to bring Adam home. I am asking for your help to ensure we are not separated again. In the New Year, I hope so desperately to legally become Adam’s mum.”
Emilie’s love for Adam started when she was volunteering for children’s charity Whisper in 2014 when she and her team discovered that a newborn baby was in desperate need.
She explains on her page: “When we arrived, we realised there was a burial going on. A lady had died, leaving behind 7 children. The youngest was a baby boy; he was just 5 days old.
“His mother had died due to excessive bleeding after birth. He had not received any breast milk or formula and there was no one able to care for him. His mum left this world before even giving him a name.”
“We took him in and I became the little one’s sole carer. The sleepless nights were down to me, but they were no bother. I felt privileged to do it.
“I extended my stay. I stayed with him for almost two months. We named him Adam. I didn’t do much but never a day went by where I was bored. I could sit and watch him for hours.”
Emilie then came back home to attend her graduation ceremony before returning back where she rekindled her love for Adam.
But in April 2015 she had to go back home again as she had family commitments to fulfil and was struggling for money. She then landed a full-time teaching job in London which meant visits to see Adam became irregular with Emilie visiting him in Uganda only during Christmas and Easter breaks.
But then she got a teaching job in Uganda meaning she could stay with Adam and begin the process.
Emilie added: “There are very few international teaching positions in Jinja, Uganda. I was incredibly lucky to be offered a job in the only large international school in the area. In August 2016, I moved to Uganda for the foreseeable future.
“Not only does he make me smile every day, but I have heard nothing but good reports on how he has been doing at nursery school. Since I have been back, he is happy, cries less and has grown a lot.
“I cannot imagine a future without him in it. I was planning to reside here and save up to adopt him before being able to return to the UK.
Before heading out to Uganda, Emilie raised more than £2,000 for Whisper by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and has continued giving to the cause, including when she raked in £425 worth of donations instead of birthday presents in October 2014.
But now with no job, Emilie has called for people’s help.
Donations can be made by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/adoptingadam. So far more than 100 people have donated to Emilie’s cause.
