Keep our son with us

A child's wish for his own permanent family

A 3 year old boy’s mother was taken from him through a brutal and senseless murder in 2004, in the foreign country where he lived.

His devoted god-parents fulfilled their promise to his mother, took him in and raised him as their own child. The legal process that followed was extremely complex and difficult, but with unequivocal and unwavering love and a determination to put this small boy’s best interests and safety first, they obtained a guardianship order in the high court and the right to bring him to the United Kingdom to their home.

Here in the UK, in a safe and loving home, he has settled well and developed into a wonderful young boy. Of course all parents think their children are wonderful – and so they should! To give you just a little insight into this boy, he is known for his kindness, his honesty and his rigor on the sports pitch; a pretty dazzling combination of attributes that wins him lots of friends! Naturally he has many ambitions and joy for life.

Now becoming a teenager he is in the process of being formally adopted by his god-parents, who have loved and cared for him ever since that tragic day when he lost his Mum. Being adopted by his god-parents is something he has longed for the past 11 years; he simply wants what so many other boys and girls take for granted, a full acknowledgement of his place in his family and secure sense of identity. He calls the adoption process “a forever order”, a demonstration of his dearest wish to formally and legally acknowledge his place with the people he now regards as his mother and father and with their birth-child who he loves as his younger brother. Forever.

Over 11 long years in various courts, this complex cross border legal process has led to significant legal costs. To date, the family have financed the entire process themselves, which naturally has led to sacrifices – none of which they begrudge for a moment! Their god-son becoming their legal son is, without question, their first and only priority. However, even though both parents are working full time, the family is now at a point of financial strain and at risk of not being able to finance the final parts of these adoption proceedings, which are far too complex for them to manage on their own without legal representation. They are so close to completing and have come such a long way, they have just one more hurdle.

If they are not able to complete the final parts of the adoption, the young boy may never be fully and legally integrated into the only family he can remember having. Whilst emotionally the bond they have cannot be broken or threatened, officially and physically it can. When this child becomes of age there is a real risk that, because he has not been legally adopted, he may not be able to maintain his legal status to remain in this county, the country he has grown up in, where the family he regards as his own lives as citizens and where he feels safe. This uncertainty will surely impact his world and all that he knows, affecting his life and future.

As friends of this family we ask you to consider supporting this child’s cause. Can you please support them by contributing to their legal fees, enabling completion of the adoption process and gifting this young boy with the permanency and legal security that he wants and needs. This will enable him to continue to grow into the wonderful, grounded young man he is destined to be, together with the family who love him, the family he has come to know as his own.

Be assured that the money raised will be held “on trust” to be used only for the purposes of the legal fees to complete the adoption proceedings.

IMPORTANT: As the court proceedings concern a child and adoption they are confidential and no information can be given that would identify the young boy concerned. We therefore ask those friends, relatives and colleagues who wish to endorse and support this worthwhile appeal to please not reveal the family or child’s identity as this may jeapordise their case. Once the case has been completed, this information will certainly be shared with all those who have supported this appeal.

Thank you