ESKO — Kelly Black ran her second 100-mile race in September with the photo of a boy she has never met — but considers her son — pinned on her running vest, along with the words “love goes the distance.”
When the Esko mom began training for her first 100-mile race in 2021, she hoped her new son, Judah, would be at the finish line with the rest of her family.
The pandemic canceled her race plans in 2020 and stalled the Black family’s pending adoption of Judah, now 8, who has Down syndrome, from an orphanage in China. The “love goes the distance” slogan the Black family had been using since they chose Judah and began working to bring him home took on a second meaning.
“At the time, we thought distance geographically from Minnesota to China,” Kelly said. “But then over time, it became distance in time.”
The Superior Fall Trail Run returned in 2021 and Kelly ran 100 miles in a little over 33 hours with the family slogan and a photo of a Judah, then 5, on her vest.
But as the world returned to post-pandemic normalcy, the China Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption did not resume international adoptions except for a few dozen, not including the Black family.
Days before Kelly was scheduled to run her second Superior Fall Trail Run, China announced it was ending its international adoption program.
“It was really hard, but I did it again. I put my newest photo of Judah on my back and kept running,” Kelly said. “That’s kind of what our journey has been. Just continuing to move forward, regardless of what the obstacles have been.”
Kelly is joining other waiting families in asking lawmakers to urge China to allow the approximately 300 adoptions that were already pending to be approved.
“No one is questioning China’s right to close its international adoption program going forward,” she said, “but what we are advocating for is the 300 little ones who are already in that process and each of them had been promised a home. For children who already lost their family of origin to lose their promised permanent family as well is just putting more trauma upon trauma.”
On Nov. 1, over 100 U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to press China to allow pending adoptions to be completed.
“We express our concern for the vulnerable children in the People’s Republic of China who have been matched with a permanent and loving home but remain separated from their prospective adoptive families,” the letter states. “We request that you act in the best interest of these children and families by urging the PRC to fulfill and uphold the commitment the country has made.”
The letter signers include both of Minnesota’s U.S. senators and U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, all of whom Kelly said have provided support throughout their adoption journey.
“We’re really thankful that there’s 103 members of Congress who signed the bipartisan appeal asking (China) to cooperate to make a pathway,” Kelly said. “And in a time of deep division within our countries, this is a really great opportunity to create unity.
“Regardless of whatever political differences and things that exist between parties or countries, uniting children in need with a loving family is something that I feel like we can all agree on.”
Another reason for hope, Kelly noted, is reports that China has allowed several pending adoptions with European families to be finalized since making the announcement.
But it has been over a year since Kelly, her husband, Andrew, and their three biological children have received any update about Judah.
Judah had just turned 2 when they chose him from his profile provided by an adoption agency.
“When I saw his picture … it was like this overwhelming feeling like that’s my son,” Kelly said.
She and Andrew had already completed all the paperwork, decorated a bedroom for Judah, connected with other families that had adopted from China, found a support group for parents of a child with Down syndrome, and made other preparations, Kelly said. They were just awaiting final approval when the pandemic struck.
They continued to plan for Judah’s arrival, including enrolling him in kindergarten, expecting just a temporary delay.
They had been sending Judah gifts and photographs and receiving photographs from his caregivers. Until Chinese orphanages were instructed to cease contact well before international adoptions were officially halted, according to Kelly.
China announced the decision with little explanation, according to media reports. It comes as birth rates decline in China.
“Although China is closing its program, we’re not giving up. We’re hoping that there still can be a pathway made forward,” Kelly said. “We’re going to continue to fight for Judah to have a family. Because he deserves one.”
Kelly said she understands why the country would want to prioritize domestic adoptions. But she said many of the pending adopters in the U.S. had been matched with a child with special needs who has spent years waiting in an orphanage.
“This is the question haunting the hearts of waiting families,” Kelly said, “if we don’t come for the children we were matched with four to five years ago, who will?”
Kristine Goodrich is community editor at the Superior Telegram and Cloquet Pine Journal. Reach her at kgoodrich@duluthnews.com or 218-720-4102.
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