Adoptive families come together

Hyun James Kim / Special to the Home News

Henry Dingman, 1, is held by Amy Garcia as his mom Sandee Dingman, background, talks about the different adoption programs overseas. The Dingman’s traveled from Laughlin to attend the informal adoption picnic for families with adopted children.

By Diana Cox

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 | midnight

Hyun James Kim / Special to the Home News

Sam Dingman, 1, walks past his father Wayne Dingman at a picnic in celebration of families with adopted children.

All families have their stories, but in adoptive families, those stories are more important, Sandee Dingman says.

Dingman and her husband, Wayne, have two children through adoption — Sam, 15 months old, and Henry, 20 months old.

Adoptive families from across Southern Nevada met Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park to share their stories and provide a network for each other and those thinking about adoption. Dingman organized the group to mark November as national adoption month.

The Dingmans' story begins with three miscarriages. They wanted a family and decided against expensive fertility treatments.

"We decided that we were more interested in being parents than we were in being pregnant," Dingman said.

They were approved by Guatemala to adopt a baby named Henry, whose birth mother lived in a city slum and did ironing to earn money. Before they could bring him home, a freeze was placed on Guatemalan adoptions because of allegations that children were being paid for.

Meanwhile, the doctor who had handled Sandee Dingman's miscarriages was treating a woman who was pregnant and in search of an adoptive family. The doctor recommended the Dingmans, and they were able to take their new son, Sam, home from the hospital.

Right after adopting Sam, they received word that the adoption of Henry had been fully approved, and they happily accepted both children into their home.

Amy Garcia attended the picnic with her 8-year-old daughter Maida, whom the Garcias adopted from the Ukraine when she was 15 months old. The Garcias decided to adopt a child from Eastern Europe when their son went away to college. Amy had done respite care for Belarusian children affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

"Your heart just falls in love," she said. At 15 months old in the Ukrainian orphanage, Maida weighed only 15 pounds and was unable to speak or walk.

"The moment I saw her, I knew that I loved her," Garcia said.

The adoptive parents all agreed it was essential to speak openly with their children about the way they came to be a family.

"Being adopted is part of their story from the beginning," Garcia said. "You talk about the trip get them, the trip home, what you did while you were there waiting to get them."

The Garcias and the Dingmans plan to take their children on a "heritage trip" once they are old enough to appreciate it.

Garcia plans to take Maida to the Ukraine when she is a little older. The Dingmans want to take Henry and Sam to Guatemala and will make sure Henry knows he is of Spanish and Mayan decent.

"We'll explain it to him," Sandee Dingman said.

Diana Cox can be reached at 990-8183 or diana.cox@hbcpub.com.