MANHATTAN — Adopting a child from China during a pandemic may seem very doubtful. But one Manhattan couple is willing to do whatever it takes.
“He just turned four. He’s lived in an orphanage his whole life. He was abandoned the day he was born,” explained Natalie LeMay.
With flyers in hand, Natalie walked from door to door telling people about a fundraiser her family’s been doing for the last 8 weeks.
The Manhattan couple is fundraising through an organization that collects shoes to be refurbished and given to less fortunate countries. In return, the couple raises funds for the adoption.
“Adoption costs between 40 and 50 thousand dollars, and so, fundraising is just part of this process and so, I was trying to get creative,” Natalie said.
Creativity that led to shoe drives. On Saturday, the Lemay family collected shoes at Hyalite Elementary School for one reason.
“In the world there are 8 million orphans, and 4 million of them are in China, and the reason we felt drawn to this little boy is at this current time if you are a boy, you are less likely to be adopted,” explained Chris Lemay.
And a worldwide pandemic isn’t helping.
“Traveling to China at this point because it is still closed is to be determined. We’re still only about halfway through our process. So, we’re not at that point yet,” Natalie said.
The couple says even before Saturday's shoe drive, they’re already received so much support.
“It has shocked me how people will track us down and give us shoes. The fact people will come out after us in order to participate. It just shows me how much people want to engage. They want to do something,” said Chris.
