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"I've been waiting seven years for a family": A boy's words move two mothers
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

"I've been waiting seven years for a family": A boy's words move two mothers

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Joaquín, a 10-year-old boy in foster care for seven years, expressed his long-held desire for a family to Cecilia Riquelme and Marisela Reina.
  • The couple, together for 10 years, decided to adopt after realizing the number of children waiting for families, overcoming initial prejudices and fears about same-sex adoption.
  • They navigated the adoption process, seeking guidance from NGOs and support groups, and eventually decided to adopt Joaquín and his two older brothers.

For seven years, 10-year-old Joaquín waited in a foster home, his quiet hope for a family finally finding a response from Cecilia Riquelme and Marisela Reina. "I've been waiting seven years to have a family," he told them, his eyes shining. The couple, who had been together for a decade and were in their mid-thirties, had recently begun considering adoption.

I've been waiting seven years to have a family.

— JoaquínTelling Cecilia Riquelme and Marisela Reina about his long wait in foster care.

Marisela recalled that day in May 2019 as pivotal. Initially, societal prejudices, myths, and fears, such as the need for high income, a large house, and concerns about being recognized as a family due to being two women, had deterred them. However, after seeing a film about adoption, they experienced a shift in perspective. "It wasn't about us anymore; it was about them," Marisela said, referring to the thousands of children awaiting families.

It wasn't about us anymore, it was about them.

— MariselaExplaining their shift in perspective towards adoption after seeing a film.

Their journey began with research and contacting the NGO Ser Familia por Adopción, where they learned that same-sex couples could adopt. They then entered the registry for adoption, undergoing interviews and filling out forms. "You feel a bit alone because you enter a stage where a thousand eyes are on you," Marisela admitted, but found crucial support from a group of parents within the NGO. When they saw a public notice for three siblings from Misiones, aged 10, 11, and 14, one with a disability, they didn't hesitate, contacting the home and arranging a visit.

You feel a bit alone because you enter a stage where a thousand eyes are on you.

— MariselaDescribing the emotional experience of the adoption process.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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