Emilie Larter recently experienced something that changed her entire future in the blink of an eye. The 22-year-old from Great Britain had just finished her training as a teacher and wanted to see the world, so she went to Uganda to work as a volunteer in an orphanage. At the end of her two-month stay, her world was turned upside down.
A newborn baby was in a distressing situation. His mother had recently died, so Emilie and her colleagues drove to the village of Butagaya, about an hour from the orphanage. When they arrived, they found the funeral of the infant’s mother was already taking place. He was her seventh and final child.
Because there was no one to take care of the little one, he was handed over to the staff at the orphanage in accordance with the local laws. Emilie instantly fell in love with the smiling little boy wrapped in blankets and decided to name him Adam.
The 22-year-old became the sole caregiver to the days-old infant. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Emilie was busy looking after him; she fed him, changed his diapers, and got up at night to quiet him.
She was already a trained elementary schoolteacher, but she had no experience with newborns. She often called her mother asking for advice, but despite the stresses, she didn’t regret a minute of the time she spent with Adam. Even the difficult conditions in the orphanage — no flowing water, no power, and swarms of mosquitoes — made little difference to her.
The following time was very tough for Emilie and her fosterling. She extended her stay in Uganda for another two months, but she had to travel back to England for her graduation. After a week, she left Great Britain and returned to Uganda to see Adam again.
Because of a shortage of money, after five months she had no choice but to leave Uganda again. She spent the next year working hard to raise enough money to fund her future with Adam.
In the end, she moved back to Uganda, found a job as a teacher at an international school, and even broke up with her boyfriend. She could no longer imagine life without Adam.
Although she lost her job due to cuts in the school budget, she has gained a lot of support ever since her story became known. She has received a great deal of charitable donations so she can fulfill her dream of adopting Adam.
So far, more than $35,000 has been donated. She plans to use the money to become Adam’s lawful mother, which she practically is already.
A bright future surely lies ahead for the two of them. Adam can count himself lucky to have such a self-sacrificing adoptive mother.
