Emmanuel and Jerrie had been foster parents for 5 years when Ronia came into their lives. Ronia, a 9 year old girl who loved singing, dancing and cheerleading, had appeared on the Freddie Mac Foundation's Wednesday's Child feature on NBC10 in the Philadelphia area in August, 2004. But Jerrie and Emanuel were not watching. And when Ronia was placed with their family in foster care, they were not aware that she needed to be adopted.

Ronia had been with them about a year when the social worker mentioned to Jerrie that they were looking for a permanent adoptive family for Ronia. Jerrie and Emmanuel quickly decided that the agency did not need to look any further. They were ready to be that permanent family for Ronia. The adoption was finalized in August, 2005, one year after Ronia's Wednesday's Child television debut.

Jerrie and Emmanuel not only adopted Ronia. They also chose to adopt 2 more children who were in foster care in their home. Their adoptions were finalized the same year as Ronia's. Now there are 5 children in the family, including two birth children. The oldest is 15 and the youngest is only a few months old.

Ronia's new name is Adara (rhymes with Sara). When Adara's second Wednesday's Child show was featured on NBC10, it was a success story about a happy family. Jerrie, Emmanuel, and their other children were all participants. When the show aired on February 22, 2006, they enjoyed watching it together.

What's the best thing about being a foster or adoptive parent? Jerrie answers without a moment's thought: "Seeing the happiness of the kids." How would she describe the whole experience? "It's a lovely thing."

Story written by Becky Birtha as told by Jerrie

More Stories