THE BEACON APRIL 2009

Article from South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society's Monthly Newsletter:

THE GROWING GRANDAS


It all began with a conversation on Mother's day last year. Eddie Granda and Robyn Taylor-Granda, members of our family here at South Valley, were talking with Eddie's mom, and mentioned that they were considering adopting. And, they were thinking about adopting from Ecuador, where Eddie's family was from. It was then that Eddie's mom mentioned his half siblings. They had no idea at the time, but that conversation would lead them on a roller coaster adventure! An adventure with up and downs, frustrations and triumphs, and certainly change their lives, and the lives of a few others, forever.


Eddie's parents had divorced when he was a teenager and his father had gone back Ecuador. About four years after his father's death, Eddie learned that he left numerous young children behind. Since he'd had no contact with his father's side of the family for years, that was the extent of the information he had about the kids. So Robyn and Eddie decided to investigate the situation to see if there was anything Eddie's aunt Nancy (who kept tabs on the kids) might need some help with. The news wasn't good. As it turned out, not only were there many children (aging from eight to eighteen), but their mother had died only six months before their father! The kids had been passed between the mother's relatives for the first five years. They were living in such terrible conditions that Eddie's aunt finally went down there and took them to live with her nephew, where they have been for the last three years. As they spoke to relatives to learn more and searched for legal ways to help them, it became clear that the kids needed to have legal guardians who could take them permanently. So Eddie and Robyn made a decision. They decided to legally adopt the five older children and gain guardianship of the youngest. In order to do that they first had to work for a year to become their legal guardians in Ecuador. This would enable them to: document their U.S. Citizenship (by getting Consular Reports of Birth), get their passports and to bring them to the U.S. Instead of adopting them from Ecuador, they chose to bring them here to the United States first, which was made possible because their father had been a U.S. citizen and they met all of the conditions to pass on the right to citizenship. But there were more hurdles to come! The government of Ecuador required DNA tests to prove Eddie's relation to the children. And after more red tape and gathering of legal documents, all their documents were stolen, and they had to replace them. With all the set backs, Eddie and Robyn just pushed on, even attending to the responsibilities of their regular lives, including responsibilities here at South Valley. Robyn was working through governmental red tape by day and planning

REGAL events by night! So, now, after hiring a lawyer, doing DNA tests, getting all of their official documents stolen, gaining guardianship, learning that the 17 year old is expecting a baby, making a trip to Ecuador, getting their reports of birth and passports, making a second trip to get the kids, being denied exit from Ecuador and having to get all new tickets after the five day delay...they are finally here !!! By the time you read this, the Grandas will have the following new members: Nancy-18, Diana-17, Miguel-15, Marlon-13, Jefferson-11 (with Steven-8 hopefully coming next summer). And maybe one more; Diana is due to have her baby any day!


Now with the kids finally in the United States, the adventure is just beginning! And Robyn and Eddie can use your help. As of this writing they could use the following donations:


Bassinet

Playpen

Car seat/carrier

Diapers (lots!)

Baby formula

Gift cards to Babies R Us or coupons for diapers and

formula

Ongoing:

Boys shoes and winter boots (for boys the size of 9, 11

and 13 year olds)

Boys snow pants (sizes 8-12)

Boys clothing sizes 8-12

Girls clothes sizes 12-14 girls and women's/teens small

and x-small

Gift cards for Old Navy (for the girls)

Daily use products like: Shampoo, conditioner, lotion,

body wash, toilet paper, razors and

deodorant.

Gift cards or coupons for entertainment activities

Gift cards or coupons for places that we usually shop at

like Smith's grocery, Costco, Old

Navy, Target, etc.

Services we'll need each month like haircuts!

Household:

Any food donations of cereal, rice, lunch snacks, canned

tuna, etc.

Paper goods (plates, cups, paper towels)

Laundry detergent (liquid)

Gift cards to Home Depot or Lowes

Small vacuum for hard surface floors

DVDs with Spanish dubbing or subtitles

Soccer balls and small nets

Gift cards for bookstores, toy stores, craft stores, or even

Amazon.com.


For the latest details, please go to www.causes.com/

GrandaCause. Go there to read the full story, see

pictures, and even donate cash through South Valley's

Social Action Council program, Family-Caring-for-Family.


by Drew Carrillo

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Good news for in both categories!

Guardianship:
We can pay our lawyer in Ecuador now!!!!! The money for our loan came through on friday, so we can finally pay our Saint of a lawyer (I know that word in front of "lawyer" seems crazy, but it's true), who has done a lot for us already.

Citizenship:
Since we have the money from our loan, we paid up on friday and got the results. All six children are 99.7% - 99.9% likely to be half-siblings of Eddie (that's how the tests results are worded). This is fabulous news, because that means that the children have that same percentage likelyhood of having the same father as Eddie, which is what the tests were done to prove in the first place. Since we are claiming their right to U.S. citizenship through their U.S. citizen father. We needed to prove that they were his and the consulate wouldn't accept just their birth certificates with his name and signature on them as full proof (because their mother wasn't married to their father. Now we just need the consulates legal office to officially accept the use of Eddie as the representative for the father's DNA and give us some sort of document stating that they accept, so we can proceed to trying up any more loose ends before we schedule a date to fly down there to Guayaquil.
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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Things are finally moving along again!
Guardianship:
After calling a dozen times in a row, Eddie finally got through to a real person at the Ecuadorian Consulate in Los Angeles. He was able to confirm that they received his paperwork (a month ago mind you) for the Power of Attorney, so our Lawyer in Ecuador can be his representative in the guardianship proceedings. He scheduled an appointment to go in a sign it all for Oct. 9th and bought a plane ticket.

Citizenship:
KC at Affiliated Genetics called to say that the DNA testing and comparisons are ready for us. She couldn't give us the final results, because we have to make our final payment ($1250), but hinted that everything looked good. We closed on our home refinance on Monday, but it the money won't be deposited into our bank account until friday. So, we have to wait patiently for a couple of days until we can pay to get the final results!
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Brief History Summary

Eddie's father passed away 7 years ago, leaving 6 children in Ecuador to be raised by relatives there. The children's mother had already passed away less than six months earlier. We want to bring them here to Utah to live with our family. We are in the process of working with the U.S. Consulate in Ecuador to establish their citizenship and get them passports (we are applying for their 'Consular Report of Birth Abroad', which their father could have done easily any time before he died). We also have a lawyer there working to establish legal guardianship of the children for Eddie, since he is their half-brother and is over 18. Once the guardianship is secured, we can fly down there for a couple of weeks to apply for the CRBA's at the U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil. Depending on if we get those on the first try, we can then make plans to bring them all here.
All that is slowing us down is red tape, Fedex and enough money: $2000 for the lawyer, $1950 for the DNA testing, money for the (9) plane tickets at $900 ea., a mini-van, $2000 in Consulate fees, about $6000 for two trips down there and an addition to our 1100 sq.ft. house!
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Citizenship Update:
All of the kids have had their DNA samples taken and the kits are on their way via Fedex (worry, worry) back to Affiliated Genetics here in Salt Lake!
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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Citizenship:
Whoo, hoo! Fedex called to confirm that the DNA testing kits were delivered to the U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil!!! The rep. wasn't able to tell me anything about it until today, when they got the information. Apparently the reason the package was delayed for over two weeks at the customs office in Ecuador was that it was CLOSED from Aug. 11-30th for repairs. How in the world could Fedex not get any info about something that vital, way to know your business Fedex.
Now we need to schedule an appointment for the kids to meet with the consulate approved Dr. to have the cheek swabs completed. They will have to travel the five or six hours down to Guayaquil from Santo Domingo de los Colorados with cousin that they live with and stay overnight.

Guardianship:
We've still not been able to get in contact with a live person at the Ecuadorian Consulate in Los Angeles.
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