Man takes matters into his own hands to rescue adopted kids
SEA-TAC AIRPORT, Wash. -- Amid the ongoing tragedy in Haiti, two young Haitian orphans started a happy new life in the Northwest today thanks to a Bellingham family.
Brett and Kendra Schlenbaker watched video coming in from Haiti after last week's earthquake with growing fear.
The Schlenbakers had adopted two children, 8-year-old Dejennika and 6-year-old Djouvensky, but the two kids were still in an orphanage in Port-au-Price when the quake hit.
The couple had been working for three years to bring the kids home to Bellingham.
Brett decided he couldn't wait for someone else to help. He grabbed a backpack with supplies and jumped on a plane over the weekend to go find his children.
"I just did what any other parent would do -- go get your kids," Brett said.
With little more than his own determination, Brett found the two children and took them to the U.S. embassy Tuesday morning to get visas and passports before securing a flight out of Haiti on a C-130 transport plane.
At Sea-Tac Airport on Wednesday, Kendra stood with tears streaming down her face as she got to hug her kids on U.S. soil for the first time.
"I didn't think I was going to get to do that," she said between hugs. "I never thought it was going to happen."
Brett said he would go back and help more if he could.
"But I think I need to stick around at home for a little while," he said. "For now we just want to take our kids home and be a normal family."
Brett's solo mission to Haiti might also mean another reunion for several adopted children.
Scott Gordon heard about what he called Brett's "commando mission" and decided to undertake a similar trip of his own.
Gordon has been working for several years to bring his adopted children home from the orphanage in Haiti where they currently live.
In addition to bringing his two daughters home, Scott said he will try to get all 50 children from the same orphanage into the U.S.
"Not only get them to their families, but coordinate so the children land in one spot and the parents are there to take possession immediately," he said of his plan.
Despite all the turmoil in Haiti, Scott said the quake has allowed them to cut through much of the red tape to bring their kids home faster.
"We're getting our girls home six to eight months earlier than we would have," he said.
Brett, meanwhile, is looking forward to spending some time at home.
"It's a good feeling to know your whole family is complete," he said.
Brett and Kendra Schlenbaker watched video coming in from Haiti after last week's earthquake with growing fear.
The Schlenbakers had adopted two children, 8-year-old Dejennika and 6-year-old Djouvensky, but the two kids were still in an orphanage in Port-au-Price when the quake hit.
The couple had been working for three years to bring the kids home to Bellingham.
Brett decided he couldn't wait for someone else to help. He grabbed a backpack with supplies and jumped on a plane over the weekend to go find his children.
"I just did what any other parent would do -- go get your kids," Brett said.
With little more than his own determination, Brett found the two children and took them to the U.S. embassy Tuesday morning to get visas and passports before securing a flight out of Haiti on a C-130 transport plane.
At Sea-Tac Airport on Wednesday, Kendra stood with tears streaming down her face as she got to hug her kids on U.S. soil for the first time.
"I didn't think I was going to get to do that," she said between hugs. "I never thought it was going to happen."
Brett said he would go back and help more if he could.
"But I think I need to stick around at home for a little while," he said. "For now we just want to take our kids home and be a normal family."
Brett's solo mission to Haiti might also mean another reunion for several adopted children.
Scott Gordon heard about what he called Brett's "commando mission" and decided to undertake a similar trip of his own.
Gordon has been working for several years to bring his adopted children home from the orphanage in Haiti where they currently live.
In addition to bringing his two daughters home, Scott said he will try to get all 50 children from the same orphanage into the U.S.
"Not only get them to their families, but coordinate so the children land in one spot and the parents are there to take possession immediately," he said of his plan.
Despite all the turmoil in Haiti, Scott said the quake has allowed them to cut through much of the red tape to bring their kids home faster.
"We're getting our girls home six to eight months earlier than we would have," he said.
Brett, meanwhile, is looking forward to spending some time at home.
"It's a good feeling to know your whole family is complete," he said.