Over the last 20 years, we’ve been part of some pretty incredible stories here at Dorie’s Promise. Yire and Merari’s story is one of the best!

Baby Yire Comes to Dorie’s Promise

At a few months old, Yire was taken in by relatives. Shortly thereafter, his mother passed away. He was a newborn orphaned and living with family members who loved him but struggled to care for him. Unfortunately, when he became sick and required emergency hospitalization he also lost his extended family. They simply could not provide for his needs and his care was transferred to the family court system.

More than 10 years ago, we welcomed Yire into our home as an adorable baby boy. With his round face and curly black hair, he won us over immediately. Yire has always been a loving child who is drawn to those around him. We have so many memories of him playing in our home. He came to us in the early years after international adoptions closed, at a time when our living room was still lined with highchairs and our dining room was a playroom.

Because he’s been with us since he was only a few months old, we’re the only family Yire has ever known.

Finding Merari

Five years after Yire came to Dorie’s Promise, our director Alejandra was attending a normal set of hearings at family court. During one case, she noticed that the family seemed connected to a child already at our home. After inquiring further, she stumbled onto a possible connection between the little girl in court and Yire.

Merari came to Dorie’s Promise and the process to determine if she was related to Yire subsequently began.

When Yire was 5 years old and Merari was 9 years old, they met for the first time. The courts confirmed Alejandra’s hunch. Yire and Merari were siblings, reunited for the first time in 5 years.

In the 5 years since Yire was put in our care, Merari had continued to live with her mother’s relatives. Eventually, they faced the reality that they too could no longer provide a safe home for her and relinquished her care.

Finding Each Other

Losing their mother and eventually their extended families is a crushing situation for both Yire and Merari. Without their biological families, they also lack a connection to their biological family story.

But, their story offers a glimpse of hope.

The court doesn’t automatically look for siblings within the system who enter at different times under different circumstances. We truly believe God placed Alejandra at court to help facilitate the reunion of Merari and Yire. They need each other.

For Merari, “it was strange but at the same time, it was exciting. I never imagined this could happen to me.”

Although they missed the first 5 years together, they’ve made up for their lost time. Their biggest dream according to our social worker Isabel “without a doubt in their hearts is having a family. Meanwhile at home, they have a special big family and we love them very much.”

We’re grateful to have witnessed Yire and Merari’s reunion in our home.