Tampa nonprofit helps rescue 2 adopted children from escalating violence in Haiti
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Two families have been united with their adopted children who were trapped in Haiti's escalating crisis.
'It's everything we could have ever imagined,' said Angela Howell-Edgerly. 'It's just a dream come true. It really is.'
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The Gray Bull Rescue Foundation embarked on a mission to help two 6-year-old girls escape the island nation as violence continues to erupt.
'We've been waiting for this for six years,' said Brock Blankenship. 'It's so long to finally have this happen. It's beyond anything we could have imagined.'
Their escape from Haiti comes at a critical time.
'The human rights situation in Haiti has reached yet another crisis point,' said UN human rights chief Volker Türk in a social media post. 'Gangs are uniting to spread terror, armed with powerful weapons. The illicit flow of arms into the country must stop. The Haitian people cannot be forgotten. Their suffering must end.'
The unrest has been weighing heavy on several adoptive families, especially over the last year when gang violence reached new heights in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince.
'The current condition of the country warrants immediate action,' Howell-Edgerly said. 'They threatened to come back and kill the children and the nannies. We scrambled to try and get help, and at first, we couldn't get help.'
Howell-Edgerly and her husband spent seven years navigating Haiti's adoption process for their daughter, Rosie.
However, last March, her effort to unite with Rosie in America came to a standstill when the government collapsed.
Uncertainty turned into fear when Rosie's living conditions became more dire each day.
'Some children have had to flee orphanages, including our daughter, due to surrounding gunfire and bullets penetrating walls,' Howell-Edgerly said.
Howell-Edgerly contacted the Grey Bull Rescue Foundation to assist.
The nonprofit organization is a veteran-led, international rescue agency based in Tampa.
Grey Bull Rescue specializes in rescuing Americans from conflict zones across the world when the U.S. Government does not have access or a presence.
'Now, after a last-minute clearance and a high-stakes rescue, these families will be together,' read a statement from the Grey Bull Rescue Foundation. 'Their journey has been filled with heartbreak, resilience, and unwavering determination.'
However, more than a dozen adopted children are still trapped in Haiti and waiting to be evacuated to the U.S.
Adoptive families are putting pressure on elected officials and the State Department to expedite the process.
'There are means to do so,' said Christopher Edgerly. 'They did it last year when they evacuated nearly 40 children. They could do the same thing today. They just seem to be slow walking everything right now.'
For more information about Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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