North Texas family welcomes adopted daughter home after Haiti rescue operation
The Brief
A 7-year-old adopted Haitian girl, Esther Smith, is safely in the U.S. after a rescue operation amidst ongoing violence in Haiti.
Plano residents Kathleen and Jordan Smith had been trying to adopt Esther since December 2023, but the process was halted by unrest.
Esther is currently in the U.S. on a visa while her adoption process is finalized, and she will spend the summer with her new family.
PLANO, Texas - It has certainly been a long and emotional journey for the Smith family as this unification has been years in the making.
Their adopted daughter is safely out of Haiti and learning to live life as a Texan.
What we know
Plano residents, Kathleen and Jordan Smith, could finally relax after years of uncertainty as their 7-year-old adopted daughter, Esther Smith, was finally safe on U.S. soil after living in limbo in Haiti.
The Smiths spoke to us from Tampa, Florida on Wednesday following the rescue operation.
A rescue operation which included the extraction of two other Haitian girls.
The Smiths began the process of trying to adopt Esther in December 2023.
However, by the following March, escalating violence in Haiti and the closure of the U.S. Embassy there brought that process to a halt.
Like many other American families in the same situation, the Smiths pleaded with the U.S. State Department but got nowhere.
What they're saying
"We got to see all the photos of how this transpired throughout the trip, and it was just amazing," said mother Kathleen Smith.
"We're so grateful for all the people who coordinated this. It was a huge undertaking. It took a lot of resources, and we didn't have that, so we're thankful God provided that," said father Jordan Smith.
Dig deeper
Bryan Stern, who is the founder of Grey Bull Rescue, literally came to the rescue. The Grey Bull Rescue Group, a for-profit organization founded to directly assist governments and other entities with rescuing citizens in danger.
It started by taking a private jet from Florida to Cape Haitien on the north coast of Haiti on Tuesday morning.
There, the team got on a helicopter bound for the capital of Port-au-Prince, which is still heavily overrun by gangs.
"We actually had gunfire. We actually had to peel out to the north and east because fighting had erupted just down the street from us," said Stern.
Because of the ongoing violence in the capitol, Esther had been moved to a safe-house.
Stern says the travel ban, recently imposed by President Donald Trump, made the rescue mission a little more complicated.
"At the same time, there are ways to do this properly, legally and smartly," he said.
Shortly after landing, Esther got to FaceTime with her three American siblings, eagerly waiting for her arrival back home in North Texas.
"We'll be one giant happy family. We're so pumped," said Kathleen.
"Just because it's hard doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. There's a need everywhere and, wherever you feel called, just take the step," said Jordan.
What's next
The Smiths tell FOX 4's Alex Boyer that they're also very grateful to Texas congressman August Pfluger, who assisted in the effort.
Esther is in the U.S. on a visa while the rest of her adoption process plays out.
Jordan and Kathleen Smith tell me Esther is funny and will fit in perfectly with her three American siblings.
They plan to spend the summer getting to know one another.
The Source
Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4's Alex Boyer and the Smith family. Additional information is provided by greybullrescue.org and an interview conducted with the Grey Bull Rescue Group.
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