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Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the family, friends, and acquaintances who were involved in all of this from beginning to end. Without a little from each of them, the chain would not have been as strong.
First and foremost, we would like to thank Val and Erin and the whole staff at Heartsent International Adoptions, Inc.. They were fantastic in getting us organized and ready for the whole process. Even beyond the mechanics of the paperwork, they were supportive, and frequently went above and beyond the call of duty with emotional support and encouragement when we were frea.king out
Secondly, we would like to thank St. Lucy's Center for taking care of such a wonderful child. We're sure that Paden had many people touch his life when he was there, from his Nanny, Shiou-Rong, to Maan and Lee Mei-Chun and the administrative staff, to Carmela who started the Nursery and who passed away so recently and will be missed by many, but whose legacy lives on. It's obvious to us that everyone there cares about the babies, because Paden loves people.
Thirdly, we would like to thank Larry and Gail Freels. They helped in so many ways, we can't list them all. But we know how much their help means, and I think they do, too.
We would like to also thank all the people we met during this long voyage of sorts: Jill, the Social Worker who conducted our Home Study; Mike and Magda, who were there when we got Paden and helped to document the moment and spent some wonderful time with us; the couples we met in Taiwan, such as Brooke & Peter, who were on the same Voyage but a different boat; all the people who helped us to get our documentation in order, our doctor, Nori Kricenski, John Scwallie, Randy Kraft and the other Brainers at Wild Brain who helped to get my employment documentation to us lightning fast; the airline, hotel, and AIT Staff. Whether you know it or not, you were all a part of Paden's life.
Our family and friends were instrumental in keeping us from going crazy for ten months. Their support and encouragement and enthusiasm helped keep ours up, and we can't wait to share Paden with all of you. We know that Paden has more Aunts and Uncles than we can count.
And, lastly, to the anonymous couple at Freddie's Pizza who told us about HeartSent, without whom we never would have been able to bring home our Paden. Whoever you are, thank you.
Kevin, Lynne, and Paden