My name is Patrick Fucile and I was adopted in December 1990 from Bangkok, Thailand at age 7. I was raised in an orphanage in Bangkok, Thailand. In the orphanage I remember climbing on animal figures, playing musical chairs, and eating rice soup for every meal. While I was in the orphanage, I remember dreaming of going home with my parents. I remember the day the ambassador of Holt International Agency told me in Thai language that I was going home. I was jumping up and down like a kid who got his favorite toy for Christmas! The ambassador took me to the front entrance and pointed to my adopted parents. I remember hugging them for the first time. Once we were able to leave Thailand, we headed home to Missouri as a family. I never experienced cold weather and snow before being adopted at age 7. It’s one of the main reasons why winter is still my favorite season.
Adoption comes with many challenges. When I first met my parents, there was a language barrier. I didn’t know any English and they spoke just a little bit of Thai. It was a huge adjustment for us to learn to communicate with each other. I also struggled with not knowing my biological parents or why they chose to place me up for adoption. The joy of being adopted is the joy in my heart that I got to go home with a family forever and that God never gave up on me. I went from being a young boy in an orphanage with no family, to being adopted and am part of a loving forever family. Adoption has shaped every aspect of my life. I would advise anyone wishing to pursue adoption to be patient in everything.
