Adoptee Stories & Encouragement

How Adoption Shaped Me….

Lucia Johanna Yeager, Written November 2023

Hello, my name is Lucia Yeager. I was born in Bogotá, Colombia in 2004 into an orphanage called Hogares Luz Y Vida. I was with  800 or more children that didn't have families. I never knew my birth family when I was a baby. I was alone when I was a little baby and I was bleeding all around my face, because my face was open at the time.
In 2005 I met my future best friend named Tricy. My friend Tricy and I would follow each other all the time. We always did the same things, hung out every day and never left each other alone.  There was a time when we were scared and we felt comfortable sleeping in each other's bed. We both didn't want to sleep by ourselves some nights and she came and slept with me most of the time. Tricy and I were the most Bossy girls in the orphanage, because we did everything and we told everyone they needed to do what we told them. We are so close to each other, God gave me Tricy.

When I was 3 years old I met a great person that I didn't know at the time and her name was Jaime Yeager. It was 2008 when I met Jaime. She was pregnant with her son Gideon at the time when she came to the orphanage with her friends. I was with her all day and she held me. Really she was not allowed to hold me because they didn't want anybody to hold kids when we had people visiting the orphanage on the weekends. I told Jamie that she needed to sit down on a wheelchair and I made her feel comfortable by putting a blanket and pillow on her. I was really bossy to everyone.

In 2009, when I was 5 years old, my friend Tricy was adopted. She was 4 years old at the time and I was alone. Not having her by my side was sad, but she came to visit before she left to go to her new home in Ohio. She and I took our last photo that day in the bed we slept in.

Susan, Vicik, Brenda, Lori, and Dolce were all in my life from day one. They always threw parties for us and made sure all of the kids felt like they were special every day.

When I was 9 years old I found out that I was getting adopted by a family and I was excited for a family and brothers. In September of 2010 I turned 10, what I didn't know was that my adopted family was throwing a birthday party for me. I left school early to go back to the orphanage and then I saw a lot of my friends in a room with pillows and cake. My adopted family sent me some cute little things to have before I was adopted and one of the things I remember that my family gave me was a book that had pics of my parents, brother's, pet and a pic of my best friend Tricy. I had been Facetiming my adopted family every once in a while and we had been keeping each other updated and talking. One of the days we facetimed I remember them asking me what I wanted to be for Halloween and it was hard to talk because I was speaking Spanish and they were speaking English. So I didn't know what they were saying to me, but we had an awesome translator, Soraya Diaz. She translated what my adopted family was saying and what I said to them. My adopted family was asking what I want to be and I said I want to be a princess and have a red dress.

When I was still in the orphanage we had rules we had to follow, so when we had PE we had to wear green clothes, white socks and white shoes. Then when we didn't have PE we had to wear a dress that was black with white, a red line, white shirt and black shoes with white socks.
I was in the band when I was younger and I played different instruments that we had. I was in a photo when the school wanted a picture and I also was a dancer when I was younger and we had to wear a dancer dress, same for the band.

In October of 2014 I was officially adopted. I was so excited to meet my family for the first time. Once we got the paperwork done for my family to adopt me, we did a lot of fun, memorable things as a new family! Here are a few things that stick out:

• We went to the park to take pictures. There were some girls dressed up and a little dog that was so cute.. I didn't stop hugging the dog.  

• We went to some stores that were so fun to go to

• We went to visit Teleferico, a monserrate where you can see the beautiful view of Colombia. 

• We had friends joining us when we went to the stores

• We went to a park that had really long slides and we did that for a long time! 

• We went to a Colombian restaurant with our friends. 

• My brothers and dad went to get a really big cookie.

• My brothers and I went to a pizza place and made our own pizza

• The final thing we did was visit the orphanage before we went to my new home in the USA

• We went to a Colombian store to get a special fruity jello candy & a few gifts for my friends.
  

I was so sad to say goodbye to my friends that I had known since I was a baby. One of my teachers called me on my friend's phone to talk to me and say my last goodbye.

My given name was Johanna, but before we left to go to the airport I got to pick a new name. I changed my name to Lucia Yeager, but I put my given name as my new middle name because I wanted to keep it so that I have the moment to think of my first name being my middle name.

Once I arrived in the USA, I had so many experiences that I didn’t have growing up at an orphanage. I enjoy checking the mail now. When I first came home in December of 2014 I started to homeschool and learn english. Before Christmas arrived I started to like painting my nails or having them done. I got to see snow for the first time and experience the holidays. I didn’t know about April Fools until my brothers gave me green milk! When I was still 10 (November of 2024) I went to my family’s church for the first time. I was nervous to go and sit with kids that I didn't know at the time. In the middle of service my dad asked me if I wanted a fruit jolly and I said no. Then after a couple of months and years, I started to make some new friends. Life changes over the years but knowing that you had the last opportunity to be with your friends growing up is what really matters in my life. If I go back to my birth country I would like to visit with them and have the opportunity to catch up on life.

I'm now a Senior, graduating this year (2024). I have been with my adopted family for 13 years. I have learned so much from them, they’ve helped me so much in my life. I'm part of my school Yearbook, I have been part of it for 3 years. This year I got the opportunity to take pictures for my friends and games. After graduation I'm thinking of going to a photography school to learn more about it and I hope to grow my career.

Being adopted is a special moment that I won’t ever forget, knowing you have friends and family that have been praying specifically for you. There were times in life, when I was younger, that I wanted to go back to my birth country. In the end, I know my adopted parents love and care for me. Looking back over the years as an orphan, I expressed new life and got close to God.

I had the opportunity to meet my great mother before she passed away in 2022. That was a hard year, losing my grandpa. He felt like a best friend and a person I knew since I was a baby. When I first met my grandparents I fell in love with them, I remember I broke glass when we had our thanksgiving. 

When I was younger I went on a trip with some of my friends from the orphanage, and looking back, I went back to where I made some amazing memories with them, talking to others about what adoption really meant to kids and family. My Aunt Brooke and Uncle Aaron have been a big part of my life, they helped my best friend and I get families. They knew us first and gave us families. Any time people ask me where I come from and my story,  I talk to them and I feel like some day, they will realize how important adoption is for kids that need homes. Tricy and I have been keeping in touch, even though we don't live close to each other. We went camping together, she came to Ohio to spend time with me and my family, she invited me to go to South Carolina last year on a family vacation. The Rains family has been part of my extended family from the beginning of adoption. Zoe has helped me through hard times and amazing times. I'm so thankful I had the chance for her to help me with some cosmetology project.  God has helped me through all the times I have failed in life. I prayed for my best friend Tricy to get adopted and my other friends and God answered the prayers.

I hope this story helps you realize the importance of adoption.