Haitian adoption tough for some parents

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) -- Holly and Dave Diemer are worried about whether their adopted daughter has enough to eat and drink. She remains in Haiti and has not been able to come to West Michigan, despite an expedited adoption process for some.

Since the earthquake hit, 16-month-old Laudenia has been living in a boxcar that has been converted to a makeshift nursey.

"She's seen a lot for someone who is 16 months old," Holly Diemer said. "I wouldn't wish that on anybody."

The Haitian government stopped adoptions for fear of child trafficking. Now, before leaving, each child has to be approved by authorities.

"This whole thing is a roller coaster of emotions," Dave Diemer said. "You see those kids who have made it out and then you wonder why have some of them made it out and some haven't."

For the Diemers, this has meant about $2,000 in plane tickets across the country. First, they were told a flight with Laudenia on it might be able to leave Port-au-Prince to Colorado or Florida -- but all those options amounted to nothing.

"(We're) just so excited to hold her, to have her here and to go from, 'OK, we'll have to go to Florida to do that, we can handle that,' to coming home from Denver with an empty car seat -- it's just not having her here and not knowing when that's going to happen," Holly Diemer told 24 Hour News 8 on Tuesday.

Nearly 500 orphans have been granted humanitarian parole to enter the United States, but many haven't left Haiti yet, according to the U.S. State Department.

Now Holly, Dave and their three children can only wait, look at pictures and pray.

"We love her," Holly Diemer said. "She's thought of. She's got two brothers and one sister that are waiting for her and keep asking when she's going to get here. But she's definitely loved and we can't wait to see her."

The Diemers hope to learn more about when Laudenia may be able to come to West Michigan in a Wednesday morning conference call.