Haitian homecoming for W. Mich families

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) -- Two Haitian children are both safely in West Michigan with their new adoptive families after a scare from the January earthquake.

Both local families spent weeks worrying about and waiting for their girls, Laudi and Lourdie. But they're finally home.

New adoptive moms Holly Diemer and Caroline Clark focused Wednesday on how the Haitian disaster made it possible to bring the girls to the United States at least one year earlier than expected.

"We're blessed here in Grand Rapids to have such a cute kid," said Diemer, Laudi's mother.

The 17-month-old was welcomed into the Diemer family just last week.

"There's the moments of sheer joy and the moments of, 'oh boy, we have four kids now,' " she told 24 Hour News 8.

And as for Clark, she and boyfriend Steven DePolo used Chinese Children Adoption International to get 4-year-old Lourdie, which is the same agency Clark used to adopt her 8-year-old daughter Qi Qi from China in 2002.

"Children can be so resilient, and (Lourdie is) showing every sign of being a healthy little girl," Clark said.

Both she and Diemer said the girls are adapting to West Michigan well -- even the frigid winter climate.

"We ended up having a snow fight and (Lourdie) loved it, so I think -- we call her now a Michigan girl," Clark said.

Lourdie and Laudi have spent plenty of time bonding with their new families and siblings, as well. And although both families spent hundreds on plane tickets for flights to pick up the girls, they agree -- the weeks of worry were well worth it.

"We'd do it all over again," Diemer said.

In the future, it might be a little easier to adopt from Haiti.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, introduced a new bill Wednesday -- the Haitian Orphan Placement Effort Act -- which would help Haitian orphans who didn't have a prospective family at the time of the earthquake but are eligible for adoption.

Laudi and Lourdie were matched with their respective families before the quake, which is why they were able to come to West Michigan relatively quickly.