Welcome to our family: Touching moment excited siblings surprise their parents at the airport as they arrive with their new adopted brother who has Down syndrome
- Jason and Melinda Simmons, from Missouri, adopted Ezra, three, from China
- They were surprised at the airport by 20 members of their family and friends
- Clan overcome with emotion as Ezra, diagnosed with Downs Syndrome, arrived
- Magical moment captured on camera at airport, with family hugging and crying
After choosing to adopt a child, these parents were surprised at the airport by the rest of their family who couldn’t wait to meet the newest member.
Melinda Simmons and her husband Jason, from Missouri, decided to expand their family by adopting a young child in 2019.
The couple were already parents to Olivia, 16, and twins Ace and Quinn, 11, but it was a joint family decision to go through the process of adoption.
Melinda and Jason met Ezra, three, who was born with Down syndrome, and they couldn’t wait to bring him home from Jiangsu province, China, to meet his new siblings. However, they weren’t expecting the welcome party that was waiting for them at the airport.
After they welcomed their newest adopted member, three-year-old Ezra, from China, at the airport, the Simmons family, from Missouri, were deeply overwhelmed with emotion and embraced in a family hug (pictured). The Simmons decided to adopt Ezra in 2019. Ezra, who has Down syndrome, was welcomed into the family in an instant
Their flight home didn’t land until midnight so Melinda wasn’t expecting to see many people waiting to see them, but when she walked into the arrivals area, she was overwhelmed by more than 20 family members and friends waiting for them.
Melinda said: ‘Our three biological children were part of this process from the beginning, we made the decision to adopt as a family.
‘All this to say, the moment they were able to see him and hold him and tell him that they loved him was just as meaningful as the moment Jason and I first saw Ezra.
‘When we saw the homecoming that our family and friends had created for us, it was beyond special. Our flight got in at midnight, so we weren’t expecting many people.’
Proud father Jason was surprised to see that the family had gone to the airport to welcome their newest addition (left). Twins Quinn and Ace, 11, and Olivia, 16, the Simmons children, could not hide their emotion as their adopted brother arrived at the airport (pictured right)
Simmons’s family portrait. Pictured from top to bottom: father Jason, mother Melinda, Ezra, Quinn, 11 Olivia, 16 and Ace, 11. The family from Missouri decided to expand their family through adoption in 2019
Little pumpkin: Ezra is settling well with the Simmons and celebrated his first American Halloween in 2019
‘The fact that they showed up in the middle of the night to welcome Ezra home, is proof of the love surrounding our family.
‘I will never forget the feeling of walking off the plane and having my other children run into my arms and embrace their little brother.
‘All of the frustrations of the adoption process were worth it in that moment,’ she added.
The family cried tears of joy when Ezra arrived, with all children overwhelmed with emotion (pictured)
Quinn, Ace and Olivia could not wait to meet their new brother, and emotions ran high as the family embraced in a group hug
After their initial emotion, the Simmons clan posed for their first family portrait including Ezra (pictured)
Now that Ezra has settled with his new family, Melinda said the transition had been seamless.
‘Ezra has adjusted amazingly well to our family. We feel like he has always been ours. That’s not to say that we don’t acknowledge the brokenness that adoption is born from, but we are determined to love Ezra for the rest of our lives,’ she said.
‘He has become increasingly open and aware of the world around him and loves life. He is curious and loves new experiences.’
When their biological children rushed to meet their new brother, Jason and Melinda let them hold him during the magical moment
Twins Ace and Quinn (pictured) beamed when their new brother made it to the airport in the adorable video
20 family members and friends went to the airport to meet Ezra, even though Jason and Melinda’s flight landed at midnight (pictured)
Source: Read Full Article