are healthy now. Luckily
they didn’t have the
HIV virus.”
The Neale family
initially made their home
in Washington, DC. But, Ms. Neale felt
she wanted a simpler life for them and
began talks with the Bermuda Broad-
casting Company (where she currently
works as the Creative-Production Direc-
tor and Executive Producer of Special
Projects.) In 2010, the Neale family
moved to Bermuda. For Ms. Neale,
this return was a dream come true.
“It’s something I’ve always had in the
back of my mind.” The move home was
poignant for her. The twins were 3 years
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old – the same age she was
when she left Bermuda
with her parents.
Like many parents, Ms.
Neale says motherhood has involved
sacrifices. “Becoming a mother,
adopting children, has been a major
life style change.” After 20 years of
anchoring the news, she’s traded it in
for reading bedtime stories. “The last
thing I got to do was ‘M.C.’ two of
President Obama’s Inaugural Balls.
There were huge global moments
taking place and instead of grabbing
my book, I’m thinking, I’ve got to
change diapers!”
Ms. Neale would like to take Eme-
bet and Eyasu to visit Ethiopia. “We
talk about it. I want them to know.
I want them to have the truth.” The
twins have eight brothers and sisters.
Although it would be wonderful for
the twins to meet their siblings and
birth parents, Ms. Neale explained
that it’s illegal for her to make contact
on the twins’ behalf before they are
18 years old. “That would be a great
18th birthday present!”
The adoption process can take
many years. Ms. Neale says it’s not
for the “feint-of- heart.” She advises
parents to stay focused on the goal
and be patient. “Don’t mark the
calendar. Have a wonderful support
system to tell you that it’s okay. Have
faith. Ms. Neale also says you can’t
control everything. “You’re dealing
with so much – different govern-
ments, judicial systems, and cultures.
Ride it out. Know that your child is
coming home with you. You are their
forever family.”
improving quality of life
The Onionpatch
Academy
Ages 3 months – 5 years • Open 7:30AM – 6PM
Tel. 441.29-ONION (296-6466) • Fax. 441.236.5912
www.opacademy.bm • [email protected]
28
Veronica’s Story Orphans
Foundation
The Veronica’s Story Orphans Foundation is a
charity named for a little girl named Veronica.
Tracey Neale travelled to South Africa to
film a documentary on the orphans’ crises.
She visited an orphanage in Johannesburg,
Ethembeni – a place where a quarter of the
population are HIV positive. Entering the
orphanage they were profiling, Ms. Neale
expected to meet a caregiver - instead she
met Veronica. “I felt a tug at my skirt… (my)
glance caught the fluffy edge of a blue &
white polka dot dress.” The 1 ½ year old
appeared healthy with bright engaging
eyes and ready giggles. Ms. Neale felt she
was looking into the eyes of her daughter.
A caregiver told her that Veronica was one
of the orphans she’d come to profile for her
documentary. In fact, all the children in that
orphanage were HIV positive. Some had
been raped, some were failed abortions, and
some were abandoned when their parents
died. All of the children were left there to live
a painful future with no anti retro-viral drugs.
Ms. Neale filmed her documentary and
returned to the United States. Before leaving
she began the paperwork to adopt Veronica.
She hoped to prolong Veronica’s life with
love, nutrition and good medical care. When
she told the orphanage of her intentions,
they informed her she was “misguided”. Ve-
ronica wasn’t available for adoption. None of
the children in that orphanage were. All were
deemed “un-adoptable” by the orphanage
and Government leaders because of being
HIV positive. They weren’t waiting to be
adopted. They were waiting to die.
Ms. Neale persisted. She returned to
South Africa, inquiring about any potential
for adopting Veronica. The answer was al-
ways no. The once giggly girl’s health rapidly
deteriorated and Ms. Neale had no choice
but to leave her.
From heartbreak, anger and frustra-
tion Ms. Neale started the Veronica’s Story
Orphans Foundation. The charity supports
the ground operations that provide clean
water, food, shelter, housing, medicine
and education to orphans and children
around the world. Projects in Bermuda have
included the donation of uniforms, school
supplies, assistance to the Sunshine League,
medical supplies for Haiti and “The Doctor’s
Blog from Haiti.”
“Every 14 seconds a child is orphaned due
to war, natural disaster, poverty or disease.
There are 15 million orphans due to AIDS.”
Veronica’s Story Orphans Foundation. For
further information please go to www.
veronicasstory.org.