Haiti child comes to Valley family

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Imagine you've been hoping and praying to adopt a child from Haiti for almost two years. Then the earthquake hits. It seems like an eternity until you find out the baby's still alive. Then, it ends up being the disaster that brings him to the Wabash Valley almost a year ahead of schedule.

It's a happy ending to a long journey for little Joshua. Left at a Haitian orphanage by his biological parents, he is now safely in the arms of his new family, the Masons. They had been trying to adopt him for nearly two years. But he only made it to the Wabash valley Saturday night.

"It was like, 'Wow!'," said Amy Mason. "It happened so quickly!"

She got the email a week ago, that Joshua would be flying in last Friday. A last second request on Facebook for a plane and a pilot yielded a ride just 16 minutes later for Floyd to fly down to pick up Joshua. A Valley couple who were headed to the Super Bowl volunteered to let Floyd ride along.

"Once I had him, and I knew we were cleared to leave the state, it was a great feeling to finally know that part of it was over and he was ours," said Floyd.

Little Joshua is a mostly happy kid, checking out the fire truck his dad works on, wrestling his soon-to-be brother Ross, even sharing his blocks with News 10.

"It's like he's always been there," said Amy. "He fits right in, wrestles with his brother. He's just a real sweetheart."

A sweetheart who turns two on Tuesday. It's a birthday the Masons didn't dream they would celebrate with Joshua, but it's a little miracle in the midst of a devastating disaster.

Technically, Joshua is on what's called humanitarian parole while his adoption paperwork is completed. The Masons aren't sure exactly how long it'll take for him to become an official member of their family, but they are thrilled to get him early.