Haverstock Hill woman’s fundraising campaign to help adopt stranded niece and nephew in Ghana
Haverstock Hill woman’s fundraising campaign to help adopt stranded niece and nephew in Ghana
Seiwa Cunningham is helping to fundraise so her sister Noelle can adopt their niece and nephew Adepa and Nhyira. Picture: Seiwa Cunningham – Credit: Archant
A Haverstock Hill woman is hoping community support can help her and her US-based sister to pay for the adoption of her niece and nephew from Ghana.
Abby with baby Adepa shortly after she herself adopted her. Picture: Seiwa Cunningham – Credit: Archant
Seiwa Cunningham’s elder sister Abby died aged 50 in 2014.
She was a single mum to adopted children Adepa, 1, and Nhyira, 9.
Since then, the pair have been brought up by a series of family friends in Accra, Ghana, but Seiwa and her sister Noelle are desperate to raise enough money so Noelle – who lives in the USA – is able to formally adopt her niece and nephew.
READ MORE: Staff ‘strongly oppose’ merger of Carlton and Rhyl primary schoolsWith adoption fees in the US likely to be at least $17,000 per child and legal fees on top of that, the family are asking for help.
Nhyira, Adepa and their grandmother with mum Abby during her struggle with cancer. Picture: Seiwa Cunningham – Credit: Archant
They are double-concerned, as Nhyira will turn 16 in 2021, which will make adoption considerably harder.
“After losing a baby in a still birth when she was 8 months pregnant, she adopted Nhyira when he was 3/ months old. She later adopted Adepa when she was a few days old,” Seiwa explained. “When Abby died, I brought my mum back to live with me and Noelle set about adopting the children and getting them back to her new home in the US.”
This plan has taken too long to come to fruition, with geographic barriers making the family’s task harder.
Seiwa added: “Six years of fighting obstacles on two continents has finally paid off, but now we’re stymied by adoption and solicitor’s fees.”
Sisters Seiwa, Noelle and Abby before Abby’s death. Picture: Seiwa Cunningham – Credit: Archant
Abby died just months after contracting a rare form of blood cancer. Since then, her family have been struggling to provide a stable home for the children she left behind.
Seiwa added: “They’ve been moving from family to family. Learning to call someone mum and dad and then having to move. It breaks me heart.”
Seiwa’s mother now lives with her and her son in Camden, and she’s desperate to see her grandchildren again. Seiwa added that if adoption was successful, Noelle would bring the pair to visit on their way back to her Florida home.
To help Seiwa and Noelle complete the adoption process, visit their fundraiser
