Celebrating motherhood with a difference
KUALA LUMPUR: Every second Sunday in May, mothers all over Malaysia are celebrated with warm wishes and gifts from their children.
Mother’s day is not any different for Wini Heron, 40, who never gave up on her dreams to be a mum. She is the mother to three beautiful adopted children, each child with his/her own story.
Wini, a Malaysian, and her husband Tim Heron, a foreigner, had always hoped to have their own biological children but it was not to be.
‘’I am crazy about babies! When we got married 16 years ago, we were hoping to have three children and complete our family by adopting the last one. We believe in adoption, giving a home and hope to a child in need,’’ she told Bernama.
While trying for a baby, Wini found out it was going to be hard due to some medical conditions. Hence, she adopted her children, a son and two daughters. However, they are all from different backgrounds with the two girls born here to foreign parents.
Her son, now 11, was born to a Malaysian and nine years after adopting him she received news from a child activist friend of a 3day old Nigerian girl born here.
“She told us she would call when a baby came up, so we waited,’ she said adding that the call on the Nigerian baby waiting to be adopted came five months later. The girl is now three years old.
About 10 months after that, through her involvement with the Adoption Support Group in Kuala Lumpur Wini heard about a fourmonth-old Filipino baby needing adoption. The little girl is now two.
However, adopting each child was not a walk in the park as Wini and her husband had to go through much red tape especially for the two daughters whose mothers are foreigners.
“It was a long and tedious process in obtaining their birth certificates but I never gave up. As both my daughters were born to mothers who are not Malaysian citizens, they are not granted citizenship even after being legally adopted by me, a Malaysian,” said the Sandakan-born who is of Chinese heritage.
Aside from the cumbersome paperwork, Wini also had problems with her family on accepting the reality of having three children from different backgrounds.
“When it came to our Nigerian baby, we experienced more resistance. This was hard for my family and friends to understand. However, I do not blame them at all,” said Wini who leads a Christian NGO.
According to her, the negative reaction was due to lack of exposure and experience in both adoption and integration with different races.
Yet, Wini managed to overcome the issue through better communication.
“The solution is simple. We just need to talk and help them understand,” she said.
In retrospect, Wini said her three children had brought the family together and changed their lives forever
“Apart from the times when they make me want to pull my hair and let out a Godzilla roar, my heart swells with joy and gratitude watching them grow,” she added.
For Wini, there are no regrets as she is celebrating Mother’s day with her three beautiful angels who know that they will always be her priority.
As for mothers who are considering adoption, Wini hopes that the process will be made easier.
Wini’s advice to mums who are in the midst of adopting a child - keep faith and pray, reach out to others for support. - Bernama