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My Adopted Life
My name is Le thi Hong Mai. I was born in the Autumn of 1972. My exact birth date is unknown.
When I was brought to the Hoi duc-anh Orphanage, I was nameless. Mdm. Le Thanh Kieu, the
orphanage director, named me Le thi Hong Mai. Based on my size, weight, and my physical and
mental capabilities, Le Thanh Kieu estimated my date of birth to be November 7, 1972.
Before I could be adopted by anyone, whether Vietnamese or American, I had to have something
saying I was born. Mdm. Le Thanh Kieu petitioned the court April 10, 1973 for a Birth Decree.
It is similar to a Birth Certificate but in lieu of one. Mdm Le Thanh Kieu testified that she
had taken care of me ever since I had arrived at the orphanage. According to her, no one had
came to the orphanage to claim.
If some one had, it would have been noted and I wouldn't have been adopted. It was also in April
1973, that William and Elaine Kent decided they wanted to adopt me. Taking in consideration the
United States had laws regarding home styles of adopting parents, Mdm Le Thanh Kieu agreed to
allow me to come to the United States. She argued on my behalf that I would be well off in America.
Everyone knew, including the President of the Republic of Vietnam, that many babies were dying and
couldn't be cared for by the orphanages. On April 27, a lawyer named Phu fixed papers changing my
name to Lee Charlotte Kent. August 27, 1973 a decree was made waiving the conditions provided in the
Civil Code so that from that day on I would be the legal child of William and Elaine Kent.
The decree was registered in Saigon on September 20, 1973 and in that November my adoption contract
was certified While all the papers were being certified and registered in Vietnam, Andrew Tibus
(a chaplain in the United States Air Force) brought me to the United States in October 1973. He
carried me and a little boy from Vietnam to his Texas home where he and his wife cared for us
while final papers were being finalized.
The title was made with a tutorial from
Karens Creations
the background I made with the tube
from Karens Creations with psp.
Please do not remove any of the
graphics without permisson.
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