To most, it would appear one local business owner had it all; a successful spa, great friends and family. But one thing was missing from Anita Hug's life -- a child of her own.
Her journey took her overseas to adopt, and she overcame major obstacles to find the love of her life.
Watching Anita and Phiza Hug, they look like any other mother and daughter, but it wasn't always this way.
Anita Hug said, "She wasn't eating for me, sleeping for me, her eyes were dead. There was just no life to her."
It's been seven months since Anita brought Phiza to the U.S. from India. But getting Phiza home wasn't easy. Anita's intercountry adoption was like a roller coaster.
When asked if she thought at some point she wouldn't bring her home, Hug answered, "Yes, I remember calling and thinking I had been robbed of $30,000."
$30,000 was the amount of the loan Anita took out for the process.
Thousands for the adoption itself-- thousands more for the paperwork.
Some forms were hundreds of dollars each and the home studies took months.
Anita's search for a child started in Guatamala, but when the adoption was being finalized adoptions in the country shut down.
Which brought Anita to India and to Phiza.
Photos started coming to the U.S. and Anita finally saw her daughter.
Then another disaster when the Indian orphanage lost it's license. Adoptions were put on hold until the facility was reinstated.
Hug said, "I got to the point where I was holding a picture of a child I thought would never be mine."
After more than a year of waiting and more pictures, Anita finally went to India to pick up her daughter. Thats when another battle began.
Hug said, "Uou wait your whole life for this moment and she wouldn't hug me. I would walk into the room and scream and cry. I thought I made the biggest mistake of my life and thought what have I done."
But slowly Phiza came around. Now, the child who wasn't allowed outside and survived on bananas and water, smiles, laughs, openly gives kisses.
She's learned English in only a few months, picked up on American culture, while her mom realizes all of those hardships were worth it.
Hug said, "I was meant to have her. She was supposed to be with me. These kids need homes and its hard to know they could be there until someone has the courage to do it. I'm lucky to have her. I thank God every day."
For more information on International adoptions or intercountry adoption visit
http://adoption.state.gov/adoption.homepage.html For adopting in New York State visit
http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/adopt/.
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