US-Indian couple adopts 'special child' from orphanage in Bhuj

RAJKOT: An American-Indian couple has added a fresh chapter to a two-year-old Bhuj orphan boy's life. Sindhu Lakkur, a doctor and native of Karnataka, and Naveen Vetcha, working in space technology field in the US and hailing from Telangana, have adopted the toddler who suffers from atrial septal defect (a congenital defect with a hole in the heart) besides hernia on Thursday.
According to the orphanage, the boy's parents had surrendered him soon after his birth looking at his medical condition and their frugal existence.
Ila Mehta, manager of Kutch Mahila Kalyan Kendra's orphanage where the child was being raised, said, "The surrendering process of the child was completed by the child welfare committee. Thereafter, we had to admit him to the hospital as he was weak and his growth was not normal. As his development was slow, medical examination further diagnosed his heart condition for which he was operated upon in a hospital at Karamsad. He was also treated for a hernia."
Mehta said the boy started to move only after he turned one. "As he was underweight at the time of birth, he was put in a special need. I thank the couple for adopting the child," she added. The PIO couple completed all formalities of adoption which took them nine-long months after selecting the child.
"The adoption process was a long journey which started with finding an adoption agency in the US. Thereafter, we worked with the Indian government and local orphanages for adoption. I can't express my feelings in words," gushed the new 'mother' Sindhu, who said that she is excited to start her life with their child.
'It took two years to get his custody'
This was a long, but fruitful process that took us two years to finally get custody of a child," said Naveen Vetcha, adding that the process started in April 2021 and ended after the selection of the child in June 2022. After completing the process the couple reached Kutch to take their son home.
While Kutch collector Amit Arora handed over the custody of the child to his adoptive parents, it was an emotional parting for those who raised the special child for two years at the orphanage.