Kingsport Reporter

Gary and Christie Foulks embarked on their journey to adoption in April 2023, instantly finding a connection with their daughter, Nora. After nearly two years, they traveled to Kyrgyzstan, Asia, in an effort to bring her to their home in Greene County.

Christie Foulks describes Nora as independent and expressive: "She is very independent, she is very bubbly, she is very vocal about what she wants." However, the family faced unexpected challenges upon their arrival in Kyrgyzstan on January 15th. The primary issue was securing Nora's visa to return to the United States.

Christie recounted her persistent attempts to expedite the process: "I would email them every day and say hey are there updates you know we really need to get home. Nora has a heart surgery that we need to get done. You know this is urgent," highlighting the urgency due to Nora's medical needs. At 4 years old, Nora, who has Down Syndrome, requires immediate heart surgery—a procedure for which she has been waiting since birth. "When they were prolonging things the doctor said if we wait much longer she’s gonna be dead," Christie explained.

Amid growing frustration, Christie sought assistance via social media: "I put a post on Facebook just asking for help. Help us. Who do we reach out to? What do we do," said Christie. Response came swiftly from Representative Diana Harshbarger and Senator Bill Hagerty. Christie expressed gratitude: "They both kind of just tag-teamed it and got it done, got the results that we needed so I’ll give them a huge shout-out."

With their visa issues resolved, the Foulks family is preparing to return to the United States: "Our hope for the future is for Nora to get healthy and for her to thrive and live her best life," said Christie.