A Kentucky couple adopted a boy from China with the same rare medical condition as their biological son.
Josh and Monica Poynter struggled with infertility for six years after Monica gave birth to their firstborn, Tag, according to Good Morning America. They got the idea for adoption after reading an article in HemAware — the National Hemophilia Foundation’s (NHF) magazine — about a family adopting a child with hemophilia.
The Poynters learned that their now six-year-old son Tag had hemophilia when he was just two days old. It is a blood disorder in which the blood does not clot properly, leading to spontaneous bleeding, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease occurs in one out of 5,000 males and requires lifelong treatment.
Ten years ago, children with hemophilia were not eligible for adoption in China and many would stay in orphanages. The World Federation of Hemophilia found that 75 percent of people with bleeding disorders around the world receive inadequate or no treatment.
When the Poynters went to visit their now-son Trey for the first time in China, he was in a wheelchair due to an ongoing bleed in his leg.
“He had difficulty walking but he had this biggest smile plastered on his face,” Monica said.
The Poynters worked with Hand in Hand International Adoptions to adopt Trey, who is now nine years old.
“Tag loves having a brother and Monica and I love having another son,” Josh Poynter told Good Morning America. “It’s hard to put into words what he’s meant to this family.”
