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CNN Live Today

Interview With Held Family

Aired April 28, 2003 - 11:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the worst of the SARS outbreak may be over in some areas, according to a top official with the World Health Organization. He says this disease appears to have peaked in Canada, Vietnam, Singapore, and Hong Kong. However, SARS continues to spread in mainland China. That country's health ministry today reported 203 new cases, including 96 in Beijing alone. That brings the total number of reported cases in mainland China to more than 3,000.
The threat of SARS has not stopped many perspective parents from traveling to China to adopt. For them, finally getting the child they've waited for is worth the anxiety and the risk. Nancy and Robert Held returned from China back on March 29 with their first child, daughter Elizabeth. The Helds are with us this morning from Philadelphia, and they look very happy to be here with us. Good to see you folks this morning.

ROBERT HELD, ADOPTIVE FATHER: Nice to be with you.

HARRIS: I have to -- from what I understand, you all went back to -- you went to China some time back in March, and the SARS epidemic -- or at least news of it -- had begun to peak out. Were you told about this in advance? Did you know about that before you went over there?

How about that, dad?

R. HELD: Actually, we did know that it was in existence, but we didn't know to what effect until we actually got there.

HARRIS: OK. What happened -- Nancy, when you did get there? What did you find out about it?

NANCY HELD, ADOPTIVE MOTHER: Well, we heard that it was worse in southeast China, and initially, we arrived in Beijing, and three days later, we went to southeast China. And down there, it was a lot more prevalent than it was in Beijing at that moment.

HARRIS: Well, weren't people walking around wearing masks and all that sort of thing then?

N. HELD: Yes, they were. Not as many in the first province we went to, but the second province, which was Gyongdong (ph) Province near Hong Kong, it was a lot worse.

HARRIS: Well, didn't that scare you at all? N. HELD: It definitely concerned us, because a lot of the babies that we had adopted, from our group, were sick, so we weren't 100 percent sure that they were SARS-free.

HARRIS: As a matter of fact, Robert, as I understand it, Elizabeth was sick at first when you picked her up, correct?

R. HELD: Yes, she was.

HARRIS: How did you know that she didn't have it?

R. HELD: We really didn't. As a matter of fact, when we were in China, they -- we asked to see a doctor, and rather than take us to a hospital, we were advised by the head of the adoption agency that was leading us around to have a doctor brought to the hotel so as to avoid any kind of contact or potential contact with people with SARS.

HARRIS: All right. So now, after all that, you went through the whole process, you got little Elizabeth, and you took her home. How did people treat you when you came home after they found out where you had been?

R. HELD: People were a little apprehensive at first. We had some family members and friends who were reluctant to come visit us, just until we got past the quarantine period to make sure we didn't have SARS.

HARRIS: That's how your family treated you?

R. HELD: There were a couple family members, and a couple friends. Other ones said, We believe that you're OK. And they were more readily available to us.

HARRIS: I have read stories about how some people have been -- ostracized, to a degree.

I remember reading a story this morning about a man who went to a restaurant and saw his doctor in the restaurant. His doctor got up and walked out when he saw him. You didn't have anything like that happen to you, I assume?

R. HELD: No, we didn't have anything like that happen to us.

HARRIS: Now -- after seeing the headlines now, and knowing what's happening there right now, if you knew then, back in March, what you know now about SARS, would you have gone through with it?

R. HELD: I think we'd be a lot more reluctant, although we were 20 months waiting for this to happen, so I think we probably still would do it, but we'd probably be even more cautious than we were when we did the trip.

HARRIS: Yes. Nancy, how long had you been waiting to get Elizabeth?

N. HELD: Just about 20 months. From the beginning of the process to the very end, to the day that we got her was a very long 20-month process.

HARRIS: Well, it looks, at least from our perspective, it was worth the wait.

N. HELD: Oh, it absolutely was worth the wait. She's just a wonderful little girl, and we are just thrilled that she's part of our family.

HARRIS: All right. Well, listen, we're glad for that as well. Good luck to all of you, Robert, Nancy, and little Elizabeth Held. Glad to hear that just turned out to be a little head cold. That's all you had to deal with coming home from China.

R. HELD: Yes. Thank you very much for having us.

N. HELD: Thank you.

HARRIS: All right. All the best to you all.

N. HELD: Thank you. You too.

R. HELD: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired April 28, 2003 - 11:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the worst of the SARS outbreak may be over in some areas, according to a top official with the World Health Organization. He says this disease appears to have peaked in Canada, Vietnam, Singapore, and Hong Kong. However, SARS continues to spread in mainland China. That country's health ministry today reported 203 new cases, including 96 in Beijing alone. That brings the total number of reported cases in mainland China to more than 3,000.
The threat of SARS has not stopped many perspective parents from traveling to China to adopt. For them, finally getting the child they've waited for is worth the anxiety and the risk. Nancy and Robert Held returned from China back on March 29 with their first child, daughter Elizabeth. The Helds are with us this morning from Philadelphia, and they look very happy to be here with us. Good to see you folks this morning.

ROBERT HELD, ADOPTIVE FATHER: Nice to be with you.

HARRIS: I have to -- from what I understand, you all went back to -- you went to China some time back in March, and the SARS epidemic -- or at least news of it -- had begun to peak out. Were you told about this in advance? Did you know about that before you went over there?

How about that, dad?

R. HELD: Actually, we did know that it was in existence, but we didn't know to what effect until we actually got there.

HARRIS: OK. What happened -- Nancy, when you did get there? What did you find out about it?

NANCY HELD, ADOPTIVE MOTHER: Well, we heard that it was worse in southeast China, and initially, we arrived in Beijing, and three days later, we went to southeast China. And down there, it was a lot more prevalent than it was in Beijing at that moment.

HARRIS: Well, weren't people walking around wearing masks and all that sort of thing then?

N. HELD: Yes, they were. Not as many in the first province we went to, but the second province, which was Gyongdong (ph) Province near Hong Kong, it was a lot worse.

HARRIS: Well, didn't that scare you at all? N. HELD: It definitely concerned us, because a lot of the babies that we had adopted, from our group, were sick, so we weren't 100 percent sure that they were SARS-free.

HARRIS: As a matter of fact, Robert, as I understand it, Elizabeth was sick at first when you picked her up, correct?

R. HELD: Yes, she was.

HARRIS: How did you know that she didn't have it?

R. HELD: We really didn't. As a matter of fact, when we were in China, they -- we asked to see a doctor, and rather than take us to a hospital, we were advised by the head of the adoption agency that was leading us around to have a doctor brought to the hotel so as to avoid any kind of contact or potential contact with people with SARS.

HARRIS: All right. So now, after all that, you went through the whole process, you got little Elizabeth, and you took her home. How did people treat you when you came home after they found out where you had been?

R. HELD: People were a little apprehensive at first. We had some family members and friends who were reluctant to come visit us, just until we got past the quarantine period to make sure we didn't have SARS.

HARRIS: That's how your family treated you?

R. HELD: There were a couple family members, and a couple friends. Other ones said, We believe that you're OK. And they were more readily available to us.

HARRIS: I have read stories about how some people have been -- ostracized, to a degree.

I remember reading a story this morning about a man who went to a restaurant and saw his doctor in the restaurant. His doctor got up and walked out when he saw him. You didn't have anything like that happen to you, I assume?

R. HELD: No, we didn't have anything like that happen to us.

HARRIS: Now -- after seeing the headlines now, and knowing what's happening there right now, if you knew then, back in March, what you know now about SARS, would you have gone through with it?

R. HELD: I think we'd be a lot more reluctant, although we were 20 months waiting for this to happen, so I think we probably still would do it, but we'd probably be even more cautious than we were when we did the trip.

HARRIS: Yes. Nancy, how long had you been waiting to get Elizabeth?

N. HELD: Just about 20 months. From the beginning of the process to the very end, to the day that we got her was a very long 20-month process.

HARRIS: Well, it looks, at least from our perspective, it was worth the wait.

N. HELD: Oh, it absolutely was worth the wait. She's just a wonderful little girl, and we are just thrilled that she's part of our family.

HARRIS: All right. Well, listen, we're glad for that as well. Good luck to all of you, Robert, Nancy, and little Elizabeth Held. Glad to hear that just turned out to be a little head cold. That's all you had to deal with coming home from China.

R. HELD: Yes. Thank you very much for having us.

N. HELD: Thank you.

HARRIS: All right. All the best to you all.

N. HELD: Thank you. You too.

R. HELD: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com