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CNN Live At Daybreak

Adoption Promoted Through Song

Aired September 11, 2001 - 07:52   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A gospel musician who promotes adoption in his work and in his songs, well, he is being honored this evening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, MUSICIAN: ... too good to be true. You've heard about a place called home, but there doesn't seem to be one for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth founded an organization called Shohanna's Hope (ph). The group helps families who want to adopt and tonight he receives the Congressional Angels In Adoption Award along with Wendy's Dave Thomas and Rosie O'Donnell. And he is with us now live in Washington. Good morning. All right, I hope we can hear you. Did you lose your voice?

CHAPMAN: I sort of did. About two days ago my voice kind of started to go away, which was not good timing.

LIN: No, because you're going to be debuting a song tonight, "When Love Takes You In."

CHAPMAN: Right. Fortunately I've got the video. We're going to watch the video because I'm afraid it would be too painful for everybody to try to listen to me sing it but.

LIN: Well, not at all. You can bring...

CHAPMAN: It's good to be here.

LIN: Good to see you. Tell me how you heard about the award?

CHAPMAN: You know, it's really odd. My wife and I were in China just about a month ago, our second trip back. We were there a year and a half ago to adopt a wonderful little girl, a precious little 7- month-old girl we named Shohanna. And she's been kind of contagious in our hometown of Nashville. Lots of our friends and family and people that have been around her have said hey, we want to find out about this.

And they started checking into it, the next thing we know we're going back to China with them to bring home a few more babies. And we were there and I met a man who is kind of connected and had some relationships with some of the people on the Congressional Coalition On Adoption. And he began to tell them about us and what we were doing and next thing we knew we had a call and said would you come to Washington, D.C.? We want to give you an award and recognize you as an angel in adoption.

I've never been an angel before, so this is kind of exciting. And so that's why we're here.

LIN: It is exciting. You know, for all those people out there who might be thinking about making the same decision as you, how did you make the decision to adopt a child?

CHAPMAN: You know, it's really, our story is so fun I wish I had lots of time to tell you. But my, we have three other biological children. Our dignity Emily is 15. I have 10 and 11-year-old boys, Will and Caleb. And our daughter Emily began to talk about this when she was 12 or 13 years old, about needing a little sister.

And she began actually to pray about it, which is kind of what we do with all of the big things going on in our lives. And things began to happen when our daughter, even though we didn't really, we knew we wanted to support and be involved in the adoptive process with other families and we had been for several years but...

LIN: You know, because a lot of families and a lot of couples worry that they might not love their adoptive child as much as they might their own biological kids.

CHAPMAN: Yes.

LIN: And that when that adoptive child grows up that it's not the same kind of relationship. What do you tell people?

CHAPMAN: Exactly. Well, that's -- that was the greatest fear in my life that I've faced. My wife especially, being the mom, you know, am I going to be able to love this little girl in the same way? And I can assure you, it is a miraculous thing. The moment that this little girl was placed in our arms, my wife, it was so evident in her eyes and it's only been more and more evident now that we've been with her for a year and a half -- she's been a part of our family -- that she is a part of us. We are a part of her.

And it's really a miraculous thing. That's why I'm trying to encourage others to get involved. It's not even so much about what we can do for the children who are in need all around the world, here in our own country, half a million in foster care right now. And it's something that we get to experience once we open our hearts and our homes to a child who needs a home.

LIN: You know, Steven Curtis Chapman, it is written all over your face.

Have a great time tonight and I hope your voice gets better.

CHAPMAN: Thank you so much. LIN: And we'll learn so much more about adoption through the event.

CHAPMAN: Thanks. God bless you.

LIN: Steven Curtis Chapman.

And even our own Judy Woodruff, who is going to be the M.C. tonight, is an adoptive parent. And she's going to be there, as well.

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