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American Morning

Interview With Sander Family

Aired May 19, 2003 - 09:34   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Despite China's recent downward trend in SARS cases, health officials there continue to treat the epidemic aggressively. Last week, the government stopped foreign adoptions of Chinese children. That has not, however, deterred the prospective parents of a little girl named Isabelle. Mark and Kathleen Sander say they already have the approved paperwork and they are leaving for China next week to adopt her. They are our guests now from Boston. Good morning to both of you. Thanks for your time here on AMERICAN MORNING.
KATHLEEN SANDER, ADOPTIVE PARENT: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: This order is not going to stop you, is that right?

K. SANDER: No, it's not going to stop us at all. We have our travel papers in order, and we're not in a position to postpone right now.

HEMMER: What if the Chinese government steps in and says you have to postpone, even though you have the paperwork, which has been reported?

K. SANDER: Well, then I guess we have to postpone. The way their current statements have been presented, it's not necessary for us to postpone right now, and I think they took into consideration the arrangements and the tickets and all the things that people have done to prepare for the trip before they issue their latest statement and try to accommodate those families as best they could.

HEMMER: Mark, I guess the better question is, what have you heard from Beijing and the Chinese authorities? Anything on this?

MARK SANDER, ADOPTIVE PARENT: Well, we haven't heard personally from the Chinese authorities, but we have been following things pretty closely, and we're really pleased to see that in a lot of places that we are going to be going, the outbreak of SARS seems to be really under control, and we're really hoping that is going to continue.

HEMMER: Yes. Tell me about Isabelle, will you, Kathleen?

K. SANDER: She'll be ten months tomorrow. She is a beautiful little girl. She's been in an orphanage in Hunan province, which is in the southern part of China, and we understand that she is an easy baby, and beyond that we don't know too much, but we're really looking forward to meeting her.

HEMMER: An easy baby. I hope for the sake of both of you. Listen, that comes true that way. Mark, do you know of any others who have been discouraged because of the SARS outbreak going back over the past five or six months to get away from adoptions of Chinese children now?

M. SANDER: Well, all I've heard is that some people have decided to postpone their travel. In fact, we're going with a group of people from our agency, The Alliance for Children, and everyone in our group is committed to going, and it is actually really joyfully looking forward to going. So we're actually very excited about the upcoming trip.

HEMMER: Kathleen, tell me about some of the medical evaluations that are being given there in China. I've heard word about X-rays being taken, temperatures being taken, what's the story on that?

K. SANDER: Well, I don't have firsthand information, but the rumors that I've heard are that people are having their temperatures taken frequently, which is understandable, and there may be some people getting chest X-rays. I think everything is going to be different province to province. I think each local government is handling things in their own particular way, and -- so I'm not sure if we are going to encounter any of that.

HEMMER: Quickly here Kathleen and Mark, any hesitation at all with the SARS outbreak to postpone these plans?

K. SANDER: None.

M. SANDER: None.

HEMMER: Not at all. That is pretty emphatic. You are two for two on that. I know you have adopted two other Chinese girls, 7-year- old Emma and 3-1/2-year-old Lily. So I wish you the best of luck, OK?

K. SANDER: Thank you so much.

HEMMER: You got it. The Sanders in Boston.

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 May 19, 2003 - 09:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Despite China's recent downward trend in SARS cases, health officials there continue to treat the epidemic aggressively. Last week, the government stopped foreign adoptions of Chinese children. That has not, however, deterred the prospective parents of a little girl named Isabelle. Mark and Kathleen Sander say they already have the approved paperwork and they are leaving for China next week to adopt her. They are our guests now from Boston. Good morning to both of you. Thanks for your time here on AMERICAN MORNING.
KATHLEEN SANDER, ADOPTIVE PARENT: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: This order is not going to stop you, is that right?

K. SANDER: No, it's not going to stop us at all. We have our travel papers in order, and we're not in a position to postpone right now.

HEMMER: What if the Chinese government steps in and says you have to postpone, even though you have the paperwork, which has been reported?

K. SANDER: Well, then I guess we have to postpone. The way their current statements have been presented, it's not necessary for us to postpone right now, and I think they took into consideration the arrangements and the tickets and all the things that people have done to prepare for the trip before they issue their latest statement and try to accommodate those families as best they could.

HEMMER: Mark, I guess the better question is, what have you heard from Beijing and the Chinese authorities? Anything on this?

MARK SANDER, ADOPTIVE PARENT: Well, we haven't heard personally from the Chinese authorities, but we have been following things pretty closely, and we're really pleased to see that in a lot of places that we are going to be going, the outbreak of SARS seems to be really under control, and we're really hoping that is going to continue.

HEMMER: Yes. Tell me about Isabelle, will you, Kathleen?

K. SANDER: She'll be ten months tomorrow. She is a beautiful little girl. She's been in an orphanage in Hunan province, which is in the southern part of China, and we understand that she is an easy baby, and beyond that we don't know too much, but we're really looking forward to meeting her.

HEMMER: An easy baby. I hope for the sake of both of you. Listen, that comes true that way. Mark, do you know of any others who have been discouraged because of the SARS outbreak going back over the past five or six months to get away from adoptions of Chinese children now?

M. SANDER: Well, all I've heard is that some people have decided to postpone their travel. In fact, we're going with a group of people from our agency, The Alliance for Children, and everyone in our group is committed to going, and it is actually really joyfully looking forward to going. So we're actually very excited about the upcoming trip.

HEMMER: Kathleen, tell me about some of the medical evaluations that are being given there in China. I've heard word about X-rays being taken, temperatures being taken, what's the story on that?

K. SANDER: Well, I don't have firsthand information, but the rumors that I've heard are that people are having their temperatures taken frequently, which is understandable, and there may be some people getting chest X-rays. I think everything is going to be different province to province. I think each local government is handling things in their own particular way, and -- so I'm not sure if we are going to encounter any of that.

HEMMER: Quickly here Kathleen and Mark, any hesitation at all with the SARS outbreak to postpone these plans?

K. SANDER: None.

M. SANDER: None.

HEMMER: Not at all. That is pretty emphatic. You are two for two on that. I know you have adopted two other Chinese girls, 7-year- old Emma and 3-1/2-year-old Lily. So I wish you the best of luck, OK?

K. SANDER: Thank you so much.

HEMMER: You got it. The Sanders in Boston.

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