Jennifer Connelly considered adopting a child from a Sierra Leone orphanage while filming the movie, Blood Diamond, in the country. Connelly and her husband Paul Bettany have opted against an adoption due to the impact it may have on her nine-year-old son Kai who had a difficult time accepting her separation from his dad David Dugan.
She explains, "We absolutely considered adopting. We have a son who went through a separation of his parents and then a new stepfather and a new sibling. He's had a lot of change so of course I really have to be sensitive to him.
"One of the kids I became close to was older than him. What would that mean to my family? Would my son feel displaced, all of a sudden having an older sibling who didn't speak the language and would need so much more time and attention?
"These are all concerns of mine and reasons why I didn't come home with a child even though, believe me, I would call Paul at night when he was away. I'd say, 'There's this baby and I don't know what to do and I love him so much and if I leave him here he might die.' It's complicated, but we are still considering."
Wow that's a really interesting perspective.
ReplyDeleteAlways great to see prospective adoptive parents sensitive to the idea of birth order. Adopting out of birth order is a very real, very valid concern, and it's a treat to see celebrities balanced and intelligent enough to take it under consideration.
ReplyDelete~Carrie