From Dream to Bloodline Reunion: Doron’s Adoption Story

Original Author: Brie K

Editor: Clyde Xi

June 2026

Preface

Before adopting Doron, his mother Brie endured the pain of seven miscarriages and once believed she would never be able to welcome a third child. In 2014, she and her husband embarked on the journey of adopting from China. Along the way, they encountered one miracle after another: from a vivid dream in the middle of the night, to the shocking news of a successful DNA match, and then the discovery that Doron was a twin.

This story chronicles the special-needs adoption journey, while bearing witness to how the love of adoption and blood ties can transcend national borders and the passage of time.

I was fortunate to help facilitate communication between the two families, and thus learned birth father Shan Yun’s story. To give readers a complete picture, I have included the birth father's interview at the end of this account.

May Doron’s story bring hope and strength to every family who is waiting or searching.

From Heartbreak to Hope

My husband Aaron and I met in 2002 at the home of our mutual friends and married in 2004. We are both from central Illinois. I was 20 and Aaron was 22. He graduated from university with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering; I earned a certificate as a medical office assistant. Shortly after our wedding, we moved to Iowa, where Aaron began working as a mechanical engineer. I worked as a development coordinator at a pregnancy resource center and also helped care for infants. In December 2007, our first daughter was born, and I became a full-time mom.

Even before marriage, we had discussed the possibility of adopting children someday, and we were both open to it. When we started trying to have children, we faced many difficulties. In 2006, before our first daughter, I suffered three consecutive miscarriages—a very painful time. In 2009 we tried for our second child and experienced another miscarriage. We then struggled with infertility for a period of time and also went through two more miscarriages until, miraculously, in the spring of 2012 we conceived and successfully gave birth to our second daughter. We were overjoyed.

Unfortunately, in the spring of 2013, I suffered a seventh heartbreaking miscarriage. At that point, we decided to welcome our third child through adoption. In early spring 2014, we began the China adoption process. We chose an experienced and reputable agency. Prior to this, we had thoroughly researched China’s adoption requirements and procedures and were prepared to move forward step by step. During the process of adopting Doron, we experienced miracle after miracle.

The Dream’s Revelation

At the time, our two daughters were 6 years old and 1 year old. By late summer, our home study was finalized and we were putting together our dossier to submit to China. We were approved to be matched with a child with “special needs”—that is, older children or those with illnesses or disabilities. We planned to adopt a boy but had not yet decided which medical conditions we would accept. We consulted our pediatrician to learn about the care required for various medical conditions. We hadn't initially considered Doron’s condition, because the doctor mentioned that children with such conditions would face many challenges.

One late night shortly after we returned home from vacation in early September 2014, I woke up from an unusually clear and vividly detailed dream. In the dream, a Chinese woman came to our house and said to me, “I have brought your baby.” I quickly replied, “That’s impossible—our paperwork hasn’t even been sent out yet.” But she ignored me and simply sat down at our table with the child. That day in the dream, only my two daughters and I were home. The baby was 17 months old, with a noticeably sunken fontanelle on the top of his head. We decided to give him a name meaning “joy.” Most strangely, when I changed his diaper, my daughter said, “Oh, it’s a baby girl!” but I answered, “No, this is definitely a baby boy.” The dream was so remarkable that I told my mother about it and wrote down all the details.

Finding Doron

Two days later, at church, I received the weekly email about children with special needs waiting for adoption. Featured at the bottom was a baby boy. What first caught my eye was the sunken fontanelle on his head, followed by his age—exactly 17 months. The description ended with: “This child has a urogenital system condition.” My heart leaped. I immediately called my husband over to take a look; I felt this was our child.

We contacted the agency right away to request his file. The first surprise was the name the orphanage had given him. When we translated it with Google, we learned that the first word meant “joy.” We felt absolutely certain this was our son.

In the following days, we completed the paperwork, consulted our pediatrician again, and expressed our intent to adopt. After the agency’s review, we submitted our intent to adopt to China. On December 26, 2014, we received the Letter of Approval. At that time, Doron was participating in “One Sky” program in the Nanjing Children’s Welfare Institute, which specifically helped children with medical conditions who face adoption difficulties. He had entered the program at 4 months old. After China received our Letter of Intent, he was placed with a foster family, where he lived for 7 months. Due to conflicts with Chinese and American holidays, our travel was postponed until May 2015.

On Doron’s 2nd birthday, we received new photos from the orphanage along with a note that had been left with him as an abandoned infant. The note was filled with sadness, care, and respect, convincing us that his abandonment was not a casual decision but very likely due to his serious medical condition and the extensive surgeries required. We felt the pain of a heartbroken family. The note detailed his date and time of birth, weight, and feeding instructions.

From the photos, it was clear he had been born premature. These details are very precious to Doron—many adopted children are not even certain of their exact birthday.

Finding him was itself a miracle; he is a gift God gave us. Therefore, we named him “Doron.” In Hebrew, “Doron” means exactly “gift.”

Embracing Doron

International adoption requires substantial funding, but we were greatly blessed. Family and friends gave generously. We received full matching grants from Lifesong for Orphans and held several fundraisers, finally raising all the necessary funds and even being able to bring our older daughter with us to China.

On May 18, 2015, we finally met Doron in China. He was much smaller than we had imagined, so all the clothes we brought were too big and we had to buy new ones locally. During our days in China, we devoted ourselves to bonding with and getting to know our new son. Our 7-year-old daughter became an excellent communication bridge, and we created many happy memories of Doron playing with his sister.

After returning to the United States on May 30, Aaron took two extra weeks off. His company was very supportive of our adoption and later featured our family’s story in their company’s newsletter.

American Dad, Mom, and Sister Welcome Baby Doron (May 2015, Nanjing)

Grace of Healing

We took Doron to see our pediatrician, who was very optimistic and referred us to the university children’s hospital. Our pediatric urologist was incredibly kind and positive. She explained Doron’s condition in detail: he was born with perineal hypospadias, right undescended testicle, and later developed an inguinal hernia on the left side.

Hypospadias is a relatively common birth defect occurring in about 1 in 300 male infants, formed in early pregnancy and unrelated to parental genetics.

She smiled and told us, “This is exactly what I wanted to specialize in medical school.” It was the surgery she was most skilled at and performed most often; she had even traveled around the world teaching this pediatric urologic surgery. She personally performed Doron’s first two repair surgeries. She later moved to teach at a well-known medical school.

Doron’s treatment process lasted several years. The first repair surgery was performed in October 2015, and the second in April 2016. Because he had sleep apnea, the recovery from the second surgery was difficult, so the doctor decided to first remove his tonsils and adenoids to reduce risks for future procedures. That surgery was completed in December 2016.

After the original attending physician left, the director of pediatric urology at the children’s hospital took over Doron’s care. His scheduled third surgery had to be postponed when Doron came down with walking pneumonia. Since he was particularly prone to illness in his early years, we waited until the spring when cold and flu season was nearly over before completing the third and final repair surgery in April 2018.

After the surgery, Doron experienced mild urethral stricture, but it improved successfully with steroid cream treatment. The doctors were very satisfied with his recovery. Considering the severity of his original condition, they were often surprised at each follow-up to see such excellent surgical results. Although further surgery may theoretically still be needed in the future, there is currently no clear need for it. Doron continues to receive regular follow-up care from pediatric urology, and his kidney function monitoring results have always been normal.

After three-stage repairs spanning several years, Doron’s congenital defects were successfully corrected. The doctors expect his physiological function to approach normal levels. For a child born with such a complex condition, this is undoubtedly a tremendous blessing.

Doron is very smart, quick-witted, and loves to joke. He especially enjoys that his birthday falls on April 1—April Fools’ Day—and never tires of playing pranks on others. Seeing him grow up healthy and happy today, we are constantly grateful that God not only brought him into our family but has also protected and healed him every step of the way.

Doron One Year After Adoption

Doron’s Wish

From a young age, Doron has been particularly interested in people and families. As a toddler, he would walk up to strangers and ask, “Who is your daddy?” He was also very interested in China.

Around age four, he began asking about his family in China. We read many picture books about adoption and birth parents. He wanted to know who his family was and whether he had siblings. We told him that when he was older, we would help him search for his Chinese family.

At age eight, Doron’s desire to search for his birth parents became even stronger. We had his DNA tested and uploaded to GEDmatch, and in 2021 we put his information on search posters. At that time, we didn’t hold much hope; I thought we would need to hire a professional searcher in China and would need several years to save the money.

In 2019 we welcomed our fourth child, and in May 2022 we moved to Arkansas to be closer to our extended families. In January 2025, I asked the children what wishes they wanted to fulfill that year. Doron said he wanted to search for his birth parents. I wrote it down, but later got busy and even forgot my own wishes.

In mid-July, during school break, I was cleaning my dresser and found that wish list with Doron’s wish on it. I immediately contacted helpful people in a Facebook group and reposted his information on search posters. They helped me register a WeChat account and recommended that we do DNA testing through the “Nanchang Project” and submit it to the Chinese national database. At the end of August, I mailed the materials to China. Thinking that all this effort might come to nothing, I sat in the car and cried for a long time.

On the morning of October 1, I dreamed that we had found Doron’s birth parents. Unexpectedly, that same day I received an email confirming that the DNA had been successfully entered into the database. I felt greatly relieved and full of anticipation for yet another miracle.

The Miracle of Blood Ties

On December 22, while standing in a long line buying Christmas gifts, I saw an email with the subject “IT’S A MATCH.” I was stunned and reread it several times to make sure it was real. When it was my turn to check out, my head was still spinning. I hurriedly paid, rushed to the car, and called my husband, so excited I could barely breathe. I really never thought we would find Doron’s birth family.

That evening, we together told Doron the news. He simply said calmly, “That’s great!” When I asked why he wasn’t surprised, he replied, “Because I knew we would find them—I prayed for it.”

After Christmas, we prepared for a video call with Doron’s birth parents. Just a few minutes into the call, the most shocking news came—Doron was a twin! He had always longed to know whether he had siblings in China. Doron’s birth father was very kind to us and deeply regretted the decision made that year.

We exchanged WeChat contacts. Doron has already shared several videos with his twin brother and hopes to visit China one day to meet his birth parents and siblings in person. For Doron, family has always been the most important thing, and learning his Chinese root means the world to him. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped us along the way. Searching for birth parents may seem daunting, but if you take it one step at a time, it is not so difficult. I know the probability of an adopted child from China finding their birth parents is extremely low, yet Doron’s life has been filled with miracles from the very beginning.

Doron’s American Family

Interview with Doron’s Birth Father

Narrator: Shan Yun

Interviewer: Yang Jin

Compilation & Translation: Clyde Xi

May 2006

My name is Shan Yun. I was born in 1984 in a rural area of Ma’anshan, Anhui Province. My parents were farmers. I dropped out of school before finishing junior high. The worst part wasn’t the lack of education, but that I lacked a sound worldview. My entire value system was distorted.

In 2003, at age 19, I wanted to learn a trade to make a living, so I went to Danyang and worked at an auto repair shop. There I met my ex-wife, Jin.

My ex-wife is from Quanjiao, Anhui. Her father was chronically ill with severe asthma. He only started a family in his thirties. Her mother was more than ten years younger than her father. Her father once tried small business but was cheated out of a lot of money. He felt life was full of disappointment, became depressed, and attempted suicide several times. Overwhelmed by poverty and illness, he soon passed away.

Her mother brought the three sisters to Danyang and set up a roadside breakfast stall to make a living — selling steamed buns, fried dough sticks, soy milk, porridge, and so on. None of the three sisters received a good education. They had to get up at two o’clock every morning to prepare breakfast; life was extremely hard.

I often ate breakfast at their stall and naturally got to know my ex-wife. She was only 18 at the time. We went back to my hometown in Ma’anshan for a simple wedding ceremony, but at that time we could not obtain a marriage certificate[1].

In February 2007, we welcomed our eldest daughter, Jin Nan. Under the family planning policies at the time, we were permitted to have a second child. But considering the pressure of life, we discussed and both decided not to have a second child.

During those years, she underwent two abortions. I asked a friend to introduce my wife to a beauty salon so that she could work and train there. She began to come into contact with people from different economic backgrounds and gradually became dissatisfied with our situation— largely because she felt I was stuck in a dead-end job with no real future. Cracks began to form in our relationship.

A few years after my wife had an intrauterine device (IUD) placed, she felt discomfort and had it removed. In 2012 she unexpectedly became pregnant. In rural China there is always a preference for sons. When my parents learned of the pregnancy, they urged us to keep the baby. So we decided that when the pregnancy reached five months, we would do a B-ultrasound to determine the gender. If it was a boy, we would keep it; if a girl, we would not, and would not have more children afterward.

Thus, at around five months, using some personal connections, we managed to get an ultrasound late one night. The result was: twins, one with clearly visible male characteristics, the other not clearly seen, possibly due to fetal position. We continued regular prenatal check-ups until birth and did not notice any abnormalities.

Unexpectedly, at seven months of pregnancy, my wife went into premature labor. I was working in Shandong at the time and rushed back. The birth took place at Danyang Maternal and Child Health Hospital. I remember it was around 11 p.m. on April 1, 2013, when she entered the delivery room. Doron was born around 11:50 p.m., weighing only 2 pounds 10 ounces. He was named Jin Le, with the childhood pet name Jian-Jian. Ten minutes later, his younger brother was born, weighing 4 pounds 8 ounces. He was named Jin Qi, with the childhood pet name Kang-Kang. In Chinese, “Jian-Jian Kang-Kang” is a common rhyming phrase that means “healthy and strong.”

Born premature, they were immediately placed in incubators. The delivering doctor told us they were boy-girl twins.

Early the next morning on April 2, the doctor called me into her office and told me about Doron’s condition. She said it was not possible to determine from his appearance whether he was a boy or a girl, and that further tests would be needed. Because he was premature and very small, we should wait until he was older. Even if there were problems with the reproductive system, we could address them later once he grew up and showed a clear preference for boy or girl, then perform the appropriate surgery.

I also consulted a doctor friend, who gave similar advice, and it was quite complicated. At the time I faced two problems: first, the cost of treatment; second, psychologically, I could not accept it—what would relatives and friends think? I felt we would be laughed at.

After a long and painful struggle, I finally made the decision to give him up. My wife did not object; perhaps she knew I had the final say. I was rather controlling back then. Another reason was that she already had thoughts of leaving me.

About a week later, my mother returned to our hometown in Ma’anshan. She carried the baby, took a minibus to Lishui near Nanjing, and left the infant at the bus station there. She watched secretly from the side until a middle-aged woman picked him up. In advance, my sister had written a note saying that if the person who found him did not want to keep him, they must send him to the welfare institute.

Less than two years later, before the 2015 Spring Festival, we completed our divorce. She only wanted out of the marriage and was willing to take with her nothing, leaving both children, the house, and savings to me. I took full responsibility for the breakdown of our marriage. I could not give her the life she hoped for and should let her seek a better life.

During that period, my life and work remained unstable. The divorce hit hard on me; my mood was consistently poor. I often suffered from insomnia and anxiety—perhaps this was the punishment I deserved. During those years I occasionally thought about searching for Doron, wondering whether he was still alive and how he was doing. Every time I thought of him, my heart ached with guilt. His birth mother also mentioned several times the idea of looking for him. I never imagined the child had been adopted abroad. I also never told my younger son that he had an older twin brother.

In 2018, when I interviewed for a job, DNA collection was required. At the time I didn’t realize the significance of my DNA being in the system. I later remarried and my life gradually stabilized. I found myself thinking about Doron more and more often. Only then did I realize the meaning of having my DNA on record. Last year, this feeling grew even stronger. I became deeply convinced that as long as he was still alive, he would definitely find me.

Last year, Police from Bowang District, Ma’anshan, in Danyang Town, contacted my current wife. She knew nothing about Doron. When she received the police call, she thought it was a scam. I checked the phone number and felt it was legitimate. I returned the call and learned that it was possibly Doron looking for me.

It was too sudden. I wondered whether he was in trouble or whether his condition hadn’t been fully corrected. I felt some apprehension. After much soul-searching, I was very sure that I could not lose my son a second time.

I cooperated with the police and provided a blood sample. The DNA parent-child match was confirmed. The child was found.

From the two video meetings, I saw that my child is doing very well. We know that Doron’s medical issues have been successfully treated by top doctors in the United States. They have taken such good care of him, far beyond what we could have provided in terms of living environment. I am deeply grateful to them for giving Doron such a good life and feel greatly comforted. I also feel a sense of redemption.

Although Doron and his twin brother never lived together, their speech, movements, and expressions are so similar. Blood ties are truly miraculous.

Jian-Jian (Doron) and Kang-Kang

What makes me feel extremely guilty and what I need most to reflect on is my ignorant understanding at the time. Why did I think his physical defect was so serious that it became an insurmountable obstacle, leading me to make such a horrific decision? Now we know this is a common problem in newborns. At the time, no one guided me.

I hope that one day, I will have the means to visit the United States to see Doron, see the place where he grew up, and see that loving family. How I long to hold my child in my arms again and tell him personally that over the years I have never stopped missing him. I also hope to personally express my deepest gratitude to his American parents for the unconditional love, care, and dedication they have given Doron.

I sincerely bless my son and wish him continued happiness and growth.

Editor’s Notes:

[1] In 2006 in China, the legal minimum marriage age for men was 22 and for women 20, as stipulated by the Marriage Law of the People’s Republic of China (now incorporated into the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China). Those below the legal age could not register their marriage.

[2] The 1995 Law of the People’s Republic of China on Maternal and Infant Health Care explicitly prohibits medical personnel from performing fetal sex identification. This was further strengthened and reaffirmed in the 2002 Population and Family Planning Law of the People’s Republic of China.

[3] The incidence of cryptorchidism in newborns varies by birth weight and gestational age. In full-term male infants it is approximately 3%; in premature infants it can be as high as 30%. Most undescended testicles descend spontaneously within 6 months after birth. By age 1, the rate of persistent cryptorchidism is about 1%.