Yara has her first practice with her high school swim team today. Her life in Southern California with her loving parents and younger sister is unrecognizable compared to four years ago. Yara’s journey from orphan in Colombia to SoCal teen is one of community, patience, and a little bit of serendipity.

In the summer of 2022, Jennifer and Brandon were all set to host a young girl from Colombia through the Summer Miracles program. But just before the Summer Miracles kids were meant to arrive in the U.S., their match suddenly fell through. The young girl could no longer travel. The family was heartbroken that they wouldn't be hosting a child that year.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Yara was preparing to travel with the Summer Miracles program to stay with a host family in the U.S. But that arrangement fell through at the last minute, and suddenly Yara needed a place to stay.

It was as if the stars had aligned. The Nortons immediately stepped in and accepted a request to host Yara. Little did they know this girl who unexpectedly came into their lives would someday be their daughter.

That summer, Yara spent five weeks with Jennifer, Brandon, and their daughter Madi. From the beginning, Jennifer and Brandon could see Yara’s kind and considerate nature. They had some adventures together, taking Yara to the beach for the first time and visiting an amusement park together. But mostly, they just spent time together as a family.

“We just did stuff a normal family would do to give her that experience of what it’s like to have a mom and a dad and a sibling and having a routine,” said Jennifer. “We just tried to keep it as normal as possible but had some fun too.”

The Nortons had planned to host Yara just for the summer and help her find an adoptive family. But there was such a strong connection they decided to move forward with adoption. When Yara found out Brandon and Jennifer were adopting her, she burst into tears and said, “I can’t believe it!”

It took 18 months for Yara’s adoption to be finalized, and then they were able to bring her home. Being adopted and moving from one country to another is a huge transition, but Yara did amazingly well. Over the last two years, she’s made friends in her ESL classes, she’s done well in school, and this year, she asked to join the swim team.

“It was totally out of the blue,” said Jennifer. “She just came up to us one day and said she was going to talk to the coach, and we were like, ‘ok, do that, of course!’ It was just something we would not expect from her, but she did it, and we’re really excited for her.”

Of course, although Yara is thriving with her new family, there are still tough days. Whenever Yara misses Colombia or struggles with difficult memories from her past, the Nortons have found that nothing helps quite like a good friend.

Fourteen-year-old Matteo lives with his adoptive family, Kim and Michael York, about two hours away from Yara and the Nortons. Matteo and Yara participated in the Summer Miracles program together in 2022 and became best friends. Today, the Yorks and the Nortons get together regularly for dinner at a local Colombian restaurant, keeping Yara and Matteo connected to their roots and each other.

Community and support have been instrumental for the Nortons throughout their adoption journey.

“Our church family has surrounded us, and we’ve got a really great group of friends that have been there to listen to us and just treat us like family,” said Jennifer. “In the grand scheme of things, it’s been a fairly easy transition for us, and having that support system has been absolutely key.”

For families considering hosting through the Summer Miracles program, Jennifer advises to keep an open mind and an open heart.

“Go in with the mindset that you are here to help a child experience a family and new experiences in the United States. I think so many people put a lot of pressure on themselves, but if it’s supposed to work out, it’ll work out,” said Jennifer. “Even if people are scared, I would say still look into it. Don’t let that fear stop you because you never know what’s going to come out of it.”

Which is true. One day, you could be a Summer Miracles host to a child, and then before you know it, you could be anxiously waiting for them to come home from school and tell you about swimming practice.

Summer Miracles

Learn more about Kidsave’s Summer Miracles program by attending a free, online orientation. The application deadline to host a child in Summer 2025 is April 15.