By Karl Moats '04

One of the newest members of the community also comes from the farthest away. Her name is Melanie Xianglin Anderson. She was abandoned on the day of her birth-April 1, 2002-in the city of Hefei, China. Translated, Xiang Lin means beautiful, sturdy forest. She was given the name by the orphanage, "because they hoped she would grow strong like trees." At long last she is growing roots in science teacher Steve Anderson's family.

Steve and Lisa Anderson chose to adopt Melanie because "we had two healthy wonderful children of our own, feel strongly about zero population growth, and decided we wanted more than two children."

After months of delays largely brought on by the SARS outbreak the four Andersons, including sons Trevor and Cody, were allowed to pick up Melanie in mid-June.

The postponement was exacerbated by paperwork problems. A misplaced marriage license in Washington as well as mismatched dates on different medical forms amounted to over four months of delays.

Mr. Anderson had hoped to leave for China in early May. However, a quarantine implemented in Najing just three days before he was to depart delayed the trip indefinitely.

Only in early June when the World Health Organization (WHO) lifted travel advisories was Mr. Anderson's family approved to visit. "By the time we arrived in China, the areas we visited had been SARS-free for so long that it was an afterthought." Mr. Anderson said. "It is interesting how much the U.S. popular media lagged in news about SARS. About the time U.S. news started publishing stories about the situation, SARS was already ebbing in mainland China and Hong Kong."

Nevertheless, people wore masks in airports. Passengers had their temperature taken as they boarded planes, as they departed planes, and as they left the airport.

The pick-up culminated the lengthy adoption process that typically takes 18 to 24 months. The process started with a two-part screening by the adoption agency to determine Steve and Lisa Anderson's fitness to adopt. The first half of the phase involved extensive interviews and house visits by a social worker. Mr. Anderson's children and parents were also interviewed and friends submitted letters of recommendation.

In the second half of the screening stage the local police and F.B.I. looked for any criminal records before giving the family "a clean bill of health."

Finally, the family's "portfolio" was sent to Beijing for review.

Back at Deerfield, Melanie is making the transition to life in America. She is fond of all foods--except certain Chinese dishes like congee.

She loves to take walks around outside and in buildings she likes to visit people and flirt. "Lisa and I have been amazed at how easily Melanie has adjusted, both to us and to life in Deerfield. It seems like we have always had her."