Airports are a usual location for emotional family reunions. But inside a terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston one family was blessed with meeting the missing piece of their family puzzle.

Audrey and Brent Shook along with their five biological children finally met with 6-year-old Lucy, a beautiful little girl with Down syndrome from China. In China, Lucy calls an orphanage her home. After seeing her sing a Chinese children’s song on a video, the Shooks immediately fell in love. They always hoped to adopt a special-needs child and finally, they knew Lucy was the one.

Audrey is overwhelmed with emotions as we can see in this heart-tugging moment caught on video.   After telling Lucy the role she’s about to play in her life forever, the six-year-old responds, “Mama!” The sound of that word turned Audrey into a puddle of tears, and the rest of the family joined in the embrace of their newest daughter and sibling.

The 30 Chinese children clad in red T-shirts are all up for adoption, and will spend the next month with American families around the country. The Shooks were among 16 Houston families awaiting the arrival of the young orphans who were part of a foster-to-adopt program set up by Great Wall China Adoption.

This Houston-based organization finds homes for parentless or “unwanted” children who are older or have special needs.

Cayce Canipe, the program coordinator, said that some families are somewhat hesitant to adopt until they spend time with the child.

That is not the case of the Shooks. They have already started the process of adopting Lucy. Dad summed it up perfectly when he said, “We don’t see it as we are going to help her. We see it as she’s going to help us with our lives.”

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