x
Breaking News
More () »

Father dies while in Bulgaria to adopt two children

YORK, Pa. – The documentary Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children encouraged Eric and Natalie Quesenberry to look into adopting from Bulgaria, in 2014. By F...

YORK, Pa. - The documentary Bulgaria's Abandoned Children encouraged Eric and Natalie Quesenberry to look into adopting from Bulgaria, in 2014.

By February 2016, the couple and their son Ian, 13, were in Bulgaria ready to pick-up and bring home Jaron, 5, who is blind and James, 11, who has moderately delayed development.

"The last day we had taken the boys for a walk and it was a little discouraging. People were kind of starring because, in other countries, people are not really open to children with disabilities," said Natalie.

Eric needed a minute to think and pray. Natalie left the room to take care of one of the children. When she got back, she found Eric slumped over and when he did not respond to her calling his name, she turned him over. Her was dead.

"I’m a nurse so I immediately tried to, to  bring him back and I just remember saying 'God please, you can, you can, I know I told you, you can have anything in my life but don’t take this, ' " remembers Natalie.

Through her Facebook page,  about their adoption process, she was able to get immediate help. Three families took care of the boys, her and even Eric's body.

"Obviously, I lost the other half of myself, but I just want to remain faithful to the good that god has shown me and people have shown me, even people that I don’t know," she said.

She had to decide whether or not to continue with the adoption. Words Eric wrote in a journal, he wrote in nightly, gave her the answer.

"Children are an inheritance from the lord and that he thanks god for the children that he blesses us with and sometimes he wonders how will we do it, but he know with god nothing is impossible," she said.

The journals are now a comfort to her as are stories and pictures. Her favorite picture is Eric at age 19 standing next to a beat up Volkswagen Beetle. She was about 17, when it was taken, and they had just started dating.

"I met him and I found out that was his car and I thought yeah, that’s perfect," she said.

The boys, who Eric only knew for a week, will know him through these pictures and stories.

"He was a great person and the love of my life and what do you say. There’s just no words for it. There really isn’t," she said.

Her faith remains very strong. People from her church, Tidings of Peace Mennonite Church, are helping as well as family and friends.

Eric did not have a will and, due to having had a stroke before, he could not have life insurance.  Natalie tells people now, to prepare for the unthinkable. A fundraising page has been set-up to assist the family.

Natalie will not only be raising Jaron, James and Ian, she is raising a few family members' kids. In all, there are six kids under 13, at home.

"I welcome prayers and well wishes and encouragement because that is the most important thing to me right now and that’s been the most meaningful," she said.

Visitation is at Heffner Funeral Home (Kenneth Rd) on Saturday March 12 from 1-2 pm. Services follow at 2 pm.

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out