Family can take many forms, and perhaps no one knows this more than three families in Greenville. The Hinnants, Porters and Winklers leaned on each other for inspiration and support while growing their families through adoption.
The Hinnant Family
Darrell and Courtney Hinnant knew they wanted to expand their family and felt a strong pull to consider adoption.
It was a video chat with an orphanage in South Africa that changed the course of their lives. “Price’s beautiful little face popped upon the screen and he saw Courtney,” recalls Darrell. “The first thing he said was, ‘Oh, hello mommy!’ And he never wavered from that very first moment. It was so surreal.”
When the time came to travel to Johannesburg, the entire family made the trip, including the Hinnant’s then 8-year-old daughter, Marycarson; 5-year-old son, Oliver; plus Courtney’s parents. They picked Price up from the orphanage and celebrated his fifth birthday together as a family.
During the two-year adoption process, Darrell and Courtney found support in their community. “We spent so much time talking to friends who had been through this journey. Adoption is beautiful, but there’s also tragedy on the other side. Being surrounded by people who have been through it was invaluable,” says Darrell.
Price has adjusted to life in North Carolina wonderfully. He’s made friends, is doing well in school, plays sports, and even became a big brother when the family welcomed daughter Cora in late 2018.
The Porter Family
When the Hinnant family shared their adoption news with friends and neighbors, Matt and Kristen Porter felt a divine sense of duty.
“We’re supposed to live out our faith, and we knew there was something else that God wanted us to do,” says Kristen.
In October 2015, Courtney Hinnant forwarded an email to Kristen from her adoption agency with a photo of a young girl in the Philippines. Kristen almost didn’t see it, but Matt clicked on it. “He saw the photo of this 8-year-old girl and said ‘This is our daughter.’ He knew instantly.”
“Her name was Elma, she was 8 years old, she had cerebral palsy... and she had the most amazing smile,” says Kristen.
Ten months later, Matt and Kristen spent a week in the Philippines and brought Elma home to three siblings: Noah (age 12), Anna (age 10), and Maggie (age 7).
Today, she is an energetic 12-year-old, always smiling, and loves to play. She swam on the Brook Valley swim team last summer, surrounded by cheering supporters.
For the Porter family, support from the community has been overwhelming, including everything from hosting a fundraiser at the pool to greeting them at the airport when they brought Elma home.
“We joined our local adoption group, Not Forgotten, for families who are considering adoption, going through the process, or are post-adoption,” says Kristen.
The Winkler Family
Friends with the Porter and Hinnant families, Rich and Emily Winkler had long felt called to adoption.
“We were never even considering international adoption,” says Emily. “Our hearts were open to foster care, but that didn’t work out for us. Then a program in Poland piqued our interest.” They soon found out about three biological Polish brothers needing a home and thought the trio would fit well with their three biological sons. Of the 18-month process, Rich says, “It felt like jumping off a cliff. It’s the scariest thing we’ve ever done.”
In August 2017, Rich and Emily traveled to Poland for a three-week bonding visit. Their adopted sons — Isaac, Sam, and Zach — spoke barely any English, and the Winklers spoke little Polish. It was a challenging yet very sweet visit. They returned to Poland two weeks later with their three biological sons Liam, Max, and Tyler to bring their new brothers home.
“These three little guys have been amazing,” says the couple. “They moved here not knowing any English, and now they’re in public school doing so well. They want to do everything — we have one taking violin, one playing piano, one taking guitar lessons. They want to play all the sports, including swim team at Brook Valley CC.”
Through it all, the Winklers relied on their community support system.
“It was so helpful for us to get plugged into an adoption support group full of people who had gone through or were going through the process,” says Rich.