Community’s ‘favorite daughter’ adopts baby
By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
On September 29, 2006, a six-month-old baby boy from Guatemala, named Daniel Estuardo Stehlik, arrived in Houston, Texas. Daniel traveled with his new adoptive parents, Linda and Joe Stehlik, to their Dearborn home — Daniel and his parents were embarking on the journey of their lives.
Linda, who serves as the Executive Assistant to Henry Ford Village’s Executive Director, Larry Vidovic, was brimming with delight.
Anticipation abounds
Last January, Linda and Joe turned in their adoption application, and in March, they flew to Guatemala to expedite the process and meet their new son. “We had no information on him, except his birth date and name at birth,” Linda says. “The anticipation and anxiety was difficult while we waited for our attorney and foster mother to bring us our little boy.” Finally, Linda was handled a miniature bundle wrapped up in a blanket — tiny Estuardo Jose weighed in at 3 lbs., 5 oz.
“My husband and I knew from that moment on that we were blessed with an angel,” she says. During their visit, the couple had made a list of new names for their new son. “My husband came up with ‘Daniel,’” she says. “He needed to have a strong name because he was so small, but a fighter.” They decided on ‘Estuardo’ for a middle name. “We wanted to keep his given name as his second name so he would always have some heritage connection,” she says.
The couple had to leave Daniel in Guatemala until the adoption was finalized. “We continued to receive pictures every month and updates on our son’s progress,” says Linda. In late September, they received a call from the adoption agency, telling them their new son would soon be coming home.