Eleven years down the track and Loretta Cuda still feels “blessed’’ to have Kiki Cuda in her life.
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Adopting her “beautiful’’ little Balinese girl cost the Shellharbour woman five years and upwards of $200,000 but Ms Cuda couldn’t be prouder of her “kind angel’’.
She burst with pride when Kiki turned 11 on September 5.
The Shellharbour Public School student sent out birthday invitations asking friends and family to forego presents and instead donate to her chosen charity – the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation at Randwick.
“We had a goal of $90 and she ended up raising $480 in just two weeks,’’ Ms Cuda said.
“When I asked her if she was sure this is what she wanted to do, she said, ‘yes, I’ve got enough, I don’t need anything else’.
“I was quite touched because I’m not sure I would do the same thing at her age.’’
Kiki told Fairfax Media all she needed was pencils and a book to draw in.
“There are people who don’t have as much as me. I have too much already. I just hope mummy is proud,’’ Kiki said.
This comment brought a smile to Ms Cuda’s face.
Ms Cuda though was unaware of the nightmare ahead when she left for Bali in 2005 to meet the baby who would complete her family.
She and her former husband Mal Coopes, planned to adopt the five-week-old Kiki in what they thought would be a routine procedure.
But the couple discovered too late they had been misinformed.
It cost them dearly - including a business and their luxury home at Blackbutt.
Ms Cuda, under Indonesian law, was required to remain in the country for two years.
“I ended up staying for about five years and didn’t end up bringing Kiki home for good until 2009,’’ she said.
“It was a stressful experience but we wanted the adoption to be legal. I believe we were the first westerners to legally adopt.’’
Ms Cuda hadn’t planned on adopting when she went to Bali on holiday but after meeting Kiki she wanted to help give her a better life and ended up staying.
“I just feel blessed that she came into my life,’’ she said.
“I know when I was living in Indonesia, so many of the locals were saying Kiki is a lucky girl because she has you and I always used to say, ‘no I'm the lucky one’ and I still do that today – I’m the lucky one.
“It makes me so proud to see her so happy in wanting to help other people.’’