Friends Forever for WACAP Adoptees
By: Maitreyee Brandon
Seattle, WA. – On a cold December afternoon two girls who were rather familiar with each other came off the plane from India together. Both infants were placed in the same orphanage and were WACAP adoptees. Their parents met at a WACAP adoption class and both decided to pick up their children from the airport together.
Maitreyee Brandon and Emily Baisakhi Seaborg both attended long play dates at the orphanage and continued when they both moved to Utah. In 1993, Emily Baisakhi Seaborg moved to Seattle with her family but still kept in touch with her best friend.
“Most people fall off from talking to each other while we remained great friends,” said Emily Baisakhi Seaborg. “It’s cool that we stayed friends because we still talk.”
Maitreyee Brandon and Emily Baisakhi Seaborg became pen pals, talked on the phone every month and Emily came to Utah with her mom for vacations. They were also able to call each other more because they received T-Mobile phones and could talk for free.
“Becoming friends before we met our family and staying friends is very rare,” said Emily Baisakhi Seaborg. “It’s not very common that people would be friends for this long.”
With both girls busy with college and working they still make time to stay in touch through calling or video chat through Skype. They go to each other for comfort or for updates on each other’s busy lives.
Maitreyee Brandon is currently in college for strategic communications, working and is a WACAP volunteer writer. Emily Baisakhi Seaborg is currently studying social work and both plan on creating a charity organization to help orphanages in need.
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Maitreyee Hunter 