A YOUNG woman from Leigh Sinton has launched an appeal for funds so she can legally adopt an African orphan.

Emilie Larter, aged 25, was working in Uganda for the children's charity Whisper in September 2014 when she first met Adam.

She said: "We received a phone call to tell us there was a baby in desperate need. We went straight to the village on the back of motorbike taxis where we turned up at what was actually a burial – a burial of the mother of the baby we had received the call about. They handed him to me, he was just five days old.

"I was instructed by the charity director to bring him to town to care for him. I remained in town with him for a couple of months, doing the sleepless nights. I extended my stay, but returned home to graduate. I flew back out for four-and a-half months, before running out of money and having to return home."

Miss Larter managed to return to Uganda several times and then decided to begin the adoption process, which meant she had to spend a year in the country to be able to adopt Adam.

She said: "Adam now lives with me, and it is wonderful. His school have told me has been making vast improvements, he was undersized for his age and cried a lot but now he’s grown and is a happy, confident boy at school."

But Miss Larter unexpectedly lost her teaching job with a local international school at Christmas.

She said: "My parents are very supportive and have agreed to help me live out here until the adoption is complete. But adoption is not free and I no longer have the income to fund it. A colleague from the school suggested I try to raise the adoption costs.

"I aimed to raise £3,000 to cover court costs, lawyer fees and get him a passport to ensure I can come back to the UK to start his education."

Miss Larter launched her appeal and was overwhelmed with the response

She said: "People I haven’t spoken to for five or ten years, people I hardly know, people I don’t know, they have all been so incredible generous and kind. I am honestly so grateful.

"I hope to get myself back into work in the UK, to be able to bring him out to Uganda for regular visits. I want him to grow up knowing his heritage and culture.

"I have raised near to two-thirds of my target but there is still some little way to go for me to be able to bring him back to the UK."

To help her, visit gofundme.com/adoptingadam.