By Winter Johnson
At only 2 years old, Ashish Koke has travelled a long way in such a short life. Born in New Delhi, India, in 2022, and given to the Asharan Orphanage at the tender age of 10 days old, he was too young to understand the adoption journey that awaited him, too young to know that he would be the answer to the prayers of Jason and Kiley Koke in Indianapolis, Indiana.
With large brown eyes, and eyelashes that make the ladies jealous, Ashish was happy to snuggle up with his mum – after she gave him a snack, of course – as Kiley told me about their experience with adoption, which began in 2022.
“Even before we got married, we always wanted to adopt,” Jason said. “We didn’t know how, or what it would look like, but it was a shared goal that we had to do.”
After doing some research on international adoption, they decided to adopt from India, and via the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) – an organisation that facilitates adoptions from India – were matched with Ashish in December 2022.
Working from the heart
The Asharan Orphanage quickly got to work to prepare Ashish for the transition to his new family – scheduling video calls every two weeks for Ashish to see Jason and Kiley, planning a virtual birthday party and special cake for his 1st birthday, showing him pictures of his new family, and even keeping Jason and Kiley in the loop whenever Ashish got a fever.
“We could not speak more highly of the women there,” Kiley said of the carers at the Orphanage. “We were very lucky. They were always loving on Ashish. The care was truly there. It wasn’t just a job, they really love the children.”
When the time finally came to take Ashish home in December 2023, the staff at the Asharan Orphanage was keen to make the transition as smooth as possible, especially as Kiley was hospitalised with pneumonia shortly after arriving in New Delhi.
Staff members offered to sit with Kiley in the hospital so that Jason could take Ashish to appointments. They brought some of Ashish’s favourite toys to the hotel where Jason and Kiley were staying in New Delhi, and were sure to give them tips on how he likes to be held, favourite foods, and his schedule. And when it was time to say goodbye, the carers at the orphanage said a special prayer so that Ashish would feel at ease.
According to Kiley, Ashish “really did transition pretty well,” and credits the Asharan Orphanage’s thoughtful preparations with helping the transition go smoothly.
Building a New Life Together
Ashish has settled well into his family, according to his parents, and loves playing with his big sister Elsie, and their two dogs, Roman and Chauncey. A fan of water play, swings, and long walks, Ashish holds his own with his eight older cousins, eagerly playing T-ball when the family gets together.
As for the future, Jason and Kiley are looking forward to their first family trip to Michigan so that Ashish and Elsie can play at the beach. But they will always remain grateful to the Asharan Orphanage’s supporters, for loving Ashish when he needed it most:
“Every little bit that they give, [the Asharan Orphanage] would put directly into a very tangible application, directly to the kids,” Kiley said. “They are paying for the best women to take care of the children.”
As of June 2024, two children have been adopted from the Asharan Orphanage this year (with two more in progress!), and 10 children have been restored to their families. There are currently 18 children in residence at the Orphanage.
