A California couple has been waiting two and a half years to adopt a child from an orphanage in India and were days away from completing the adoption when the country introduced a strict coronavirus lockdown, bringing the process to a halt.

Video Transcript

MICHAEL CANNON: My name's Michael Cannon. This is my wife, Rose. This is my daughter, Camille. We are in fact at this moment temporarily unable to leave India.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

ROSE BARNES: So we left America on the 11th of March. Headed to India for the adoption of our other daughter. We actually arrived March 13th. And it was four hours prior to India putting the travel ban on all tourist visas. So if we had arrived four hours later, they would have just sent us right back to America, which is pretty crazy to us.

So we went to court, which is a positive thing, on the 16th. And then the courts shut down on the 17th in her state. And so I went on the 18th with her to petition the judge. The judge had already given us the go ahead, basically like a verbal order saying it's fine, you can adopt her. But in order for us to physically move ahead with our adoption process, we have to have written orders.

MICHAEL CANNON: We're just in a very slow appeal process.

ROSE BARNES: Basically there's no one, there's not a lot of people even answering their phones. So we're trying to get just a piece of paper that we know is already in existence, basically, but no [AUDIO OUT] be able to get it for us.

MICHAEL CANNON: It's definitely not a dire situation, but we are prepared for leaner food days.

ROSE BARNES: We're trying to stock up, make sure we save our protein rich foods that we can save. Saving water. I mean, we're just trying to prepare in case there's a worst case scenario. We are at the mercy of the hotel, for sure, as far as food deliveries and water and stuff like that. We really don't know how we would get the amount of water that we would need and such if we were not, if they were giving it.

Story continues

It's still a little devastating. You know, you're so excited. Camille was so excited to meet her sister and be a big sister. And we're excited. Her room's ready. And we're just ready to put that part behind us and just start as a family. And for it to be extended, you know, it's--

MICHAEL CANNON: Held up at this last step too.

ROSE BARNES: The last step. Yeah. It's a little devastating. And also just a little comical because adoption is hard.