PaxWatch: Angelina Jolie's adoption agency says Pax's adoption was not fast-tracked

Adoptions From The Heart, the US based adoption agency that Angelina Jolie used in her adoption of her new son Pax Thien Jolie, made the following statement in response to all the rumors about the adoption being fast-tracked due to her celebrity status.  Heidi Gonzalez, Vietnam Adoption Coordinator, said:

In applying to adopt 3-yr-old Pax Thien, Ms. Jolie followed the same course as all prospective adoptive parents who apply to our Vietnam program. Throughout her adoption process, which began in the summer of 2006, she has received no preferential treatment from the Vietnamese government or Adoptions From The Heart, and contrary to earlier reports, her application was not fast tracked.

Despite rumors that she chose her child, Ms. Jolie received a referral, just like any other parent adopting from Vietnam. In late 2006, she was referred a child who had been legally determined to be available for adoption and who fit within the parameters for which she had been approved to adopt. She accepted the first and only referral given to her.

In addition, we can confirm the statement given by Nguyen Van Trung, Director of Tam Binh Orphanage, that Ms. Jolie has neither made, nor promised to make, any financial contributions to his orphanage. Adoptions From The Heart celebrates the miracle of adoption with the Jolie-Pitt family, as we do with all of our clients, and wish them much joy.

They also said that Angelina was referred to their agency by Jane Aronson, MD, a New York-based pediatrician who specializes in adoption medicine and treated Zahara.

Between 1995-2003 (when Vietnam closed the program), Adoptions from the Heart placed 250 children.  Since April 2006, 30 families have completed adoptions through them and 22 are in the process of adopting. They work with four orphanages in Vietnam. In addition to facilitating adoptions, Adoptions from the Heart has provided financial support to the Tam Binh orphanage (where Angelina adopted Pax), funding construction of a new emergency room at Go Vap orphanage, creation of a “milk
room” that connects to the infant room at Thi Nghe orphanage, and the purchase of new
furniture for the Picasso orphanage. 

For more information on the agency, visit Adoptions From The Heart.

Source: Adoptions From The Heart via JustJared.com