Hardman Family Update 4/17/2020

Hardman Family Update 4/17/2020

Hello SMC, from the Hardman family we hope all is well with each of you! There are many changes occurring with our family (as usual) and we are excited to share some updates with you. First, the legal & immigration process with Mason and Lily is gaining momentum in a positive direction. In June 2019 Kerri & I were appointed guardians of Mason & Lily by the Wayne County Probate Court as a result of their birth parents abandoning them.

 To date, through the support and generosity of our SMC family, Mason and Lily have been able to stay safe in the US & attend CCS this school year. Mason is on track to graduate this year and is very excited about his future opportunities! Lily continues to excel academically and has already obtained impressive scores on the practice SAT exam as a sophomore.

In the next few weeks & months, the attorney group we are working with will be filing necessary guardianship motions in the Wayne County Court. Concurrently, they will be filing a special immigrant juvenile petition for Mason and Lily to receive Green Cards.  Having a Green Card will provide them with permanent residency in the USA! With this they will be able to continue living in a safe country and home, continue their education (including college), and work when that time comes. We are hopeful a decision regarding their immigration status will be finalized in the next six months!

This past month I received a promotion at my company (PHI Air Medical) from Business Operations Manager (in OH, MI, & NJ) to Regional Director (of Texas). This position comes with 3x the number of helicopter bases I am responsible for as well as the additional increase in responsibilities of the positon. It is a role I have been working hard to achieve my entire career.

 I am blessed to have this opportunity as it is promotion two levels up and I am the youngest director in the company’s 71 year history! The sad thing is, this position is based in Houston Texas and requires our family to relocate to Texas. Fortunately the company is supporting the move by providing all relocation services including helping with the sale and purchase of homes. There are numerous other benefits of this position we are blessed with including the expectation I will travel less, have less 24/7 phone calls, and have more time to be with the family!

We are track for moving to Houston in mid-May. Now, this is where things start getting a bit crazier. For the summer we will all be able to travel to TX and get settled into the new house. However, due to the court proceedings with Mason and Lily, they and Kerri will need to maintain residency in Wayne County. For the start of the next school year Kerri, Mason, & Lily will be living with Kerri’s parents in Moreland. Lily will attend CCS and Mason will likely attend Tri-C (online) at least through the end of the calendar year. 

Audri, Kenzie, & I will remain in TX so the younger girls will be able to start at their new school and not have to change mid-year. During this time Kerri will be traveling between TX and OH to support all four of the children. It will be a challenge for sure but we know it will be temporary. Once Mason & Lily are able to obtain Green Cards, they will be able to join us permanently in Texas.

This journey with Mason and Lily has not been easy to say the least. We have had many major ups and downs and bumps in the road over the past few years. It is an experience we haven’t always understood however we have seen God’s love throughout. This is a changing of our season in life. 

The darkness we have walked through is disappearing and we are seeing an amazing bright light and great days ahead. It is a journey we could not have done without the love and support of the SMC family! We hope and pray that these next few months continue to go well to keep Mason and Lily safe as well as for the younger girls moving to a new state and school. We look forward to being engaged with SMC as much as possible over the next few months as well as the years to come.

Sincerely,

Chris Hardman & Family