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Todd and Audra Fetter began their married lives in 1985 and always wanted a large family. Within several years, the couple, who owns several businesses, including a Buffalo Wings and Rings restaurant in Piqua, had four children in quick succession: Kyla, now 29, Kellen, 26, Keaton, 23, and Kieran, 21.
“We never thought about adopting another child at all,” Todd said. “We had four children of our own, and we felt our family was complete.”
That all changed in 2002 when they met 2-year-old Hubertine, a child with some medical conditions who came to the United States from her village in West Africa to receive medical care. She is from the country of Burkino Faso.
“Our church at the time got us involved in the host parent program,” Todd said. “We had hosted four other children in our home.” The Fetters helped children ranging in age from infant to 10 years old but were devastated when a 2-month-old boy developed meningitis and passed away in their home. “It has always been hard to house them and love them and then have to send them back or to lose them,” Todd said.
Still reeling from a loss they didn’t understand, the Fetters’ church informed them about another child that needed help. The entire family decided they wanted to try again.
“Hubertine arrived with a clubbed foot, and, though most children only stayed a short while, we had her with us for more than two years,” Todd said. “When she learned to talk, she spoke English and never knew French or her native dialect.”
While her foot was being repaired, the Fetters bonded with little Hubertine, who rapidly became part of their family. “She spent some formative years with us,” Todd said. “It was difficult when she had to return to her country and her family there.”
In fact, Hubertine, then 4, was having difficulty re-acclimating with her biological family, which includes five additional siblings. Her parents were struggling with poverty and psychological issues and were not able to afford to keep their children in school.
“Audra and I decided we were going to pay the $100 a year per child to keep them all in school, Todd said. “Hubertine’s family had six illiterate children, and the family couldn’t afford to keep them home and not working. We want to stop this at this generation and give the people a chance.”
Within a few months, the Fetters received word that Hubertine may become available for adoption. “In March of 2007, I flew back to Africa to finalize the adoption,” Todd said. “We got a medical Visa that was good for one year.”
But wading through the African welfare system proved to be complicated and the adoption process was long, so Todd brought Hubertine home to Ohio and a year later, they flew back to Africa in order to finalize the process.
“Nothing had been started on the adoption,” Todd said. “We had to start everything again from scratch.” But 50 days later, Todd got on a plane for the final time to bring his new daughter, who was then nearly 7 years old, home.
The Fetters live in Waynesfield, which is just north of Piqua.
The Fetter family today keeps busy not only with the restaurant in Piqua but with several other ventures, as well. Todd owns a plastics manufacturing company in Wapakoneta, he farms 3,000 acres of land and is planning to open several additional Buffalo Wings and Rings in the near future.
Hubertine is now 12 years old, and her siblings have all accepted her and treat her as family, even teasing her as much as they do one other.
“Something like this just changes your heart,” Todd said. “You pray about it and you open yourself up to something like this and you think you are doing such great work and benefitting this little child. But, in fact, you are the one benefiting. Seeing a child’s life changed by the medical care they can get here, it just changes you as much as it changes them.”
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