Betsy Sathers' emotional journey ends with tears of joy

BLOOMINGTON, Minn -- Two Haitian toddlers who survived the earthquake are home in Minnesota. The two-year-old twins were granted humanitarian parole earlier in the week.

Ross and Alyse arrived at Twin Cities International with their new mother, Betsy Sathers. The moments of anticipation wrapped around the rest of the family, who were waiting outside a Delta Airlines terminal.

"Yep, I'm nervous," said a friend who came for support. "Too excited, way too excited for her."

"These little guys have been through an earthquake and tremors the past week," Bob Ross said, Betsy's father. "Their orphanage was destroyed."

The twins not only survived the earthquake, but battled through several days of no food, water and shelter.

"By the grace of god these guys got out of the orphanage," Ross said.

The moment couldn't come soon enough.

"Awww here they come," Ross said with disbelief. "They're coming."

Several family members were in shock seeing the children for the first time.

"This is Alyse, she's going to be my little fishing buddy," Ross said.

Sathers got the call 5:00 Friday, that the adoption process had been expedited and that Ross and Alyse were in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, ready to be picked up. Sathers jumped on the next flight and got there late Friday night.

"I can't even explain the last 12 days of waiting after the earthquake," Sathers said.

Her dreams of becoming a mom, hung in the balance.

"As a new mom it was horrific to know my babies had needs and I couldn't fulfill them," Sathers said. "I'm the lucky one, I'm the luckiest mommy in the world."

Betsy hasn't felt pure happiness in quite some time. Her husband Scott was one of the victims in the I35W bridge collapse in 2007. Now, tears of sadness, evolve into tears of hope and happiness.

"Your life is just starting," Sathers whispered to her new children. "Welcome to Minnesota, I'm so glad to have you home."

Sathers went through 'Hand in Hand International Adoptions' based in Saint Paul. Their website is hihiadopt.org. There is also a Haiti relief fund set up on the site.

(Edit:Ruby)