When Emilie Larter was 22, she thought she had things all figured out. She wanted to travel the world, spend years experiencing different places, and postpone parenthood until later in life. However, one trip to Uganda in 2014 changed everything.
What was supposed to be a brief volunteer assignment turned into a life-changing adventure, replete with a growing family.
“It was just meant to be one stop among many,” Emilie Larter, now 33, told People. “My plan was to travel throughout my whole twenties and maybe have kids as late as I possibly can, in my mid to late thirties.”
Instead, Uganda became her home, and her life story unfolded in ways she never imagined. Only a few weeks into volunteering at an orphanage, Emilie Larter received news that would alter her path forever. A newborn baby, just five days old, had lost his mother. He hadn’t even been given a name yet.
Emilie Larter went to pick up the infant, expecting to deliver him safely to the orphanage. But a local charity director suggested otherwise. Concerned about the higher malaria risk in the village where the orphanage was located, the director advised that the child stay in town until he was stronger—and asked Emilie Larter to take him in.
“I said ‘Yes, of course,’ and I went and looked after a five-day-old baby in the town,” she recalled. “And I completely fell in love.”
The bond was instant and undeniable. Emilie Larter found herself writing long emails to her father back in England, filled with uncertainty but also love. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she wrote. “How do I leave him now?”
She named him Adam and extended her stay in Uganda. Though she had not yet considered adoption since Uganda’s process was strict and complicated, she knew she couldn’t walk away.
When Adam was about seven months old, Emilie Larter reluctantly returned to England.
“I just felt like I couldn’t live in Uganda volunteering forever,” she explained. But being back home only made her realize she couldn’t live without Adam either.
Determined, she worked multiple jobs to save money and eventually returned to Uganda to begin the adoption process. Her parents were initially doubtful.
“They were just a bit like, ‘I know, I’m sure he’s lovely, Larter, but you’re not ready. You’re not set up for that,’” she remembered. But once they saw the depth of her bond with Adam, their skepticism turned to support.
By 2016, Larter reunited with Adam in Uganda; this time she was prepared to stay. She also began working at a children’s home linked to the orphanage where she previously volunteered.
It was during this period that Emilie Larter met Josh, the head of security at a hospital run by the same organization where she worked. Their paths crossed often, and a romance blossomed.
In 2018, as she was finalizing Adam’s adoption, life surprised her again. Two of Josh’s young cousins, Tallie and George, came to stay temporarily due to health issues. But what began as a short-term arrangement quickly became permanent.
“They ended up not going back. They just fit in the family and everything,” Emilie Larter recounted.
Josh formally adopted Tallie, now 9, and George, now 10. Then in 2020, another child arrived. James, just a toddler at the time, was meant to stay with them briefly until his health got better. But when they learned he was Tallie and George’s younger sibling, James became a permanent member of the family and the youngest at 6 years old.
Today, James completes the circle of four children Emilie Larter never expected to raise when she first set out to travel the world.
Though Uganda became the place where Emilie Larter’s family took shape, her long-term plan was always to return to England. But legal barriers made the transition difficult.
Uganda’s adoption laws are not recognized in the U.K., which meant Emilie Larter had to go through the process twice to be legally recognized as Adam’s mother. In 2019, she and Adam finally relocated to Worcestershire after she secured his visa and eventual British citizenship.
Meanwhile, Josh stayed in Uganda with Tallie, George, and James to continue the adoption process. The family lived separately for three years, experiencing milestones and daily life from thousands of miles away.
Emilie Larter and Adam returned to Uganda in late 2023, unable to take the extended absence. Today, the family is together under one roof, but their desire to settle in the United Kingdom persists.
To cover the high costs of visas, legal processes, and relocation, the Larters started a GoFundMe campaign with a target of £80,000 (about $106,700). The funds will cover adoption fees in Uganda, immigration costs, and basic requirements such as accommodation and transportation once they arrive in England.
Emilie Larter, who has built a large online following across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, is using her platforms to share their journey. “There’s something about the power of social media, it can do crazy things,” she said. “I’m hoping as things progress with the adoption here, that’ll get us more views and things like that as well. I’m optimistic.”
The family intends to live in Larter’s hometown of Worcestershire. But while in the UK, they wouldn’t want to forget Uganda, as their links to the East African country are profound. Emilie Larter and Josh want their children to stay connected to their heritage by visiting their grandparents regularly even after settling in the UK.
But first, there’s the problem of relocating the entire family to England. Emilie Larter is convinced that once they move to the UK, her children will thrive in their new environment.
“I don’t think they’ll have any problems whatsoever,” she said of her Ugandan family. “I think if anything, they’ll thrive there.”
From a spontaneous volunteer trip to a home filled with love and children, Emilie Larter’s story is one of unexpected turns — and the courage to embrace them all.
