ABC Profiles Couple Trying to Adopt Haitian Kids, Surprises Them Via Skype

During ABC’s special “20/20″ last night on the Haiti earthquake, George Stephanopoulos and Elizabeth Vargas talked with a Portland, OR couple who had already adopted three children from Haiti and were just beginning the process of adopting three more.

But the family didn’t know the fate of the three brothers, until a few minutes into the interview when a Skype transmission allowed for the couple in Oregon to see the boys in Haiti. Emotional to be sure, but should ABC have kept the family waiting only to “reveal” the boys’ safety just for a TV moment? Here’s the video:

> Update: ABC News tells us the family knew the children were safe. Producers kept the family informed throughout the process. The children only arrived at the ministry after the show began. The technology of Skype also made the certainty of the tele-reunion tenuous at best — but it did come together in the end.

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