Many people ask us, “What does KLH Stand For?” and we are honored to explain the special meaning behind The KLH Group.
There is no better person to tell the tale than Ken Caldwell, the K in KLH.
Grandad was named Kenneth and that’s what most folks called him. Dad’s nickname was Buddy. My name is Ken and our son Liam is the fourth in line of Kenneth Caldwells, each bearing middle names as unique as our dispositions.
Liam was born An Fan Lian on 11-18-13 in Jiangsu province in a small fishing village on the east coast of China. He was found with a birth certificate that supplied this information but didn’t identify his biological parents. An Fan’s first sixteen months were spent in an orphanage 8000 miles away from Charleston, SC.
For a time, along our journey to parenthood, Hope and I wondered if we’d ever have a child to call our own. Doctors told us adoption was our only option. Devastated but determined, our hearts were quickly guided down the path of international adoption; specifically, China. So began a chain of events that would test our trust, patience and faith that a child, one child on Earth, was destined to join Hope and me on a lifelong journey of love as a family.
Although the one-child policy had recently changed in the People’s Republic, Hope and I probably had an unmentioned assumption that adoption from China likely meant we would be parents to a baby girl. I’ll never forget the day when Hope came home and wanted to show me the latest of the many emails sent to us from Lifeline Adoption Agency with potential matches to orphaned children. “What do you think about a little boy?” she asked. That’s when I saw the picture of a small, very round-looking, handsome little boy. Time seemed to stand still as the child in the picture entered our hearts and immediately became a part of us; we were in love!
Not so fast! There would be a home study, tons of paperwork and at times excruciating waiting we had to endure. Prayer was our divine companion! Our only connections to Liam were photos, videos and written updates on his progress. Thankfully we were allowed to send a present and cake on his first birthday while we celebrated at home.
Finally, in February of 2015 we traveled to China. On March 2nd, “Gotcha Day” we finally were able to see and hold our baby boy. It was there that we gave him his American name; Kenneth Liam Caldwell. We were officially a family of three! After a long stay in China and what seemed to be an even longer flight home, Liam became a US citizen upon landing in Chicago, IL.
Once back in Charleston, with his room already decorated, Hope and I began slowly and clumsily learning about the challenges of being parents. Liam began to pick up on the English language and his life as an Asian-born Southern-American was underway. His early experience in the US included surgeries and several leg casts to help correct the clubbed left foot with which he was born. The short time he spent in a wheelchair made for some daring yet hilarious adventures around town but especially at the Folly Beach pier. We also were blessed to find Charleston Bilingual Academy. CBA is a language immersion school that was starting a brand-new Mandarin program to go along with their established Spanish/English curriculum. We were thrilled to give Liam an opportunity to learn his native language, not knowing that by now, at 9 years of age, he would be learning to speak and read in Mandarin and Spanish all day, every day.
It was around this time that Hope’s many years of experience in the hospitality industry allowed us to consider pursuing the creation of our own company. We understood the risks, however having the freedom to choose invaluable family time while still meeting the demands of Hope’s job outweighed the trepidation. Alas, The KLH Group was born: focusing first on family – hence incorporating each of our initials into its name.
Through persistence and a lot of grace we’ve experienced the many joys, hardships, challenges and adventures that define most families and continue to build and strengthen our love for one another, and hopefully those around us. Personally, Hope and I went through some very difficult times before and after we adopted Liam. I was very sick in body and spirit. The love and grace I received from God, as well as from Hope and Liam, and my love for them has made my recovery possible. They inspire me to live in full appreciation of the present moment, with what we have, and cherishing all things just as they are.
In memory of Kenneth Mell and Kenneth Wayne Caldwell.