There’s a little boy in Russia who is deaf and needs a loving home. Read this email that I received from Elizabeth Gastelum, an attorney from Illinois:
My husband and I adopted our kids from Russia last fall (both with hearing loss). We thought they were the only kids there with a hearing loss, but once we arrived we realized that another little boy in the same group as our daughter also has a hearing loss. He is 5 years old and Buryat (Russian, but of Mongolian descent). He is a sweetheart! Aside from hearing loss he has a form of CP (although this did not seem to be severe as he can dress and feed himself, and walk etc.) To make a long story short, I am trying to get the word out about this little boy to anyone that is thinking of adoption.
He is in Ulan-Ude, Russia. The adoption agency is LSS of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. This adoption agency has the ability to handle Russian adoptions without going through another adoption agency with the required Russian permission.
I realize that the recent media reports have seemed to indicate that Russia is or will be closing their adoptions with the United States, but reports that I have from professionals there and working with this program indicate that this will not be the case. He is five years old now and I believe he will be six years old in October. I am not for certain, but if it is the same scenario as it was with our two kids, there is a long waiting list for the school for the deaf there and more than likely he will be sent to a facility when he is six years old (unless there is a family in the process of adoption) that is for multiple handicaps (children and adults) and the majority are bedridden. He does not belong there. But this is a part of the world where there are few other options. I am willing to speak with any family interested, candidly, on what it has been like for us to have adopted two children from the same orphanage.
If you are willing to open your heart and your home to this child, please email me at: karen@karenputz.com and I will connect you with Elizabeth.
Comments
17 responses to “Deaf Child from Russia Needs a Loving Home”
In light of recent events I would-be surprised the Russians would allow Americans to adopt, if they are treating human beings as unwanted pets. Last time we read they were considering a ban on Americans adopting Russian children. Are there no American kids that need a loving home ?
MM~I understand you want to serve your country first; however, speaking from experience…the US doesn’t want families with children to adopt…I have 3…I have been turned down 56 times from the US…in fact sib groups have been split up and farmed out rather than kept together living in a big family…so yes, some of us feel the need to help others…and if God points us out of the US so be it. I wish we could have adopted from the US…we have now found 2 wonderful children outside of our country to help…Russian, African, American are they not all children who need a loving family.
we have thousands of children waiting for adoption here, a lot are disabled,so nobody wants them. Adopters only want children with no issues, but these are the kids not put up for adoption usually. I feel for these. It would seem from what we read in media when the American adopter found the child did have issues, they dumped them on a plane alone and sent them back, that seemed very cruel to me. If you were ONLY Offered an American child with issues, would you take them ?
MM – what has your experience been in adopting a child/children from the US?
Fortunately there are people willing to adopt multiply impaired children from the US and from other countries. We adopted our daughter from China three years ago. She has hearing and vision loss. One of my good friends has adopted 8 children from the US, all with special needs ranging from Down Syndrome to emotional and cognitive impairments. Another friend adopted a sibling group of four, two of whom have special needs. Another teacher friend of mine just adopted a biracial newborn. My good friend in California adopted two 5-year-old boys with significant abuse, trauma and emotional issues.
I think that people who adopt have to honestly look inside themselves and their families and know what they can and cannot undertake. I am not a stay-at-home mom and knew that i would not have the resources to care for a multiply disabled child with needs outside of my abilities and income. My husband and i chose to adopt a special needs child from another country. We could have had a child biologically at any time, but we chose instead to open our home to a child without a family, and one who might otherwise not be adopted due to special needs that we felt like we had the resources to help with.
Would we have loved to adopt from the US? Of course! It’s much cheaper and we’d have a child who isn’t so obviously adopted from another country. But the system in our country doesn’t always protect the adoptive parents — birth mothers change their minds years later, courts and judges put children back into abusive homes, etc. The fear of losing our child made led us to research other options.
This, of course, is just my take on things. Everyone has a right to make meaning from their own experiences, and these are mine. I’m sure your experiences as an adoptive parent of a child from the US makes your experience unique, as well. Children in the US waiting to be adopted need advocates like you, MM — keep it up 🙂
-SF
Maybe we should stop and realize- whether domestic or foreign, a person with the heart to adopt- bless thieir efforts!
Karen, your name is familiar. I am Deaf, live in Madison, WI and would like to get connected with Elizabeth for more information about this boy. Please email me at stefsaltern@yahoo.com. Thanks!
At some point this precious boy will be sent to a mental institution. Why? Because he’s deaf. Have you SEEN the video of the serbian mental institutions? There’s a little girl on Reece’s Rainbow who is 8 years old. She weighs 8 lbs. She’s in a mental institution. Why? She’s got Down Syndrome. Something like 75% of kids die within the first year of being transferred. It’s horrific. In Eastern Europe these kids are NOT valued. Any sort of disability, cognitive, a missing limb, a crooked joint, and these kids are shut away, given up. It is absolutely heartbreaking.
I would not waste my time arguing with MM, as I get the impression they may be anti-adoption period.
Jenny, I agree with you, children are children and need to be placed in families regardless of where they are or what their physical needs may be. There are many people willing to adopt children here in the US who have special needs, my husband and I have tried numerous times and the system does not work for the children. In many cases it seems to work against them. One little girl with CP we inquired on is STILL in foster care out in CA last I heard. Very sad 🙁
I hope that someone will step forward for this little boy. His smile is precious.
I hope he finds a home soon! All children no matter what country they are in deserve a loving home. And about the previous comment someone left, people are not treating their kids like pets. Seriously there is too much ignorance these days. You can’t judge all foreign adoption on one extreme case. I’ve heard horror stories about what happens in families that adopt through the US also, but that doesn’t make adopting in the US wrong.
There is no right or wrong country for adoption, but not every one can handle a foreign or domestic adoption.
We also adopted out of the country and are in the process of doing this again. My daughter is the biggest blessing in my life:) All the negative comments in the world couldn’t keep me away from doing this again!
I’ll be praying for this little guy to find a family.
MM – Show me a healthy six year old who’s available for domestic adoption, and who’d be locked up for the rest of his life if no-one comes for him.
Within the US, there are long waiting lists for families willing to adopt kids with moderate special needs – for example, recently over 500 people applied for an infant girl with Down Syndrome (incidentally, one of the highly qualified families who were rejected for this baby only then decided to go the international route). Most of the kids who spend a long time waiting in foster care have incredibly serious medical/emotional needs that many families just couldn’t cope with – that doesn’t mean they’re not able or willing to give a child with mild issues a loving home.
I say bless you all for opening your home to adoptive children, no matter where they are from. We are all children of God and need to care for one another as such. And if you are led to adopt from…. well where ever, just know that you are doing the right thing for you and your family. You can’t go wrong if you let God lead the way!
I feel compelled to comment on this.
First, Elizabeth Gastelum, congrats on the addition to your family!
Second, @deafmom, great thing your doing here. I’ll be following the blog regularly from now on.
Third, I have to agree with Jenny. A child is a child and a family is a family. No language or nationality barriers about it. And if there’s one thing life has taught me about kids, family, friendships and love it’s this – get ’em while the getting’s good!
And last but not least, Molly – Unfortunately, these comments can’t get my tone accross, so please understand the following as an exchange of information and in a friedly tone. Yes, some mental institutions in Serbia, some geriatric homes and even some hospitals are in a terrible state and nowhere close to properly run. However, children with special needs, or disabilities, are not put into mental institutions here and most of their medical costs (for treatments, supplies, etc) available within Serbia are still covered by the state here. Unfortunately, there is a lack of available treatments and supplies, which is the major issue for state run medical instutions and parents of kids with special needs alike, as they often have to reach out to other countries. It is certainly a flawed system and children and sdults with disabilities should have better car than what the state or people can currently afford in most cases, but Serbia has never resorted to placing these children in mental institutions. The matter of applying a decent level of care and treatment in Serbia’s menatl institutions, however, is something I am glad is being critisized and noticed.
Hope our little Russian friend up there finds a family soon. My best to all of you!
I wish it was easier to Adopt Children. I am a 48 year old single Mom of three young adults all with special needs. The oldest 26 with cp, lupus and other medical issues. I have for years wanted to adopt – any child but I do not have the money for the expensive fees involved. They are outrageous and to me it seem like these agencies are selling children rather finding them homes. We have a wonderful loving home – I as a parent have had to advocate for my children for the education and healthcare needs -not easy but that is what a caring parent does. Wish I only could have done this for more children. It upsets me soooo much to see so many children suffering and all alone when they don’t need to be. So sad
Every child needs a home.
Every orphan needs a family.
It doesn’t matter where they are.
If God calls you to advocate for an orphan, DO IT! If you are called to donate money, go to Reese’sRainbow.org or Showhope.org or Dave Thomas’s (founder of Wendy’s) site and donate money.
If God calls you to your knees, to pray for families for these children, AMEN!
If, on the other hand, you see a child in need, and all you can do is whine about “why them, why not one of our own????” Then, STEP UP. STEP OUT and GET IN THE SYSTEM.
There’s a child, or two, or three just waiting for you. Put your time and effort into finding and loving them, instead of criticizing someone who is advocating on behalf of one who can’t for himself.
[…] has expressed an interest in adoption, particularly a deaf child, please have click on this link to learn more about the little Russian […]
I am a special educator, 25 years old, and I currently have a teen foster child with multiple disabilities. I am looking to begin the adoption process to add a little one into my home. I would love to hear more about the adoption process, specifically the cost, of adopting children with disabilities. I have been looking here in the US, but depending on cost I am open to seeking children from other countries. Unfortunately, I am able to offer a loving home, time and commitment to a child with special needs, but the financial aspect of adoption seems to be where the trouble lies for me. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!
amie.matson@gmail.com
Thank you!
Amie
This little boy sounds so sweet!! I would love to connect with you for further information.
Lea_elina@yahoo.com