Adoption / Orphanage Donation
Donation protected
It's difficult to ask for help.
We were prepared for the large financial commitment when we decided to adopt internationally. After two and a half years, we finally brought our nine year old daughter, Andriana home from Moldova. Once we had gone through the long process of the home study, international dossier and were matched with our daughter, the country of Moldova requires a visitation period prior to hearing our case at court. So last spring, we flew to the capital city of Chisinau to meet our daughter. We spent nearly two months in our temporary home and in the process met her best friend, Ramin. When Andriana was told that we were going to be her parents, the first things she asked were, "Can I have white walls in my bedroom? And can Ramin come with me to America?" This boy was always so happy when he was allowed to come with us so Andriana would feel more comfortable. His big brown eyes and dimples did their job and we seriously began to discuss adopting him.
We learned that he had been abandoned at age five when his birth mother moved out of the apartment and chose to leave him in the street with a suitcase. The police found him and he was brought to the same orphanage as Andriana who had recently been uprooted from her first orphanage. As the two newest and two of the smaller children, they became close. We learned that he had been abused and would hide under tables and would barely speak when he first arrived.
After we decided to persue the second adoption, we had hoped that we could bring him home just a few months after Andriana. It turned out that due to political instability, we would not be matched for another nine months. He would have to wait while we took his new sister and best friend home, and left him there. We were told that because we had so recently adopted, only one parent would be required to come for the visits, they would be shorter and only one would go to court. When Shelley arrived, it turned out that both parents would still be required for visits and did not shorten the visitation period. So Shelley visited again for one month and then Les came for two weeks and court following her trip.
We have finally made it through, but with additional expenses than we had anticipated. More time away from our careers and an additional trip have added thousands to the cost, in addition to some additional administrative and attorney fees. As of the end of June, the final decree granting us custody of our son has arrived and we have been given permission to travel in just a few weeks. This is proving the most expensive time to travel all summer with plane tickets twice as much as average, but we do not want Ramin to have to wait any longer than he needs.
Adoption fees require a large amount of cash all at once and we have exhausted all other options for funding this final stretch of the adoption. Part of the final fees of this trip is a large donation to the orphanage where are children were housed, fed, educated and given perhaps the best care possible in their position.
While it is difficult to publicly ask for financial help, we are asking for donations that will help with plane tickets and go to the orphanage where Andria and Ramin spent the last two years. I have been told by foreign volunteers working in the center, that it really is one of the better places for children in the city. The director told us a story last year about how she had to petition for several months, simply to purchase more plates for the kids. There were only 10 plates and they fluctuate between 20-25 children at a time. There are several children who remain there that we will never forget and we would like to help however we can.
We sincerely thank anyone who even considers helping us out with a little extra funding. Once you see his sparkling brown eyes and dimpled cheeks, you will agree that it was worth it.
To see our family preview, enter the password "super" at this link: https://vimeo.com/163373243
We were prepared for the large financial commitment when we decided to adopt internationally. After two and a half years, we finally brought our nine year old daughter, Andriana home from Moldova. Once we had gone through the long process of the home study, international dossier and were matched with our daughter, the country of Moldova requires a visitation period prior to hearing our case at court. So last spring, we flew to the capital city of Chisinau to meet our daughter. We spent nearly two months in our temporary home and in the process met her best friend, Ramin. When Andriana was told that we were going to be her parents, the first things she asked were, "Can I have white walls in my bedroom? And can Ramin come with me to America?" This boy was always so happy when he was allowed to come with us so Andriana would feel more comfortable. His big brown eyes and dimples did their job and we seriously began to discuss adopting him.
We learned that he had been abandoned at age five when his birth mother moved out of the apartment and chose to leave him in the street with a suitcase. The police found him and he was brought to the same orphanage as Andriana who had recently been uprooted from her first orphanage. As the two newest and two of the smaller children, they became close. We learned that he had been abused and would hide under tables and would barely speak when he first arrived.
After we decided to persue the second adoption, we had hoped that we could bring him home just a few months after Andriana. It turned out that due to political instability, we would not be matched for another nine months. He would have to wait while we took his new sister and best friend home, and left him there. We were told that because we had so recently adopted, only one parent would be required to come for the visits, they would be shorter and only one would go to court. When Shelley arrived, it turned out that both parents would still be required for visits and did not shorten the visitation period. So Shelley visited again for one month and then Les came for two weeks and court following her trip.
We have finally made it through, but with additional expenses than we had anticipated. More time away from our careers and an additional trip have added thousands to the cost, in addition to some additional administrative and attorney fees. As of the end of June, the final decree granting us custody of our son has arrived and we have been given permission to travel in just a few weeks. This is proving the most expensive time to travel all summer with plane tickets twice as much as average, but we do not want Ramin to have to wait any longer than he needs.
Adoption fees require a large amount of cash all at once and we have exhausted all other options for funding this final stretch of the adoption. Part of the final fees of this trip is a large donation to the orphanage where are children were housed, fed, educated and given perhaps the best care possible in their position.
While it is difficult to publicly ask for financial help, we are asking for donations that will help with plane tickets and go to the orphanage where Andria and Ramin spent the last two years. I have been told by foreign volunteers working in the center, that it really is one of the better places for children in the city. The director told us a story last year about how she had to petition for several months, simply to purchase more plates for the kids. There were only 10 plates and they fluctuate between 20-25 children at a time. There are several children who remain there that we will never forget and we would like to help however we can.
We sincerely thank anyone who even considers helping us out with a little extra funding. Once you see his sparkling brown eyes and dimpled cheeks, you will agree that it was worth it.
To see our family preview, enter the password "super" at this link: https://vimeo.com/163373243
Organizer
Shelley Anne McMullen
Organizer
Denver, CO