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Adopting a Troubled Child
 By Sylvia Wasjutin
Several years ago, I read about the Summer Miracles® Program and their need for volunteers. As a mom to four young kids, this touched my heart. I immediately volunteered to help, as my husband is a fluent Russian speaker, and I am a speech pathologist who works with bilingual children with special needs.
We soon decided to host a child. One night, when we were looking at the pictures on the website, one picture caught my attention: Vladik, a skinny little boy with glassy eyes, a far away look, and dressed in a funny outfit. He looked scared, and his bio inicated that he had speech problems. I requested that he visit our city.
We spent six very easy weeks during the summer, with lots of time at home, the beach, the pool, and parks. During that time Vladic learned to swim, ride a bike, and eat things he never tried before. I will never forget how he ate vegetables straight from my vegetable garden like a little squirrel, or how he could eat a lemon with peel and seeds. He was so eager to try everything and be “the same” as my other kids. At times, it was challenging to take five kids to the pool, or to have my husband on the phone constantly explaining things to little Vladik (then 7 years old). But he was the perfect fit. We decided to pull together our non-existent finances and adopt him.
Vladik made it home from Russia only 4 months after we put him on a plane back to the orphanage. He said he thought he had a younger sister at the orphanage, and it turns out that he was right. After only meeting her for 20 minutes, we decided to adopt Alina, 4, as our sixth child.
Looking back after four years, the only thing I regret is not accepting that I needed more information on adoption issues. As a mother of four who worked in special education, I thought I knew all I needed to know. The journey has had many up and downs. Ultimately, it was incredible meet wonderful people who gave us the knowledge and support we needed to move forward.
I know that our little kids will make it, despite learning disabilities and emotional scars. They are healing. Along the journey, I learned about educational law and school services from the perspective of a parent. I grew immensely as I realized that I am strong enough to fight for my children, and that my priorities in life are very clear, my family always first.
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