Our Story

Hello! We are Steven, Kelly, Tyler, and Kira Barth. We are very pleased to tell you about our beautiful family that was formed through adoption.

Our son, Tyler, came to us through an open adoption while we lived in New York. He was born on December 2, 1995 and came home with us four days later. We are fortunate enough to know and maintain contact with both birth families. He is undoubtedly the most wonderful little boy and we lover him more than words could ever say.

In January, 1998, we started to prepare to adopt another child. Initially we assumed we would find another child through an open adoption. Now living in Atlanta, we were not able to find an agency with which we felt comfortable. One evening, while researching adoption agencies on the Internet, I came across a photo listing of Russian children. I fell in love. Something in me told me this is what we were meant to do. I requested every piece of information from every international adoption agency I could get my hands on. Armed with pictures of beautiful Russian children, I approached my husband. "Let's go for it", he said. We were on our way to Russia!

The next couple of months came and went very quickly. the entire process, from beginning to end, took less than four months. Because we did not have much time to raise the money necessary for the adoption, we sought assistance from A Child Waits Foundation. They have been a godsend and helped us to meet the financial demands necessary to go to Russia for our daughter.

Our paperwork(VISA's, I171-H, passports, etc.) was sent to our adoption agency (Victoria/ Frank Adoption Center in North Carolina) on June 1, 1998.On June 2, 1998 our agency called to tell us they had a baby girl to refer to us!@ I had received the call at work and was pretty useless after that. We were about to find out who our daughter was! We were told her video and picture were being sent overnight and would be to us by 10:00 a.m. the next morning. I sat anxiously by the front door - that was the longest couple of hours! Finally, the Federal Express truck turned the corner and I started to shake! I could not get the envelope open fast enough. Her picture was there and she was adorable! A tiny little thing with a tiny nose, beautiful eyes, and clothes three sizes too big. This was our daughter!

I called my husband at work so he could listen to the video with me. Wow, she looks even more adorable in person. Our son is yelling, "that's my baby sister". I can't take my eyes off of here - I don't even remember if I said anything to my husband on the phone. What a smile! When we get to watch her video together, we both say to heck with the medical evaluation, we want her! That night we agree, "let's go get our daughter".

Now, as we come to our senses we realize - we don't have all of the money together as this has happened so quickly. Mail that application off to A Child Waits Foundation and pray they accept us! And they did! The check came the week before we were to leave for Russia. It was as if Randy and Cindy were our guardian angels as the loan was sent exactly when we needed it. It was all too good to be true!

The next couple of weeks our emotions swing from elation to panic. Will she be healthy? Really ours? My biggest fear - being away from our son for the first time. That was the worst part! I worked so hard at preparing him for the separation; I needed someone to reassure me he would be O.K.

Unless you have adopted internationally, you cannot begin to imagine the preparation for traveling to a foreign country to bring a baby home. You have to prepare for any situation that may arise. You may stay for a week, maybe three, your child may get ill and there is no medicine in Russia for her, buying gifts for fifteen people, packing snacks in case you can't eat the food, etc..

Finally, June 28th arrives. We leave Atlanta at 1:30p.m. I am hysterical all morning about leaving our son. I don't handle that part well at all. My mother becomes very ill and won't be here until the next day, we are forced to leave our son with a neighbor. I cry most of the way to the airport.

The flight to Russia was eight and a half hours from JFK, but time passed quickly. There were several other families also traveling to meet their children. We pass the time telling each other our stories and trading pictures. Everyone is so excited and so anxious to see their children.

When we got off the plane, we found ourselves stepping back in time. It seemed to be 1960, rather dark and swarming with uniformed workers. We cannot find our Russian facilitator and we begin to panic. The line moves extremely slowly and it takes over one hour to get through customs. Of course, airport security wanted to sift through the one suitcase we had covered in duct tape - must have been a red flag. When she sees all of the gifts, she exclaims, "Ah, presents", and waves us through.

Since we arrived a day early (which we highly recommend) we were able to see Red Square, take a shower and attempt a good night's sleep. We were still pretty scared, must have been all of those old movies we watched as children. It is very intimidating being in a foreign country where you do not read nor speak the language.

The next morning, Tatiana, our facilitator, meets us promptly at 8:00a.m. in the hotel lobby. We climb in to an old van with windows covered in black curtains. We feel part of a covert operation, under cover to build our family. We are off to the airport again to pick up another couple, then on to the orphanage in Tver!

It is Monday when we arrive at the orphanage. We first come upon the playground. "This must be the old playground", I say to myself, "the new one must be around back". Well, there was no new playground. The building was crumbling and the smell inside was not pleasant. We were escorted to a room to wait for our children to b e introduced. While waiting, we have a chance to ask the orphanage doctor questions about our daughter's medical history. We get very few answers.

Finally, Kira is brought in to the room. Oh my gosh, she is absolutely beautiful. She smiles instantly, as if she knows she is going home. She is fascinated by Steven's mustache. This is our little girl!! We spend most of the next three days at the orphanage getting to know her. She is so happy and has obviously been loved by her care givers. We cannot wait to get here home to meet her big brother.

Tuesday and Wednesday are spent at the orphanage handling paperwork and meeting the other children who live there. This was very hard. There were many beautiful children in need of loving homes. They cling to us with arms up high as if to say, "please, take me out of here". It is very emotional; all children deserve the love and security of a family. We promise to do our best to spread the word when we return to the U.S. We are happy to say that we have been instrumental in finding one three year old boy a home in the United States.

I still cry when thinking of the sick children who live an even more dismal life in the orphanages. These children are deemed "unadoptable" by the Russians and are basically warehoused until their little hearts just give up. It all seems so unfair. So many of these children could live normal lives, if only we could just get them to the States.

      Kira - Our Daughter!

Wednesday was our court date and it was a wonderful experience. After the formality of the adoption, the Prosecutor and Minister of Education hugged us and wished us well. They were very emotional. We met with the Judge privately and she told us in English, "thank you for helping our children". It meant so much to us. Kira was ours forever! We go back to the orphanage to dress our little girl and head for the host family's apartment in Moscow.

Staying with Yuri and Sveta in Moscow was such a wonderful experience. We've never met two nicer people. They made us feel so at home. They cooked for us and helped with caring for Kira. Sveta even washed my hair for me! They were very special people. Communicating was a learning experience for all of us, but true friendship knows no barriers. We think of them often and hope they are faring the recent hardships in Russia.

Two nights in Moscow and it was time to go home. Our flight home was tens hours, Kira slept for five and cried for five. We were completely exhausted by the time we landed at JFK. It was a shear effort to stay awake for the return flight to Atlanta.

At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 3, we land in Atlanta to our family and beautiful son. Tyler was very excited to see his baby sister. We were very excited to be home!

Kira had adapted to us wonderfully. She has put on more than four pounds in three months and has grown almost three inches. She is so happy and easygoing and adores her big brother. She seems to be at such peace to be home with her forever family. We are two very lucky parents as we gaze at our beautiful family and thank our lucky stars (and the people of Russia) for all of our good fortune.