Our Adoption
We were eager to expand our family by adopting. We knew we wanted to have another child and felt strongly that our next child did not need to be biological.
When we first met our daughter, Samantha Joy, I felt that she was much more beautiful than her picture and she looked straight at me as if she knew who her mother was. She lay her head down on my shoulder and relaxed. Later, the director came over to hold her and she didn't go to her.
She felt comfortable from the beginning, it seemed. She walked on and has had no major issues. She cannot speak well so doesn't call anyone's name (except mommy) yet. She even looks similar to daddy and a couple of the other kids
Her special needs, initially were recovering from sepsis and anemia. She also has a severe speech delay. The Kazak officials thought she had hypertension and hyperthyroidism; however there is no evidence of either. She is and has been treated for low weight and anemia. She is also being treated for possible TB that she tested borderline positive.
I thought the records area at the orphanage was very outdated and could lead to confusion of information. Although not up to American standards, the orphanage was clean. There seemed to be enough workers and they cared deeply for the kids. I'm not sure about their food. The toys and buildings were old and needed repair but appeared safe.
Our trip to Kazakhstan was my first trip outside the United States, and everything went smoothly. The second trip however, was horrible. It was nothing like the first trip so to that respect there was much that was unexpected. Our coordinator was not easily accessible and we felt abandoned. Our child's name and birth date were different from the referral. We do not know exactly what the real truth is at this point. Since her name had changed anyway, we will pick a birth day to celebrate.
Samantha Joy feels like part of the family, from what I can tell. She loves playing alone or with the others, she is affectionate and is learning her boundaries. The little girl we knew in Kazakhstan is much more different and relaxed here in the U.S.
The adoption process is long and very demanding. I would never do it again because of the difficulty and disappointments. The end result is what counts and is what I focused on. The laws should be rewritten and viewed over again to make this process easier. Perhaps more people would adopt if things changed both here in the U.S. and other countries.
Edward and Sylinda Halenda
