Dear A Child Waits Foundation,

It is so hard to put into words how thankful and appreciative we are for your help in bringing our sweet Sasha home. We are Chris and Steve Jack and we live in West Virginia. In the summer of 2003, we began exploring yet another adoption. We are the parents of our biological children Nick who will soon be 23 and Marci who is now 20. In 1999, we traveled to central Russia to bring home Dmitry who was then 11 months. In early spring of 2001, we became aware of a little Russian girl named Anastasia who had been adopted by another American couple. The adoption was not working out. God led us to this little girl and she became part of our family and the adoption became finalized by 2002.

When we began exploring another adoption in 2003, it really seemed like a long shot. We believed God was calling us to another child even though we knew we did not have the resources to do this, we trusted and began contacting various agencies to find out more information. I contacted the Shepherd's Crook Ministries in Cincinnati, Ohio to learn more about their programs. Steve and I had talked about adopting a "special needs" child this time. Kathy Rosenow at the Shepherd's Crook explained that they had just received a referral on a little boy then 2 who had suffered burns as an infant. She asked if we would like to view his video. I explained we would love to, but just did not have any idea how we would fund this adoption. She told me that if it was the Lord's will for it to happen, it would. We just needed to pray about it and trust Him.

Within a week, we received Sasha's video. We fell in love with this playful and very happy little boy. It saddened us to view the many scars on the right side of his body, from his face, down his back and side and right leg. We realized that with this situation it would mean having surgeries and continuing care for his previous burn injuries. We just gave it to the Lord and trusted. In the weeks ahead, we began applying for grants and then contacted A Child Waits after learning about them from our agency director Rita Pinkley (Puget Sound Adoption Services). After filling out the paperwork and speaking on the phone to Raymona Griffin several times, we received approval for a loan. We then continued to do fundraisers and that along with money from our tax returns and several donations from those whom God had sent to us, we finally had the financial means to bring our Sasha home.

Our 1st visit with Sasha

Sasha turned 3 on May 12, 2004. Ten days later, we traveled to Magadan, Russia to meet our son. At first it was somewhat startling to see this young boy with a stiff, turned in right arm and hand. He had very thick scars on his hand, arm, back, side and legs. It broke our hearts to see this, but we were joyful in the Lord to know that we would be able to bring Sasha into our family and provide the necessary medical care to improve his mobility and function and his spirit. By early June, we were home with Sasha.

Before bringing Sasha home we had researched medical options for the best care for him. Thankfully, we were approved by Shriner's Children's Burn Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. We stayed there in early October of 2004 for one week. In that time, Sasha received surgery to release his elbow and wrist to increase mobility. He also had skin grafts and his fingers that had previously been fused together on his right hand were released. It was a very painful procedure that left a large donor site on his back. It was very difficult to see him suffer through this necessary process, but we knew that God had chosen us to walk this path and see him through this.

Sasha and mom at Shriners

We returned to Shriner's 2 weeks later to get Sasha fitted for his pressure garment and to begin his physical therapy. He will wear his pressure garment and glove for another 6 months or so until his grafts have healed fully and smoothed over. He also wears a very cumbersome splint on his hand and arm at night to keep it straight and to prevent it from turning inward as it previously was. I am happy to report that now on December 17, 2004 Sasha is doing just great! He has fingers that wiggle and can pick up toys. His elbow is able to fully extend and his wrist is nice and loose and straight. He is so delighted, as we are to see these changes and so thankful to everyone, especially to A Child Waits Foundation for assisting us in making this possible.

Sasha is now 3 ½, very precocious, funny, loving and very smart! He is intuitive and inquisitive. We know God has super special plans for this young life. His siblings have taken him on as a best buddy and have fun teaching him new and exciting things. As a side note, recently after visiting Santa Claus, Dmitry asked Sasha, "Do you believe in Santa?" After a very short hesitation, he said, "Nah, I believe in mama and papa!" That sums it up on how blessed we all are!

Daddy and Sasha

We pray for this Foundation, that it will grow by leaps and bounds and enable many more parents to bring home that "special" child that God has chosen. God bless you! Sasha and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Sincerely,

Chris, Steve, Marci, Nick, Anastasia, Dmitry and Sasha (Alexander Nicholas) Jack

Our Trip to the Beach - Topsail Island, NC

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