Advertisements
I have a question about the health of the children you have adopted. Are any of you dealing with significant health issues with your kids from the Ukraine? If so, how old are your children and when did you realize there was a problem? Because of the possibility that some were exposed to radiation, do any of you take your children in for thyroid exams? Any information you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.
Like
Share
We have three children adopted from Ukraine, none are from a region that was severely affected by Chernobyl. We adopted a little boy (6 months) in 2001, he was extremely small primarily due to poor nutrition. He is still very small, he is 5 1/2 and is about the size of a 3 year old. He has a heart defect and maybe has ADD, but not on medication at the moment. We adopted a little girl that was 21 months in March 2006. She is also tiny, but otherwise healthy. She has caught up with a lot of motor skills, but her speech and language are still significantly delayed. We adopted her older brother also in March 2006. He has a lot of problems. He has ADHD, RAD some fine and gross motor delay and severe speech and language delays (his speech has been evaluated at less than a 2 year old). He is also small, at 6 1/2, he's still in 4T clothes. He was not classed as a special needs child in Ukraine.
Advertisements
Hi Stephanie... I popped over from the "Russian Board". I adopted my dear sweet daughter from the Moscow Region (from a small village... a very depressed area), and when she came home, she weighed 35 lbs. at the age of 8.3 years old!!! I know that she was a premature birth (weeks?), very mal-nourished, and the orphanage director and caretakers simply called her "STUPID"!!! I was appauld by that statement. They also asked "why I would want such a child?" I basically was speechless and mad as heck!!! I told them (through a translator), that she would VERY bright, and will be very successful in everything that she does!!! They thought I was nuts! Anyway, her medical only described 'delayed phsyically, emotionally, and socially'. Eleven months home, I took her to her ped dr. and we decided to have her examined by a geneticist... DD truned out to have Mild FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), Mild ADHD (end result of FAS), and Microcephally (small head). DD is now home 20 months, and she is the HAPPIEST child I have EVER known. Growing (albeit) slowly, maturing well, is learning by leaps and bounds, adjusting to American life extrodinarily well, has many, many friends, and over all doing great!
There are always challenges for our wonder adopted children, and MOST of the time their 'medicals' are NOT correct!! It seems that they are Either 'Over the Top with things' or 'not properly diagnosed' at all. They do NOT have the facilities, etc. that we have here to diagnose properly.
I would and have told ANYONE that is thinking/wanting to adopt a child from these Eastern Countries that.... All of these Absolutely WONDERFUL children are 'broken', and are not perfect (as we are not here in America). They have experienced things that most adults have never in their life times. B U T... If you truly feel that YOUR child is there..... and NO MATTER anything that may come up (as if you had borne them yourself - as there is NEVER any guarentees either way), then that is your path!
I had sooooo many people (family, friends, coworkers, etc.) SOOOOOO WORRIED for me when I started this journey. I Summer Hosted this wonderful little girl for 2 weeks in my home. I INSTANTLY knew, when I saw her at the airport, that SHE was MY DAUGHTER. Everyone was worried by her height, weight, etc. I told them that I KNEW this was my daughter, and no more discussion. NOW, All of these same people, cannot imagine NOT having my DD in their lives.
I hope that I've made alittle sense here. Basically, I truly believe, that the 'Higher Power' does NOT give us more then we can handle in our individual journey, and even being a single adoptive Mom, I am BLESSED 100+ times a day with my DD. I cannot even remember my life before she entered it!!!
Blessings on your Journey.....
Hi Stephanie.... I truly believe in a Hosting Program. I knew that I wanted to adopt an older child, and when I found out about a summer hosting program, I knew it was going to be right for me. I was a single 40+ career woman (who cannot have children), and have always wanted to be a mom. For several reasons, I knew that my daughter would be older. The statistics for children over the age of 4.5 years old in the Federation Ophanage System is sooooooo horrible. Approx. less then 20% chance of them ever finding a "forever family", and even less chance if over the age of 6 or so! When I hosted, my DD was 7.10 years old. When she came home, she was 8.3 years old. She is the JOY and HEART of my LIFE....
A hosting program does soooo many things. It allows you to get to know (alittle bit) about the child. How comfortable you are with this child. If there are other children in the house, how they and the child interact. AND at the very least.... this allows this special child a 2+ week break from the "system".
There are soooo many Hosting Programs out there. I wish you luck with your search.....
Advertisements
AlekseiGirl
I am interested in adopting a little girl age 3-5. Is it possible to host kids this young?
Thanks!