The Sasha* Story
A US Family Adopts an Older Ukrainian Orphan

Look at that kid on the soccer field!  He flies down the field taking the pass and kicks in the winning goal.  High fives and smiles and a victory dance in celebration. 

“Mama, you see my shot!  I awesome today!”  The still broken English of my Ukrainian 15-year old once again warms my heart.  How far he has come in the 8 months he has lived in America with a family…a real family.
 
Sasha is doing well.  I'm tired a lot between work and home-schooling, but he is so much fun that it's worth it.  He cracks me up.  You never know what words he is going to mix up.  Like the other day he said "Oh My Star!" instead of "Oh My Stars!"  I didn't even realize I say that all the time!
 
We are still home-schooling. This summer we're doing about 4 days a week.  We're concentrating on Math and English writing and reading.  He is finished with the Rosetta Stone language program.  He is coming along well in school, but still has some distance to catch up to the vocabulary found in high school textbooks. I guess we’ll be home-schooling again next year.
 
Sasha's favorite thing in the world is to play soccer. He excels at it and we find the language barrier falls down when the kids are playing soccer together.
 
Sasha came to us with a past checkered with difficult and traumatic events from his 14 plus years in Ukraine, but he is amazingly positive.  I find he wants to talk and talk.  He has never had anyone just sit and listen to him.  He’s even surprised that we actually go to all his soccer games and like to watch him play. 

The other day he came to me and asked "You like watch me play soccer?" 

I, of course said, "I love to watch you play. You're my favorite soccer player!" 

He kinda smiled, turned and walked back to his school work.  It takes a flood of positives to wash away all the hurtful, cruel things adults have said to him over the years.
 
It will take several years of concentrating on him and his needs, to fill him up, because he came to us so empty. However, it is so worth the effort when we think of where he might have ended up had we not invited him into our lives and our hearts.  I also realize that our lives have been enriched and expanded because of Sasha.  I can not imagine life without him.  We are so glad the adoption finally went through after almost two years of riding the unpredictable roller coaster of international adoption.
 
There are so many diamonds in the rough in the country of Ukraine.  I know of a sibling group of three that would blossom if given a family to nurture them.  Please encourage people to consider adopting an older child. Only 3% of children over 9 are ever adopted.  They will never be the same if someone will just give them a chance…gives them a family.  Actually, they will be much better…and so will you!  You can help change the world, one child at a time.
 
What breaks my heart is the fact that hundreds of families are waiting to adopt children from Ukraine, but the government is making it so difficult. They keep placing quotas on the number of children Americans are allowed to adopt each year.  All the while the children continue to grow up in the orphanages and eventually age out with few skills to fall back on and little hope.  So sad.  But one boy; one smiling, crazy boy named Sasha has a home where he is loved, a family … and hope!

*   His name has been changed to protect this innocent but lucky boy

The Trident

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