Introducing the Players ...
Dima - our Ukrainian facilitator. This is the person who translates our dossier from English to Ukrainian and Russian and basically walks us through the Ukrainian side of things. Over the next week, he will find out when Katya truly is available for adoption. We believe papers were signed and she was registered with the SDA (the government agency) in March 2008. This would give us clearance to adopt her some time in May of 2009 or afterward. But, documents can get lost, left of desks, etc. So, it's critical that we make sure that she truly is registered.
Liliya - our Ukrainian tutor +. Liliya is a 21 year-old law student who is passionate for children and justice issues. She lives in Odessa but goes to classes in Kiev periodically. She dreams of coming to the U.S. to study law and then return to her country to fight for the rights of children. She will meet with Katya weekly for an English lesson. She'll translate our letters back and forth, and we can even talk to Katya on her cell phone. Liliya will let us know if Katya get sick or has any needs. If we want to purchase something for Katya, Liliya will get it for us. I have already fallen in love with this young woman as we have exchanged emails and look forard to meeting her face to face.
Tamara - Katya's Grandmother. Katya was abandoned by her mother in the hospital as a 2 lb preemie. Her grandmother took her home, nurtured her, cared for her physical needs, and loved her. As she began to age and Katya got older, her grandmother knew that the most loving thing she could do was to place her in the orphanage with the hope of giving her a family.
Vinny - The Director of Frontier Horizon. It was through Vinny and his organization that we connected with Katya through their hosting program. If you are interested in hosting a child THIS CHRISTMAS, there are still Ukrainian orphans who need host families. The dates of December 20-January 7.
Maggie - A social worker who is connected with Frontier Horizon. She is a WEALTH of knowledge and has adopted from Ukraine. She will help us prepare our dossier to send to Ukraine.
Forever Families - Our adoption agency. They are compassionate, sharp, and we'll get to know them well as they conduct our home study. Due to the unusual nature of Ukranian adoption, we won't need the full services that an agency provides to families who adopt from other countries. They have been very understanding of our needs and excited to work with us.
And of course ... KATYA!
