Random Summer Fun Photos

We went to the park and took some fun pictures

Last Day of School Celebration May 2013

It was a BLAST out on the lake with my best friend's family!

It was a fun day of learning at the Science Museum of Oklahoma

I learned how loud race cars are when I went to watch my Papa Bill's Teams in Missouri

We got a dog, went hiking, celebrated Independence Day, got hair cuts, played at the park and went to birthday parties

I visited special people including my Great Grandma and Great Aunt and special Prayer Warrior

I Have a Dream for the Russian People

It's been over two months since I've published on this blog. Not because I don't have something to say, but because I've allowed the fear of those who love me to keep me from publishing what I've written.

But I'm sitting her tonight with tears streaming down my face - literally heartbroken for a nation of people that live in my heart. I'm encouraged by a number of quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. as the 50th anniversary of his "I have a Dream" speech has recently passed. I wish I could be so eloquent as to write such a memorable, touching, moving and eloquent speech. Instead, I'll quote him throughout this blog.

King said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

And so, I'm breaking my silence tonight.

I have a dream that the voice of the people of Russia will be heard.

Many of my friends, near and dear to my heart, will go to the polls in Russia on Sunday and will cast their vote for a man who stands for freedom - Alexei Navalny for Moscow Mayor.

A little background:

Best know for his political activism and blogging, Navalny is a well-educated lawyer who belongs to the Russian Opposition Coordination Council and the Fund for Fighting Corruption. He was named "Person of the Year 2009" by Russian business newspaper Vedomosti. In 2011, the BBC described Navalny as "arguably the only major opposition figure to emerge in Russia in the past five years." In 2012, he was the only Russian to make Time magazine's 2012 list of the world's 100 most influential people. But here's the "title" that sums it up. In 2012, The Wall Street Journal described Navalny as "the man Vladimir Putin fears most."

What happens to people that Vladimir Putin fears? I have one name for you - Sergei Magnitsky. If you have followed our adoption story or adoption in general, this should ring a bell. It was the Magnitsky Act signed by President Obama that led to Putin shutting down American adoptions. The Cliff Notes version is this:

Magnistky was a Russian lawyer, accountant and auditor who alleged there had been a large-scale theft from the Russian state sanctioned and carried out by Russian officials. He was therefore arrested and thrown in prison where he died 7 days prior to being released without trial. Because of the believed torture and foul-play involved in his death, America passed human rights sanctions against the Russian Government officials involved. Those sanctions are known as the Magnistky Act.

It should come as no surprise then, that Navalny was accused by the Russian Government in three instances of embezzlement and fraud, or that he was found guilty of a crime that my Russian friends say "there is no way he could have committed." He is a political prisoner.

And now, in a political move to "save face" with the civilized world and keep the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the Russian Government has set Navalny free for two months to allow him to participate in the elections. However, their true purpose in this is to claim their "democracy" and show those still under the trance of the government-run media that Navalny is worth nothing and opposition can not win. All of my Russian friends tell me the results will be falsified and we can know that the results are not true.

Another King quote. "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

Unfortunately, there are millions of Russians and Americans that fall under that label! Americans are that way because they choose to be. Many Russians are that way because they lived through the Soviet era, know that it is better now than it was, and they aren't willing too "shake the boat" even though better isn't good enough. And there's the fact that the only media the poor and rural get is government-run propaganda.

King said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

There is no yard stick to measure Navalny. He has stood up for a nation of people who want and deserve better. They want and deserve true democracy, not the dictatored democracy they currently have. Yes, I made that word up.

I commend you Navalny.

As for me. Our adoption is completed. Our daughter is home with us where she belongs. I could take the safe route and stop talking and stop caring about this, but these people are my friends! King said, "In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." I will not be silent and stand by and just watch as my friends go through this trying time.

I speak up for my friends - those I've met and had meals with, those I've spoken with via Skype or Facebook, and those who simply have followed our adoption story and supported us and the tens of thousands of Russian orphans. For my Russian friends who want freedom, I leave you with this quote from Dr. King:

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so, we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent."

If you are an American, or live in another truly democratic country, I beg of you. Don't take your freedom for granted. Vote. Let your voice be heard. For if you don't, we might end up in just the situation my friends are in!

Oxymoron: Russian Children's Rights

This probably isn't the best time for me to blog because I'm stuck somewhere between anger and sorrow. You see, I have been given the gift of this beautiful little girl as my daughter, and as much as I rejoice in that, it brings me great sorrow to know there are children who will likely never be with forever families. Some of these kids, I have met, played with, loved on.

Igor

Katya

Vika

Sasha

Alyosha

You are not forgotten!

You may not mean anything to your government, but you do to me, and to Polina. We talk about you. We name dolls after you. I cry for you in private.

You are not forgotten!

And then there's the children on the list of approximately 250 that was provided for the Russian Children's Rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov. What an oxymoron that is. Russian Children's Rights??? The only children in Russia that have rights are those of the privileged, like Mr. Astakhov himself. But then again, his kids and wife live in France because Russia isn't good enough for them...oxymoron.

Speaking of moron....well....I'll just let you fill that in yourself.

Back on-topic.

Astakhov has said that no children will leave to America, not even those that have been introduced to American couples as their parents and been told they are coming to take them home. Those kids don't care where their families live, just that they have families. Well, they *had* families until the Russian government took them away. Now those children feel abandoned by two families. Apparently the Russian government either doesn't understand what that does to these children, or they don't care.

I go for the latter. You see, this really is not about the kids. It's about politics. God forbid Russia let these children go home to their families at the risk of appearing weak.

No Russian government, you don't look weak. In fact, you have shown the work how wicked, evil, viscous you choose to be.

Half of these children have been returned to their biological families or placed in foster homes you say. FANTASTIC. Only, correct me if I misunderstand, but you already revoked the rights of the biological family or these children never would have been available for adoption to begin with. And what about the other half. And what about the kids who aren't on the list? Do you have hundreds of thousands of homes to place these kids into? And what about the kids who need medical care they won't get there, like my Polina. What about them? What about

Igor

Katya

Vika

Sasha

Alyosha

What about them?

You don't care. They don't matter. That must be the case because there is no other reason you would be causing the emotional pain you are putting these kids through by keeping them from their families. You would be willing to find a solution to let your children find homes and healthcare they need. You wouldn't leave them in your neglectful and abusive orphanages as recently demonstrated through videos and deaths.

There's simply no other explanation than you don't care and they don't matter to you.

Where there's a will...

Anybody who knows Polina knows that there is no lack of will in this girl. In fact, she's the strongest willed little woman I know. When she puts her mind to something, there's no stopping her!

Today, we went to get her new KAFO's (knee, ankle, foot orthotics) and as soon as she saw them, she said, "I'm gonna walk!" As the doc tried to fit them, trim them, and make adjustments, Polina just kept telling him she was going to walk. He was so patient and so kind. By the end of the appointment, I was fighting back tears...so if you're a big Polina fan...get your tissues NOW!

I love how she asks for gum - a true sign of where she came from!

Now, don't forget that Polina still needs surgical correction to her right foot and both legs. Her foot surgery is scheduled for August 1st. For now, the lucky girl got a new pair of shoes with a wedge in the right foot to help even her out for weight bearing. In the picture below, you can see how the right shoe in front is lifted at the sole.

And, if you've been following our story, you know that Polina's legs have both been broken. The left one is healed incorrectly and the right one still appears to be broken. None of the doctors or therapists have seen anything like it. Here is a picture of the Xray.

 

 

You can try to imagine how I felt when the doctor showed me this. I was angry! I don't know how it could have happened and been undiscovered. She wouldn't have felt it, but I can't imagine it didn't bruise and swell like crazy. Whatever the case may be, it just goes to show that orphans need parents who are able to pay attention to them and the changes and needs within their bodies. Blaming doesn't do any good, it is what it is, and now it's time to move on and fix it.

 

I do have a theory as to how it happened. In fact, when the doctor showed me, my gut immediately told me what happened. Polina had braces similar to the ones she got today in Russia. There is a big difference in how they work in the knee. I attempt to show you that in this next video.

 

 

 

What I believe happened to Polina's leg is that a well-meaning, but untrained caregiver attempted to put her into her brace and pushed her knee too hard (probably after casting causing her bones to be weaker) and the bones just snapped. I am thankful for the health care that Polina received in Russia. It is better than she would have gotten in a lot of places and she was lucky enough to be sponsored to receive care. I am especially thankful for those people. However, I'm even more thankful for the advancements and care available to her here in the US!

 

The following pictures are of her showing off her new hardware and standing with something to help her balance.

 

 

What an amazing day!

Russian TV & Big News

First, the BIG news everyone has been asking about.

Polina will have surgery on her right foot on August 1st. We are so blessed to have decided to get a second opinion and found Dr. Sinclair at Mercy Children's of Kansas City! He will remove the ankle bone from Polina's foot as it rests on top of her foot rather than to the side. This surgery will make it so that her foot will no longer slant and will make an L-shape. This will allow her to keep shoes on her feet (WOO HOO!) but more importantly, it will allow her to attempt to stand on her feet following the next surgery to fix her broken legs. Hopefully that surgery will take place before the end of the year.

It is still unknown rather Polina will be able to walk or not. It is going to depend on how strong her thighs are, and we won't know until after these surgeries are completed and we start trying. One thing everyone knows is that this girl has got the WILL! She wants to walk and she does what she puts her mind to!

In other news, Russian TV send a camera man to meet us on our last trip to KC. Below is a link to their story. It's around 11 minutes long and it's all in Russian. Even if you can't understand Russian, I encourage you to watch, look at these children, and let your heart be broken for what breaks His. Put your life in perspective, and find a way to help families that are adopting children from similar situations, rather it be through financial, spiritual, or emotional support.

http://tvrain.ru/articles/Po_tu_storonu_zakona_kak_zhivut_pervie_zhertvi_zakona_podlecov-345874/

Dear Mr. Astakhov

Dear Mr. Astakhov,

Since you said that Russia would "take care of their own," a video showing great physical abuse in one of your orphanages has surfaced, it was discovered that your doctors never discovered my daughter's two drastically broken legs, and now a child whose parents you blocked from bringing them home has died because, again, your system failed to detect a major medical condition. Is the location of this child's burial being hidden because of your innocence? How does it feel to have the death of innocent children on your conscience? Or do you have a conscience at all sir? 

Overdue Update

I know it's been a long time since I've blogged. In some sense, I apologize. In another, I've been spending my time with my precious family as we work to help Polina adapt to life in a family. I won't lie - it hasn't been the easiest, smoothest transition. I debate over what I share here. It may not be for awhile until I share, and it may be in the form of a book rather than on my blog. I think it's important for people to know the not-so-glorious details of what institutionalized life does to children. At the same time, my daughter deserves some level of privacy and then there's the fact that we are still under the Russian government's radar.

All that being said, Polina Joy is thriving! She is going to a regular school and spends her days with peers who are not handicapped in any way. We run into classmates in public and she gets terribly excited. We had a princess party for her 6th birthday. She plays Miracle League baseball, goes to 2 hours each of physical and occupational therapy in addition to what she gets at school. She absolutely loves animals and I need to start a therapy dog fund for her. She has ridden horses a few times. She loves her older brother and is very protective of him. They fight like typical siblings. From the outside looking in, you would never know Polina isn't our biological child. So many people say she looks just like me. That makes me feel good because she is the most beautiful little girl!

Anyhow, I took a video today that inspired me to update you. Polina has been measured for a custom wheelchair, a stander and orthotic braces that will go from her hips to her feet. It is going to take a few months before all of these things are ready. However, Polina isn't waiting. Today, she told me, "Watch this."  She proceeded to push herself up with her arms until her feet were lat on the ground & she was "standing" bent over holing onto a bucket. I wish I could get the video to work for you to see.

Instead, here's a bunch of photos of life as a Russian orphan adopted into an American family. 

Getting sized for wheelchair/stander