|
< Back to current news/photos
 July 2005:
We are so proud of Mathew! He is working at Camp James this summer.
Mathew started participating as a camper in this wonderful day camp and
soon was asked to join the Counselor in Training (CIT) program offered to
teenagers. Mathew LOVES his job and comes home every day exhausted but
wanting to share his day with us. Mathew has already decided that he wants
to work as a CIT next summer as well. We appreciate the Camp James staff's
efforts to train Mathew and make his first real job a wonderful and
fulfilling experience.
  
 June
2005:
Mathew has one more week as a freshman at Fountain Valley High School.
Mathew is so sad to see the school year end. He can't to start summer
school and is not very happy that there is one day off between regular
school and the summer school program. Mathew loves school more than anyone
we know. Given his choice, Mathew would attend school all year long and he
would NEVER graduate from high school! Mathew had a great first year in
America. He has learned so much English and made many new friends at
school especially. He is not only friends with the students but also with
the staff. It seems like Mathew knows almost everyone on campus. Next
school year Mathew plans to continue in his choir class and hopes to
perform in many more concerts.
 During May 2005, Mathew
traveled to Russia with Ann and Grandma Sue to help bring home
his new brothers, Sergei and Alex Daniel. Mathew was Alex Daniel's
roommate in the orphanage and was instrumental in helping bring Alex
Daniel home to California too. Mathew did not want Alex Daniel to be left
without a family and persuaded to adopt him. While in Moscow, Mathew was
able to visit with his friends and former staff at the orphanage. He also
got several chances to meet with his former foster mother. Everyone was so
happy to see Mathew again. They were impressed with his English skills and
I think even Mathew was impressed with himself as he was often put in the
rule of translator during our week in Moscow. Finally Mathew met with the
Russian Judge who granted his adoption and was interviewed in a Russian
newspaper about his life pre and post adoption.
 Mathew did a great job expressing his happiness to have a
family and how he has been able to maintain contact with his friends in
Russia after his move to America. The attitude in Russia right now is not
particularly favorable toward international adoptions. Meeting Mathew was
a great opportunity for some important Russian people to learn about what
happens to a Russian child following his/her adoption to America. We were
so proud of Mathew's ability to be a wonderful spokesperson for
international adoptions and a positive example of a child with special
needs making excellent progress following his adoption.
Here are the lyrics to the song Mathew wrote with our friend,
Dave Nachmanoff.
This song will be featured on our new CD that is currently in production.
|
Mathew & Alex in the demsky dom
Moscow 2004
Orphans, best friends, and roommates
Hard to walk out that door
But Mathew’s found a family
In California far away
He tells Alex, “I’ll come back and get you
If I can just find a way.”
CHORUS 1:
I’m going to join my new family
I’ll be an American too
I’m starting to live the American Dream
But I haven’t forgotten you
Mathew’s in California
He can’t believe his eyes
A big house with dogs and computers
Under a clear blue sky
Every few days he calls Alex
“Alex you must come and see”
He asks his new parents to help him
Bring his friend to the land of the free
CHORUS 2:
I want you to join my new family
You’ll be an American too
I’m starting to live the American Dream
But I haven’t forgotten you
Mathew and Alex in the demskydom
Alex is packing his case
Now brothers, again they’ll be roommates
Off to a much better place
On the Aeroflot plane the boys catch up
On the eight months that they've been apart
Thanks to his best friend Mathew
Alex now has a brand new start
CHORUS 3:
Matt says, “Welcome to our new family”
Now you’re an American too
I am starting to live the American Dream
And I’m happy to share it with you
|
Camp Joan Mier 2005
     
 Click here for Camp Bravo summer 2005 pictures!
October 2004
MATHEW
(16) has really enjoyed his first two months in America! Mathew is eagerly
learning English and trying to teach Russian to anyone who will give it a
try. In the past two weeks Mathew has been to Disneyland twice, Wild
Rivers a half dozen times, and spent last week at Science Adventures Day
Camp. Mathew is definitely a teenager on the go. He is excited to start at Fountain Valley High School on September 7th. Mathew enjoys calling his
friends in Moscow to check-in, clearly he misses his former caregivers.
His friends and caregivers from Russia are very supportive of Mathew and
were very instrumental in his successful adoption. We are delighted that
he can maintain contact with them.
 
 |
Mathew in The Wizard of Oz 2005
by
MYART.org
 |
|
Michael, Ann & Mathew '05 |
 AUGUST
2004: Mathew was finally adopted on July 19th, 2004!!! Thanks to everyone
for their prayers and encouragement. As you might know we were so worried
that we not get a court date before Mathew's 16th birthday in September.
If Mathew would have turned 16 years old before his adoption he would have
no longer been eligible for international adoption. Mathew would have also
been transferred to an "old age home" to live out the rest of his life.
Russia has no services or accommodations for children or adults with
significant disabilities.
Ann is leaving August 8th to Moscow to bring the "BIG THREE" Mathew,
Valery, and Ivan home. She will return with the kids on August 13th. We
are scheduling a welcome party.
Here is one of the letters that
Mathew sent to us during the waiting period:
APRIL 2004:
Dear Mom Ann,
I have just visited Vanya. Valera also joined us. Vanya showed us the book
that you had sent to him. We liked the book. Mom Ann, we miss you and look
forward to seeing you in Moscow. We are waiting for the end of the trial
and the court's decision. I wonder what is the name of the airport in
America where we will land? I would like to come to meet you at the
airport when you come to Moscow. The American Embassy is situated not too
far but not too close from our orphanage. It takes about half an hour to
get there.
I would like to work at McDonald's. As a waiter or as a cleaner. I would
also like to act in movies, but not in theatres. How many years do
American children study at school?
Matvey
4/28/04
This
is the information we posted on the website to explain his circumstances
prior to his adoption on July 19th, 2004.
 Matvey, or Mathew as he prefers to be called, is a 15-year-old orphan
living in an orphanage for special-needs children in Moscow. Mathew was
born with arthrogryposis (click
for more info) Mathew was born with multiple joint
contractures affecting his hands, wrists, elbows, hips, knees, and feet.
Due to his severe disability, his biological mother was counseled by her
doctor to leave her son in the hospital and to move on with her life. As a
consequence, Mathew has never known his biological family. As a "social
orphan," Mathew has spent most of his life in hospital-like orphanages. At
one time during his childhood, Mathew was fortunate to spend some time in
a foster home where he was able to experience family life. Unfortunately
for Mathew, his foster mother became ill herself and after two years was
no longer able to care for him. Mathew was returned to the orphanage.
Although his foster-home experience was a good one, Mathew did not recover
from his overall institutional delays. So many years in an orphanage with
limited resources has left Mathew mentally retarded as well as physically
disabled.
Mathew has remained in the same orphanage for many years. As a result of
his outgoing personality and strong spirit, Mathew has been a staff
favorite. The orphanage staff report that Mathew often talks about going
to school, getting a job, having a girlfriend, and going to the disco. He
perceives himself as a typical teenager in spite of his limitations.
Mathew has often asked the director of his orphanage to find him a family.
Mathew understands what family life is about and has a strong desire to be
adopted. What Mathew doesn't understand is that most families are not
interested in adopting teenage boys, let alone teenage boys with both
physical and developmental disabilities.
We first
learned of Mathew through the Internet. An urgent plea to find an adoptive
family for Mathew was posted on several Russian adoption lists. Mathew's
situation was critical as he would no longer be eligible for international
adoption after his 16th birthday in September, 2004. After reading about
Mathew several times, we realized that no other families were stepping
forward to adopt Mathew. That's when Jim and I decided that Mathew's
interest in being adopted and his lack of opportunities to be matched with
other families made him a perfect candidate for our family. After we
inquired about Mathew, we were soon matched and moving forward with an
adoption plan.
We are hopeful
that we will get a court date prior to Mathew's 16th birthday. We are
being supported in the process by officials in Russia's Ministry of
Education. We are also being supported by the orphanage staff and Mathew's
former foster mom. Even with that support, Mathew is in a critical
situation. What happens in the next four months will mean the difference
between Mathew's having a meaningful life or his simply existing.
We know that Mathew, even with his severe disabilities, can be an
independent adult. We have seen severely disabled boys become independent,
time and time again, with our other children. With the appropriate
training and support, Mathew can eventually live, work, play, and be fully
included in his community. Unfortunately, this training and support is not
currently available in Russia. Without an opportunity for international
adoption, Mathew will be moved to a Russian mental hospital for severely
disabled adults. He will no longer receive any education or vocational
training. He will no longer have opportunities to leave the hospital
grounds. He will no longer have any opportunity to develop his skills and
be a contributing member of society. Mathew will spend the rest of his
life institutionalized, and only his very basic needs will be met.
Essentially, without an international adoption, Mathew's potential will be
wasted.
Time is our biggest enemy at the moment. All of our paperwork has been
turned in and is currently being processed. However, the Russian courts
can only process so many adoptions, per agency, per month. Additionally,
many Russian judges take the month of August off for their vacations,
thereby reducing further the time window. It is imperative that we get an
adoption date between now and the end of July, 2004.
We ask that you keep Mathew is your thoughts and prayers. We will keep you
posted on the progress of Mathew's adoption. Thank you.
 
Mathew and grandma Sue in Russia
Mathew and his friends from Orphanage #19:
|
