Two-year old Vladimir stood patiently in line waiting to have his new American passport stamped on his exit from Russia, the land of his birth. He neither wiggled, nor spoke, but held on tightly to the hands of his new American mother and auntie. On the way to his new home in Oklahoma City, the life of Vladimir was ending and the life of Colton, his new American name, was about to begin.
Colton’s former home was a small town orphanage in eastern Russia, where his new mother traveled to meet him the first time last December. She returned at the end of May to finalize legal adoption proceedings, and on June 24, 2010, Colton began his journey to America and a new future.
The statistics on successful adaptation by adopted Russian children are somewhat grim. According to a recent Time magazine article :
Nearly all Russian children adopted by American parents have come from orphanages, where children 3 and under lose one IQ point for every month spent inside, researchers say. Russian orphans are more likely to have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder than those adopted from elsewhere. They are also, on average, older than adoptees from other countries and have spent more time institutionalized — the factor that most impedes adjustment to life in an adoptive home. (Doctors and agency workers who have visited the worst of these facilities in Russia have described zombie-like toddlers who sit alone, rocking back and forth, staring blankly or banging their head against walls.)
In most cases, Russian children end up in orphanages because they were abandoned, abused or neglected. Some are lucky enough to land in private institutions with adequate staffing and nutrition or to come from biological families that, though ravaged by poverty, aren’t abusive. Experts say nearly all institutionalized children must catch up to their peers developmentally and academically once adopted, but in extreme cases, even remediation and counseling aren’t sufficient to get adoptees on track.
In April, Torry Hansen, a single parent and registered nurse in Tennessee, gave voice to those families’ experience through an act both desperate and cruel. Sparking an international scandal, Hansen sent her adopted Russian-born son, age 7, alone on a plane to Moscow. In a note addressed to the Russian government, she wrote that the boy was “mentally unstable.” She was promptly and brutally condemned by the Russian state and the American public.
Looking at Colton’s sturdy build, I could see a future football player, wrestler or weight lifter. But his cherubic face could not mask his bewilderment at being taken from the only home he’s ever known, even as his new mother described its deplorable conditions. I couldn’t help but wonder, what is the agenda of a soul that takes on such hard lessons?
I caught up with Colton as we passed through customs in Washington, D.C. He was still clinging to his mom and his face looked forlorn. Was he merely travel weary, or sensing the enormous challenges ahead? While statistics suggest that Colton and his new family will have a rough road ahead, I hope and pray their new lives turn out well.
Colton’s English vocabulary so far consists of– “good job” and “bye bye”. To Vladimir, good job, dear, sweet boy. You made it out. I pray you’re one of the lucky ones who make this transition to a new life successfully. God bless you!
To Colton, may your life here reflect the sweetness of your little boyish face and may you grow up to be as strong and courageous as Vladimir and always keep the innocent heart he was born with.
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