Riding the Rainbow Part 6

Part 6 - Where the ride starts to make me dizzy.

On February 18, 2011 I receive this comment on my comment moderated blog:

"I am curious (After seeing your comment on another blog) if you had a less than stellar RR expierence? I think if you did (or didn't even) you should share that so other future adoptive parents have resources.
By Anonymous on Wordless Wednesday? on 2/18/11"

I couldn't discuss this at the time and didn't publish the comment until many months later. But I promised myself to discuss it publicly when the time was right.

My Reece's Rainbow adoption experience was not a bad experience, if you don't count getting royally ripped off for passports. I made my own lodging arrangements, made some incredible friends, and fell in love with Ukraine. My post-adoption experience is a different story. Though I do have permission to share these stories in which I was involved, I have changed some names for privacy and security purposes.

As I mentioned, I kept my eyes open for other Reece's Rainbow children every day at the orphanage. Sometimes I would saunter over to a group of children that I wasn't really supposed be visiting if I spotted a vaguely familiar face. I might guess the child's name and if I was wrong the ladies would correct me.

I saw Sugar every day since she often shared an empty playpen with Zhen. Her parents were to travel shortly after us. Unfortunately, between paperwork problems and poor communication with their facilitators, many of their documents expired and had to be completely redone. They didn't end up traveling until February of 2011.

I spotted Janie one day playing under the shelter next to the one used by Zhen's grouppa. I was able to successfully try out my zoom lens and snag some photos for her family. Poor Janie had her head shaved and I wasn't sure it was her at first. I wasn't sure if it was a boy or a girl! But, yes, it was her. My husband fell in love with another little girl in her group, Marianna, so we made excuses to go over and chat with their caregivers. James said we would have come back to adopt her, but sadly, the orphanage attorney told me that she had "parents."

Janie's family, the Doe's, were the next family to travel. I put them in touch with my friend, Allie, who helped them find an inexpensive apartment for only $20 per night. This apartment was owned by Mattie, a dear friend of Allie. Allie was even kind enough to personally pay a cleaning person to get the apartment freshened up for their arrival.

On the morning of November 3, 2010, I received this message from Allie that read in part,

“The Doe family's interpreter just called Mattie (btw - She is a Christian friend that I have known for 15 years here) and said they needed the key right now. Mattie told them that they would have to wait a bit until she got there (she teaches at the university). The interpreter got on the phone and blasted Mattie -- even threatening to kill her and cussed her out profusely.

Then another man - who said he was the director of your organization (RR?) got on the phone and also threatened her. Mattie hung up on them. I don't blame her. HOWEVER, they got off the phone and told the Doe family that Mattie had threatened and cursed them. I say all that to say, I don't think I am willing to help others from your organization at this point."

The Doe family was then taken to an apartment arranged by their facilitator. In an email, Mrs. Doe told me,

"It was twice the amount of the other apt and did not have internet access. The owners, who lived upstairs, let us use their computer a couple of times but they worked until 8 and we didn't want to inconvenience them so we found an internet cafe on our own. We were set up with a driver who cost us $30 per day. When I asked about using the bus I was told how very unsafe it was and discouraged to try it."

To be continued.