Summer 2000 Issue
THE KUNKEL FAMILY
by Laura Ellman, LSW
Carolyn and Steve Kunkel are the parents of 2 children who were adopted from Russia. Their daughter Nadia, who is now 5, was adopted in 1997 at the age of 21 months. Her brother Sam age 2, was adopted in 1999 at the age of 14 months. In the following interview, Carolyn reflected upon her children’s adjustments since their adoptions and her response to media reports about international adoption.
ADOPT-A-CHILD: Would you describe how your children interacted with you and Steve when you traveled to Russia to bring them home?
CAROLYN: Nadia was scared of us and screamed when around us. She seemed to be attached to one particular care giver in the orphanage. Despite being terrified of us initially, Nadia attached to us very quickly. Within hours of bringing her to our hotel in Moscow, she wanted to be held and comforted by both of us.
While Sam didn’t appear to have any fear of us in the early days of our being together, his attachment seemed to take longer. He did not want any physical closeness and would push us away when we tried to hold or comfort him, even when he was distressed about something. We put him back on the bottle and fed him while cradled like a baby. He resisted this at first, but the desire for chocolate milk won out and he allowed us to hold him which, in time, really seemed to make a difference. I remember about 4 months after he was home, he became real sick and all he wanted was for me to hold him. It was during this illness that I first felt that we were getting there.
ADOPT-A-CHILD: Nadia has been home for almost 4 years and Sam for 1 1/2 years; how are the children doing?
CAROLYN: Both of our kids are thriving. They are in excellent health and do not appear to have any developmental delays. Aside from prophylaxis TB treatment for Nadia due to possible exposure in Russia, and Sam being slightly underweight, our kids were in pretty good health from the first day with us. We feel they both received a good start in their respective orphanages.
ADOPT-A-CHILD: How do you react to the stories about international adoption in the media?
CAROLYN: The media’s barrage of negative Russian adoption stories are disturbing to me on several levels. First, the continual focus on only the negative stories discourages those contemplating Russian adoption from doing so. Potential adoptive parents are given the false impression that all children from Russian orphanages will come wrought with all kinds of difficulties. In reality, we know that these “problem” children are the rare exceptions and not the rule. Not only are those looking to adopt being impacted by these stories, but more importantly, the Russian orphans awaiting families. They are being denied the chance for a good life with a loving family because of the needless fear being placed in the hearts of potential adoptive parents.
Probably of greatest concern to me is the effect these articles have on my own children now and in the future. After reading a negative adoption story, how many of the readers find themselves wondering about the little Russian children living down the street? Because they so rarely give a balanced view of adoption, we parents are put in the position of having to prove our kids are normal.
I believe that most of the stories we read are probably true and I am sure the families suffered greatly, but it is grossly unfair that only these very few families who have negative experiences are newsworthy. There needs to be more balance in depicting Russian adoptions.
I am also convinced that when reporting about problems such as attachment disorder, it is impossible to get the whole story. We hear from the adoptive parents about the problems occurring but we are unable to hear from the children themselves. I learned first hand that attachment is a two-way street when we adopted Sam. Sam was not happy in his transition to our home and made his unhappiness clear to us; in short he was miserable and pretty hard to love those first few months with us. The situation was further complicated by Nadia’s jealousy and unhappiness with a new sibling. As hard as this was for me to admit, I found myself resenting Sam. Had I not recognized this as my own problem and gone on resenting this precious baby, who knows what shape our relationship would be in now. I am happy to report that with time and effort on everyone’s part, Sam is now firmly attached to all us. In the beginning, I thought this day would never come.
From the Director's Desk: Sonya Girel
I hope that everyone had a happy holiday, and on behalf of the Adopt-A-Child staff, we wish you a healthy New Year.
I am very happy to announce that on September 29, 2000, Adopt-A-Child became one of the first American adoption agencies to receive accreditation from the Russian Federation. This Certificate of Accreditation allows Adopt-A-Child to continue to assist parents throughout the entire adoption process within Russia. I am extremely pleased to be among the first U.S. adoption agencies to become accredited. We have established ourselves as a trustworthy and thorough Agency, and I believe that our Certificate of Accreditation, received in such a timely manner, is a direct reflection of our hard work and commitment.
As many of you know, Adopt-A-Child continued to complete adoptions during the Accreditation period. During the interim months, from April 2000, until September 2000, our Agency was able to bring 40 children home with their parents.
On Saturday, August 26, 2000, Adopt-A-Child families gathered at Boyce Park for our annual summer picnic. The carnival games and balloon man were a success and a wonderful choice of entertainment. Thanks to Maddie Makler, Gail Makler, Janine McCrossin, Susan McGuire, Diane Thomas and Sandy Siegal for organizing the picnic. I have been asked to inform our readers that after planning the picnic for the past 6 years, this group requests the help of other Adopt-A-Child parents for upcoming social events. New ideas and locations for gatherings are welcome. Please call our office if you are able to assist, even in a small way, so that we may continue to enjoy these types of activities.
For individuals whose passports are close to expiration, a recent article in the New York Times listed the State Departments’s web site, www.travel.state.gov where passport renewal applications may be downloaded for your convenience.
MEDICAL EVALUATIONS FOR NEWLY ADOPTED CHILDREN
by Laura Ellman, LSW
Dr. Sarah Springer is a pediatrician at Mercy Children’s Medical Center, in Pittsburgh, Pa. As her practice has grown to include many internationally adopted children, she has learned the importance of administering certain medical tests for children upon their arrival home. Dr. Springer submitted an article, excerpted in the following, in which she shares her recommendations.
“The arrival of a newly adopted child is a joyous but also stressful time for most families. It is a good idea to plan ahead for some quiet time at home together, when parent(s) and child can catch up on some sleep, begin to get to know each other, and continue the process of attachment and bonding. This is in general not a good time for huge gatherings or big adventures, but a nesting time for the new family and a few close relatives and friends. One excursion that does need to be made is to the child’s doctor.
It’s a good idea to choose the child’s doctor ahead of time, and to speak with the physician before you travel to adopt. In addition to making sure that you like the physician, and that the office hours and location will work for you, it is important that the physician be willing to do the necessary medical tests and immunizations, and that he or she has a positive attitude toward adoption in general. Schedule a longer than usual visit for the first check-up, since you will have many questions, and there are many issues to discuss.
Assuming the child is not ill on arrival, in which case he should be seen by the doctor within a few days, schedule the first check-up within a week or 2 after you get home. Having a bit of time at home before the visit allows you to get to know your child better, and to know what things are of concern. The first evaluation should include a detailed review of the child’s history and a thorough physical exam, as well as an informal evaluation of his developmental skills. All children should have all immunizations repeated, regardless if their medical records state that they have already been immunized. There is no harm to the child to receive a vaccine over, but there is tremendous potential harm if a child remains susceptible to deadly diseases. The doctor will use the same catch-up schedule that would be used for a child born here who was behind on his shots.
In addition to the physical assessment, all children should have a panel of laboratory work completed soon after arriving home. Based upon several very well done medical studies from international adoption clinics at the University of Minnesota and Boston Children’s Hospital, all children should have the following tests:
* Complete blood count
* Lead level
* Stool samples for parasites (even if the child has no symptoms) 3 samples collected every other day
* Hepatitis B panel B must include Hep B surface antibody, surface antigen, and core antibody
* HIV Elisa
* Test for Syphilis BRPR or VDRL
* Test for Rickets Bcalcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase
* Hepatitis C antibody test (still controversial, although most adoption medical specialists highly recommend it)
* Urinalysis
* PPD test for Tuberculosis exposure. This should be a Mantoux test, done with a small needle prick just under the surface of the skin on the forearm. The test should be read in the physician’s office 48-72 hours later.
After the initial evaluation, the child should be seen by his pediatrician every 2 months or so to complete the immunization schedule and to monitor progress in growth and development. The following tests should be repeated 4-6 months after arrival home.
* Hepatitis B panel (as above)
* Hepatitis C test
* HIV Elisa
* PPD
Once the vaccines are caught up and the child is growing and developing normally for his age, he can see the doctor at the same intervals as his peers.”
