How We Adopted a Daughter in 2008
My soul aches, my heart aches, I constantly think about it — I want a little girl of two or three, with bows, frills, cuddles, and a sweet voice. I long to share my maternal love.
Why don’t I give birth? In short about me: I’ve been married for almost 20 years, I have two children. The first time I barely survived childbirth — a disabled son, and the second child was born 10 years later, against medical advice due to health concerns. But it all worked out — we got our second son. I can no longer have children.
Years passed, the children grew, the eldest is now 17, and the youngest is 7. But all my life, I dreamed of having a daughter. Unfortunately, the dream remained just a dream. It was not meant to come true. Whenever I remember it, my eyes immediately become moist. We decided to adopt. We gathered documents for a long time, explained to the guardianship authorities why we needed another child when we already had two. In short, it was a tedious process. I barely managed to convince my husband.
Then we were told there was a waiting list. I insisted, adding that I wouldn’t leave without my daughter. At home, we started searching for abandoned children on the internet. All portals opened up. We cried, made requests. And then I came across an ad in the newspaper “Oh, parents!” with a link to the “Adopted Children” forum. I started looking at the photos, but I didn’t like anyone. I saw a girl who caught my eye.
I dialed the number, but they had already taken her. I sat at home and missed her. Every morning, I rushed to the computer to be the first to see the newly added children who found themselves without parents. I even subscribed to a newsletter where children born to HIV-infected mothers were added. I decided it wasn’t so frightening.
Looking at the photo, I found a surprisingly familiar face — it resembled my youngest. So blonde, with blue eyes, and looking so sad. I understood her! I read that the HIV test was not yet done. I didn’t care. I was ready to take her right away. My mother came to visit, and I started telling her everything. Then my husband came. I told him the same. We started discussing the situation. We decided to reapply to the guardianship authorities and declare our intentions. They handed us the final documents. I was very afraid — could I do it? Should I do it? It was terrible. Let’s go to the shelter. There was time after bedtime.
I took out my one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. So light, fragile, with huge eyes. Such a defenseless look. I was captivated. She could barely contain her emotions. My husband spoke to her, but she didn’t respond. She remained silent out of fear. And my husband and I realized that we needed this girl.
The next day, the chief doctor of the shelter delivered her entire biography: she was born to a drug-addicted mother with HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C. What horror! Can this happen? But my husband and I still wanted to take her. I brought my mother with me another time. After all, she is also interested — a grandmother, after all. They brought the child to me, and we went for a walk in the yard. Grandma immediately declared that the girl looked a lot like her youngest grandson. She even cried.
For three weeks, we visited our daughter every day. We brought many gifts with us. And then the day came when we could take her home. Our joy knew no bounds! We went for tests at a special center. She had no antibodies. We dealt with speech delay by reading fairy tales, and she caught up with her peers.
A year later, we have no regrets about our decision. I thank fate for the way everything turned out. I am very happy. And my daughter is too. She’s such a fun, developed, and kind little girl. You just have to want something very strongly for it to come true. And then you can overcome all difficulties. Don’t miss out on your happiness.
