Two Families Forever Bonded
Contributed by: David Hunt It all began in January 2001. Two couples in Texas, one in Richardson, the other in Georgetown, began their separate journeys to become parents - and with very different expectations. They both had decided to adopt to complete their families and both had chosen Russia as the country in which they would seek their children. Both couples found the same agency in Dallas that specialized in international adoption from various countries, one of which was Russia.
Once the agency was chosen there were orientations and multiple-day seminars to attend before the couples could receive their applications. The required agency paperwork was voluminous. The couples were asked to answer questions that were personal, and in some cases, intrusive and even embarrassing. To couples who are unable to conceive, the process is likened to the invasive doctor visits every pregnant woman dreads. Yet, it must be done, and the quicker the better. Though there were many hurdles to clear, more than with other agencies they'd read about, the couples knew this was the right agency for them. Little did they know that the process was just beginning.
At the time, the agency was not "accredited" in Russia, which meant the couples would need to make two trips to complete the adoption. David, one of the husbands, had been afraid of flying his entire life, and the thought of flying across the ocean four times was hard for him to consider. For a time, David Hunt and his wife Kari considered looking into a different country to avoid the flights. They'd heard that one country even allowed a proxy to escort the mother and child home and wanted to know more. Eventually, though, they knew that option was not going to work, so they continued with the original agency.
Meeting after meeting, the couples waited for their turn to be presented with a "match." The agency, after having combed through all of the information provided by the couples, would match the parents-to-be with a child the agency thought would be most appropriate. The word of the day was wait. Agency staff had made it quite clear that waiting would be the longest and most grueling part of the process, and they were right. The couples met by chance one summer day that same year and unbeknownst to them, their lives would be thereafter bonded together.
Finally, one of the couples, Bill and Ruth Ellen Heaton, was matched with a beautiful boy who lived in Baby Home No. 1 in St. Petersburg. August 2001 brought Trey's fourth birthday, and yet still no invitation for the Heatons to travel to see their son. The waiting continued. Nearly eight full months since the process began and still no word of when they would travel. Frustration and confusion mounted for the couple, as it did for the Hunts who had not even been matched at this point. Could Russia reject them? Had that been done, wondered the pair? What if it didn't happen, after all they'd already been through, the home-study, the three-hour drives one way to Dallas every month for meetings, the required five books that were read, the two sets of physicals and an unknown number of shots, and now to be rejected? It seemed impossible, but this was Russia after all. Still a mysterious, and for all they knew, unfriendly place to Americans, especially to those who were taking away their children.
Kari rejoiced when the Heatons were matched, however felt disheartened because she learned of a family that waited over a year to be matched, and feared she and David were on a similar path. She'd wanted to be a mother since she could remember, and patience was not a virtue Kari was known for. Kari's focus in life was now squarely set on becoming a mother. Luckily, the Hunt's case manager was supportive and understanding, and someone they could always lean on in tough times. Monday, Kari gave him a call. To their credit, agency personnel never pulled punches and were honest with the couple always. Nothing had been held up on purpose, it was just a matter of time until the couple would be matched. Wednesday of that week, the case manager called Kari. This was odd, thought Kari, "I just spoke to him two days ago." Kari took the call and heard the incredible news… she was about to take the next step in becoming a mother. Finally, the Hunts had a match opportunity. The agency made sure they knew they could reject the match and suffer no other setbacks because of it. The case manager was going to send an email with a picture and overnight his medical reports for review. Vladimir was living in Baby Home No. 1 in St. Petersburg. "Take at least until Monday to let me know," they said to Kari.
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