After 3 weeks of paper work, court dates, waiting, and visiting we finally got to pick Samuel up from his orphanage for good on November 25, 2005. We had officially become Dima’s parents on November 14, 2005 when the court of Ukraine finalized his adoption and officially changed his name to Samuel Gibbs Norris as well as put our names on his new birth certificate. After that, though, we had a mandatory 10 day waiting period before we could actually take Samuel. The day finally arrived and it was cold and snowing.
Although we were very excited, we knew that the next few days could possibly be very hard on Samuel as we took him from the only home he had ever known and from the only “parents” he had ever known.
We were nervous to say the least.
We had a full day of paperwork before we finally drove to his orphanage to pick him up. We had packed a bag for Samuel with a banana, juice, his new clothes, a jacket, and a small toy. When you adopt a child from Ukraine, they are unable to bring anything with them. On November 25, 2005 Samuel became ours forever. We gave him a new name. We took his old dirty filthy clothes off, and dressed him in new clothes. And you know what, he was scared. He didn’t want to take off his old clothes. They were the same ones he wore everyday for the 4 weeks we saw him in the orphanage. He thought they were his. His caregivers had to dress him for us and talk him through it. He had tears streaming down his face asking them what was happening. They told him he got to go with us to a new home in a cool place called America. He asked them if he would like it. They said “YES!” He wasn’t so sure. It was heartbreaking, and yet we understood why he was afraid. After he was dressed, they handed him over to me. I gave him his banana and we walked out of there for the last time.
The next few days we finished up the paperwork and got his visa and traveled home.
On December 1, 2005 our plane landed in Washington, D.C. and Samuel became a U.S. citizen as soon as we walked through customs. My friend, Jaillene, had an American flag flown over the capital that day. That flag now hangs outside Samuel’s room as a reminder of all that God has done.
We are so thankful that the Lord called us on this journey. Out of the pain of infertility came the joy of being able to end the cry of an orphan....of bringing a child into our family...of giving him a home and an inheritance forever. Adoption is not for everyone and we don’t think we are more spiritual because we have done it. However, we do firmly believe that earthly adoption so closely mimics our spiritual adoptions that everyone who does bring an orphan into their family will be truly blessed. We are constantly reminded through Samuel’s story that it really is such a picture of our own adoptions in Christ. Just as we came to Samuel, God came down to us in the form of His son, Jesus. Unless God had intervened, we would have no hope, or security, or inheritance. Just as we pursued Samuel for many many months, God pursued us relentlessly through His Son and by His death so that we could become children of God who cry “Abba, Father!” Just as we gave Samuel a new name and new clothes, God gives us a new name, a new heart, and clothes us with the righteousness of Christ all so we can be part of His Kingdom family.
"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4-6
It has been nearly 4 years since we brought Samuel home. What a crazy time it has been!!! Not long after he came home, we began to see specialists for various things. He went to his cardiologist regularly, a physical therapist, his pediatrician, eventually an occupational therapist, the dentist (you can imagine how bad his teeth were after 3 years of no brushing) family therapist, etc., etc. and etc. It was exhausting, but we were determined to get him the best care and help him overcome the depravation of his first 3 years. To summarize, we quickly found out Samuel was in the beginning stages of heart and lung failure and his defect had caused a lot of damage that may not be reversed even with surgery. He was developmentally delayed and tested at about an 18 month old level. He was also eventually diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. At 38 months of age he weighed 25 pounds and was wearing 12-18 month clothes. He was -10% on the charts. On August 30, 2006 Samuel went in for his second open heart surgery at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (ranked number 4 in the nation for their cardiac unit) with the chief of cardothoracic surgery. Dr. K gave Samuel a 10% chance of fully recovering from 4 years of heart and lung damage. It was probably the scariest day of my life. The moment they wheeled him away from us was heartwrenching. The 4 hours he was back in the OR were awful. The ICU afterwards was pretty tough. However, a mere 4 days later Samuel was released with flying colors and God had done a true miracle. His oxygen levels were already near normal and everyone was just really impressed with how well he did. It was nothing short of amazing. Samuel defied the odds. God saved him and we were humbled to be a part of it and so thankful for the hundreds who prayed us through it! His last check up was in July, and the doctor declared him normal in every way!!! PRAISE GOD!!! As for development, he is catching up slowly. Samuel still struggles with academics and behavior, but he truly has come a long way. As of this past June, Samuel weighed in at 42 pounds and is in the 15% on the charts for his age.
Thanks for following along as I retold our precious Samuel’s story. It truly is one that is a vivid reminder that our Heavenly Father is involved in every intricate detail of our lives. He weaves together our stories in ways that give Him glory and honor and are for our good. Along the way, we had our doubts. We still, even now, have hard days with Samuel...but we will always know that because of a yellow sticky note declaring “the child will live” on his file, was how God led us to our child. We are forever grateful for God’s sovereign will and the beautiful way he sets the lonely in families.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I will try to answer them in another post!!!
