The war in Ukraine has derailed one American family's adoption plan

The war in Ukraine has derailed one American family's adoption¹ plan

Transcript²

Tracy and Nat Bell in their home in Leeds, Maine.

Rebecca Conley of Maine Public

Tracy Bell has waited two years to adopt two Ukrainian boys but due to a bureaucratic³ and legal system upended by the war, she may have to wait much longer.

Tracy first met the boys, Vanya and Serogzha, now 17 and 14, in New York during a sponsored trip to the U.S. The youngest was sick to his stomach, unable to keep anything down on the long car ride to her farm in Maine.

"And his older brother was wiping his face for him and trying to help him feel better," Tracy said. "And when I saw that love and compassion⁴ and connection between those two boys, I think that's when I adopted them in my heart."

Since then, the boys have twice traveled back and forth⁵ from their orphanage⁶ to Maine for extended visits with Tracy, her husband Nat, and their two biological sons about the same age.

Last year, the couple began the process of adopting the boys. And in late January, as Russian troops gathered n the border, they made the difficult decision to travel to Ukraine for a required appointment with the State Department of Adoption.

Tracy sat her two biological sons down in the living room and tearfully told them she and their dad had to make the risky⁷ trip or they might lose their chance to adopt the boys and bring them home.

She said her sons said, "It's okay, we knew you and dad would go."

The Bells visited Vanya and Serogzha in their rural orphanage and filled out legal paperwork. Then they returned home. Their adoption was not complete by the time Russia invaded Ukraine.

Holding out hope

The Bells held their breath as the orphanage director worked out an evacuation plan for the boys and nearly 60 other kids.

The group is now in Poland and while Nat is relieved, he said the boys are now stuck in a legal system under immense strain due to the war.

"Currently they're safe but they're not eligible⁸ for a tourist visa because they're in the adoption process," Nat said. "And we can't get them without a (Ukrainian) judge granting us custody⁹."

He said the only option is for the federal government to allow the boys to come to the U.S.

Daniel Stevens, the executive director of Family Connections Inc, an agency involved with international adoptions¹⁰, said it's an equally tenuous¹¹ situation for other Ukrainian orphans¹². There may be host families willing to take them in, but no way to facilitate the process. Stevens said there should be a safe, organized, trackable way to get kids into placements.

"Maybe it's for the next 60 days, maybe it's 90 days, maybe it's longer," Stevens said.

The Bell family is currently working with members of Maine's congressional delegation¹³ on possible solutions. The family is grateful for the outpouring of support they've received.

Tracy's thoughts are also with the orphanage director who was unable to cross the border because he's a man in his 50s who may be needed to fight in the Ukrainian resistance.

"I'm just so thankful he took care of my boys for the years they were in his care," Tracy said. "And I hope he is okay."

1 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

4 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 orphanage   

n.孤儿院

参考例句：

• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
• They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。

7 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

8 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

9 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

10 adoptions   

n.采用，收养( adoption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Adoption agencies are always so open to alternative family adoptions. 领养中介机构永远都对领养家庭敞开。 来自电影对白
• The number of adoptions has grown in the past year. 去年，收养子女的数字增加了。 来自互联网

11 tenuous   

adj.细薄的，稀薄的，空洞的

参考例句：

• He has a rather tenuous grasp of reality.他对现实认识很肤浅。
• The air ten miles above the earth is very tenuous.距离地面十公里的空气十分稀薄。

12 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

13 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。