Our family is in the process of trying to adopt a 15-year-old Latvian orphan that we hosted back in Christmastime. It's a race against time, as in less than a year from now, he'll age out of the Latvian orphan system, and become unadoptable and essentially homeless. The system in that country is pretty scary, as the kids that reach the age of 16 leave the orphanage system and enter a life of poverty, drugs and further propagate the system of fatherlessness that has plagued the country and its people since the end of WW2. They are viewed as adults when they turn 16.
Our boy is a great kid, who was lucky enough to have a foster mom in Latvia for the part of his life after his mom was deemed unfit to raise him when he was 7. He's just been put in an orphanage last month, since his foster mom's health is declining and he's doing ok.
We're technically unable to adopt, as the law is written, because Danielle's age is less than 18 years old greater than our boys (by a little over a month). However, we've been told by representatives in the Latvian orphanage system and charities that work alongside with it, that we have a good shot at being the first exception to this rule. We have to keep moving forward. The process requires multiple trips to Latvia, to present our pleas to the court, as well as hiring lawyers and representatives to speak and work on our behalf.
To all those who have already donated back in November to support our hosting him, THANK YOU!!!
This process is as expensive (approximately $32,000, of which we have raised just over $1000 so far) as it is uncertain, but if we could pull it off, it would change the world for him, and give hope to other families that have their eyes on us.
We use our small power to do something great.
**This is a free service to adopting families. In order to keep this a free service, subtotals will include the 2.9% processing fee that Ordinary Hero is charged per transaction. Donors will also be given the option to include a donation to Ordinary Hero if they so choose. Please Note: If Ordinary Hero receives checks in the mail to be credited toward an adoptive family's account, 2.9% will be deducted to cover Ordinary Hero administration cost associated with recording and processing checks.
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