Hello! This is Todd DellaPorta from Massachusetts in the United States of America. I just wanted to send you a short note to let you know how Katia is doing! (She was your little singer and dancer and my wife Jill and I adopted her 2 years ago!). My beautiful little girl continues to grow and thrive here. She is an amazing dancer, and on several occasions she has been in dance competitions here. It is amazing to see her on stage, in front of thousands of cheering people!
Katia is as smart as she is talented, and consistently scores perfectly in school in all subjects including reading, math, and English. She has many friends, and enjoys spending time with them playing with dolls, reading, or listening to music.
Katia is my little “Russian Princess” and our family loves her with all of our heart! My wife and I speak about our adoption journey to Kazakhstan with great pride and joy. It was truly one of the greatest experiences in our life! Even more importantly, we continually speak with Katia about her Kazakh heritage and about the countries of Kazakhstan and Russia. We have purchased Russian books to read, and Russian music to listen to. We have purchased Katia many Russian dolls, and the flag of Kazakhstan stands proudly in her bedroom right next to our own national flag of the USA. We often visit the local Russian market where we always enjoy fish, chicken and Katia’s favorite, Palmini.
Please see attached photos.
With my fondest regards,
Todd DellaPorta
Massachusetts, U.S.A.
We understand that helping with an adoption process, we touch, in a way, many lives. Not only adoptive mom and adoptive dad are involved in the process of adopting. If the family has children, the process and expectations of it touch their lives. Grandmas and grandpas are also involved in a process and they also wait for the arrival of the adopted child, they also worry and hope. An adoption simply touches the life and heart of the adopted child, the adopting family, and their extended family and friends.
In October of 2004, Todd and Jill DellaPorta from MA, traveled halfway around the world to adopt Katia, a seven-year-old girl from an orphanage in Kazakhstan. Listen to his brief description of the process…
"You know, when Jill told me she wanted to adopt, my first thought was She and I, tangled in a mess of red tape, being held in an airport in China. Other people adopt, not us. Besides, with our busy lifestyle and the complicated schedule of two boys in multiple sports, I just couldn’t see how it would work!
One day she simply sat down with me, and asked me once and for all if I wanted a little girl. She had contacted a company in California about children available in Kazakhstan, a country just beneath Russia and slightly to the west of China. I knew that this was something I wanted, and my wife needed! I had three words for her. Let’s do it!
Now, two months later, I lift my sleeping little girl from the arms of her new mom where she drifted off to sleep. As I lay her in her pretty white bed, on her pink ruffled sheets she whispers, "I love you Papa". I just can’t imagine life without her. She has truly and totally filled a void in our lives, and I can say without hesitation that the entire adoption process was one of the greatest moments of my life. Her brothers stand over her each morning waiting for her to awaken. When she does, the room is filled with the sounds of laughing, and of love.
The trip over was amazing. The experiences we had, and the friendships we made will be with us forever. I thank everyone at adoption ark and abroad for their help. Katia has made our life complete.”
"It happened on the other side of the world’’—was in the subject line of the emails from Todd and Jill from the adoptive country.
This is their actual email when they arrived home:
"We made it! We are back home. We got into Logan on Sunday afternoon. What a great feeling to see our boys and family.
Katia did wonderful on the long flight. She loves our little dog, Lacey. She follows her all around the house. My boys, Keith and Chad are in love with Katia. They can't believe how cute she is and they love her personality.
Thank you again, Alla, for all your help. She is everything we ever dreamed of.
It was a long journey but every bit worth it."
We hope everyone shares their attitude, any worries and inconveniences – every bit of it – worth it.