Ukraine Adoption, Eastern European Adoption - Adopted Child Returned to Ukraine Psychiatric Hospital

12/28/06

Adopted Child Returned to Ukraine Psychiatric Hospital

Posted by : Angela in Ukraine Adoption Blog at 06:12 pm , 274 words, 540 views
Categories: News Stories, Attachment, Controversy and Scandal

By this time many folks have read the Alone again news story. Jeff and Michelle Bignell adopted 2 children from Ukraine in March 2001. They adopted a 7 year old boy and 4 year old girl.

Let's call the boy S.

The Bignell family felt like they couldn't cope with S's many mental/developmental issues. He broke his sister's ankles, ran away and killed pets. So we aren't talking about small issues. Feb 2005, S was diagnosed with RAD. The Bignell family tried to annul the adoption in Ukraine (maybe in 2004/2005?).

I feel like I am missing part of the story... but this is the part that caused the most controversy in the Ukrainian adoption community.

December 2005, Michelle Bignell:

return[ed] an adopted child "who had been very problematic in their family

SPONSOR

She dropped S.. an 11 year old boy... who only spoke English... off at a psychiatric hospital in Donetsk. She said she would be back in a month.

She never returned.

US county child protection workers (through a series of events) found out the boy was in a Ukrainian institution. It took them a year working with the US and Ukrainian government... but they finally got him transferred back to the United States before Christmas 2006.

July 2006 Jeff and Michelle Bignell divorced. The pressure of dealing with a special needs child must have been intense.

The boy is now 12 years old and has "psychiatric problems" and allegations of abuse (committed by him). He is in a shelter and is being evaluated at this point. What does the future hold for this child?

I hope he gets the help he needs. He is now part of the foster care system.

4 comments

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: Wendy B. [Member]

· http://haiti.adoptionblogs.com

Wow. I just finished reading the article. What a crazy story. How sad for all involved, but most especially for 'S'. Thanks for sharing.

Permalink 12/28/06 @ 18:43

Comment from: Julie [Member]

· http://special-needs.adoptionblogs.com/

Should these parents have taken S back to the Ukraine and left him -- heck no! Is there more to this story than meets the eye - heck yes!

It is extremely hard for the press not to demonize the parents in stories like this, but there was much about even the most benign descriptions of this child that gave me the chills.

Just what had he learned to use crosses for???? For example...

Desperate parents of traumatized children who traumatize their families...it is the tragic result some adoptions - SIGH!

Everyone in this story has had their lives ruined - parents and children!

Permalink 12/29/06 @ 08:09

Comment from: poppygoats [Member]

I know it sounds easy to blame his first adoptived parents but this child is so damaged he will not be healed. I know I had him for two plus years. Sasha also broke up my marriage from all of the stress of his horrid actions. He killed many of our animals, and frequently hid any sort of weapons all around the house to kill other animals and attempted to kill siblings. the hosue waws continuosly under stress. The longer we ahd him the worse he got. He was under watch by one of use 24/7 we slept in shifts he had to even be watched when bathrooming as he would pull the shower curtain rods and towel bars down and break the light bulbs if not. It simply was too much. he had been placed into short and long term are to try to heal him But nothing worked. He was simply too much with out a lock down facility.
fianlly the heart breaking choice of sending him back to the Bignells was hard and I cried for a year but knew it was in the best interest of my family. I loved him dearly. We all feared foer out lives as well as the Bignells, I felt safe when I knew he was back in the Ukraine but now what will happen when he is and adult? They will let him lose. they system fails adults with mental problems. So now we do fear he will try to look us all up and kill us as he threatened to do.
The last time I saw him I told him good bye and that the Bignells would be taking charge of him. He put his head down for a minute and said
"that's hard! So when do I get my new family?
Keep an eye on the news I feel we will be on the front page when he turns 18.

Permalink 05/21/07 @ 20:06

Comment from: poppygoats [Member]

I forgot to add that the Bignells are really nice folks and they did what they thought best for all of us.

Permalink 05/21/07 @ 20:07

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