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I adopted my darling daughter Natasha from Green Forest Orphanage in 2000. This yellow building is where my daughter lived for years. She was 3.5 years of age at time of adoption.
Green Forest Orphanage is specialized. I remember being told by the NAC (Ukrainian adoption authority in 2000) that my referral was at a specialized orphanage. I freaked just a little.
I was very emotional (as most people are during their Ukrainian adoption trip). I knew that specialized meant handicapped. I was open to mild and some moderate issues but handicapped?
Well I didn’t know then…. it doesn’t take much for a child to land into a specialized orphanage. Yes there are orphanages for deaf and blind children. And now with the AIDS crisis (Russia and Ukraine are both believed to be on the verge of major HIV/AIDS epidemics) there are orphanages focused on HIV/AIDS children. There are a few orphanages that focus on mental retardation.
And then there are orphanages like Green Forest. They have a mixture of issues.
My daughter was there because of crossed eyes. This was easily fixed in the United States with 45 minutes out patient surgery by a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. The level of skill needed to perform this surgery is high and just isn’t found in Ukraine. And I was lucky to find an experienced Pediatric Ophthalmologist near to where I live. They aren’t in every city.
Other issues found at Natasha’s old orphanage is HIV/AIDS, cleft palate, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, missing limbs, rickets, hernia. There are also some healthy children too.
I volunteer with Life2Orphans.org (American charity) and work on projects for Green Forest Orphanage. And I coordinate with Les Amies de Svieta (Swiss Charity) that also supports Zeleniy Gay. And I have been looking at volunteering for a new charity, Orphans’ Bright Star.
Green Forest Orphanage = Zeleniy Gay
I participate on the Kharkiv Adoption email list. I have read hundreds and hundreds of Ukrainian adoption stories about many different orphanages.
Why I am I telling you all this?
So that when I talk about the opinion piece titled Ukraine’s Death Camps for Children, you will understand where I am coming from.
I don’t claim to be an expert on Ukrainian orphanages. But I am experienced.
Specialized and Internat Ukrainian Orphanages
Ukraine’s Death Camps for Children
I Adopted From A Specialized Orphanage
Do Children Die at Ukrainian Orphanages?
Ukrainian Orphanage Blogs
(where to find stories and pictures of specialized or internat orphanages)
Berdyansk, Vinnitsa, Uzhgorod, Zhytomyr
Dnepro, Volhynia, Odessa
