On March 17, 2011, the Davis family sat in a Russian courtroom and listened as the judge rejected their plea to adopt Kirill, an orphan with Down syndrome. "The judge said, “Your application to adopt is rejected.” The basis given was that Kirill was “not socially adaptable” due to his “medical condition” and he was better off in an institution than in a home with a family. As the judge read her ruling, she stated several times that we were a good family, that we met all the criteria to adopt a child, but that she would not approve our adoption because Kirill has Down syndrome. She told us that we could adopt another child, because legally our application had no problems according to Russian adoption law. She said she would approve our adoption for a “typical” child, but not this child. Why? The only reason? Because he has Down syndrome."
Being an adoptive mother to a Russian orphan with Down syndrome, I could expand on the million-and-one reasons Tesney and Greg's rejected application to adopt has deeply affected me. But that is not what is important.
What is important is that they are appealing the judge's ruling to the Supreme Court of Moscow and they need our help.
The Davis family has been through so much already... and now they have been slammed with astronomical unforeseen financial hurdles in bringing Kirill home. In order to just begin the process of filing their appeal, they had to pay $2,500. They have been told that they should plan to attend the Supreme Court hearing, which is a trip to Russia they never planned to have to make... add $3,000 - $4,000. If the Supreme Court overturns the ruling, they will have to return home and wait for a date to travel to Kirill's region to reappear before the original judge in their case... add $4,000 - $5,000. Assuming everything goes as planned, they will remain in country for the 10 day waiting period and finalization of their adoption... add $3,000 - $3,500.
So how can you help? A few of us adoptive mommy bloggers have put our heads together to create a 7 day blitz for Kirill.
Being an adoptive mother to a Russian orphan with Down syndrome, I could expand on the million-and-one reasons Tesney and Greg's rejected application to adopt has deeply affected me. But that is not what is important.
What is important is that they are appealing the judge's ruling to the Supreme Court of Moscow and they need our help.
The Davis family has been through so much already... and now they have been slammed with astronomical unforeseen financial hurdles in bringing Kirill home. In order to just begin the process of filing their appeal, they had to pay $2,500. They have been told that they should plan to attend the Supreme Court hearing, which is a trip to Russia they never planned to have to make... add $3,000 - $4,000. If the Supreme Court overturns the ruling, they will have to return home and wait for a date to travel to Kirill's region to reappear before the original judge in their case... add $4,000 - $5,000. Assuming everything goes as planned, they will remain in country for the 10 day waiting period and finalization of their adoption... add $3,000 - $3,500.
So how can you help? A few of us adoptive mommy bloggers have put our heads together to create a 7 day blitz for Kirill.
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Our first prize...
Canon EOS Rebel XS Digital SLR camera
Read all about the camera here.
And... a lifetime membership to ClickinMoms. An online haven of all things photography... tips and tutorials on everything from how to use your camera to editing your images to starting a photography business.
And... a lifetime membership to ClickinMoms. An online haven of all things photography... tips and tutorials on everything from how to use your camera to editing your images to starting a photography business.
Our second prize...
Cirque
Approximate gallery value: $3,400
- recently juried into the FMH Crestwood Gallery for the Celebration exhibition
- completed in 2010
- oil on canvas
- measures 3 feet by 4 feet
In October 2011, Reed will have a solo exhibition at The Artists’ Gallery in Frederick, MD. Currently, Reed has a solo exhibition at Les Idees Gallery, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Reed has had solo exhibitions at the Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Gallery Lascaux, Gallery 937 and View from Zenith Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as well as at Shenandoah University, Leesburg, Virginia, Figure Five Gallery, San Francisco, California and the Walker Fine Arts Center Gallery at Patrick Henry Community College, Roanoke, Virginia. Reed has shown her work in group exhibitions at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mary Condon Hodgson Gallery at Frederick Community College, Frederick, Maryland, The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center, Frederick, Maryland, Kentler International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, New York, the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, New Castle, Pennsylvania.
Reed has taught drawing and painting for over fifteen years in regional art centers in Maryland, Pittsburgh and Virginia and at private schools in Brooklyn and Virginia.
Reed earned a BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and studied painting in Rome, Italy as part of the Temple University Abroad Program. Reed earned an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, California.
In 2009, Reed founded Sister MamaCita, a Mothers’ Cooperative in the Arts and sister group to the Philadelphia based MamaCita, a Mothers’ Cooperative in the Arts founded by Melissa Tevere in 2005.
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- custom header
- custom background
- custom signature and sidebar headers
- installation of pages
- installation of facebook/twitter/rss feed widgets
- and more!
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Our fourth prize...
UltraHD Flip video camera.
donated by Joanne Charland, momma to Vinnie (a T21 friend)
donated by Joanne Charland, momma to Vinnie (a T21 friend)
Read all about the video camera here.
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Our fifth prize...
Organic Bloom Frame
by Lindsey Smith Photography
Our sixth prize...
autographed by Conny Wenk
"Schmetterlingszauber is a book about the wonderful friendship of three beautiful little girls. Although they are colorful and unique like little butterflies, they have many more things in common that they don't.
They love spending lots of time together, whether they hang out at home or on the playground having fun galore. Sometimes they even have picnics on a beautiful meadow. They love dressing up like little princesses, polishing their nails, having little "imitation" tattoos, singing and dancing, telling bedtime stories to each other and of course, jumping on the bed.
They can be really wild ... but to me they are just three little butterflies."
They love spending lots of time together, whether they hang out at home or on the playground having fun galore. Sometimes they even have picnics on a beautiful meadow. They love dressing up like little princesses, polishing their nails, having little "imitation" tattoos, singing and dancing, telling bedtime stories to each other and of course, jumping on the bed.
They can be really wild ... but to me they are just three little butterflies."
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Our seventh prize...
(3) handmade hats.
donated by Heather Randlett, momma to Bridget (a T21 friend)
1. Newborn/Baby Beanie-Style Hat... This crocheted baby beanie is crafted with a soft cotton/bamboo blend yarn, adorned with a shabby chic crocheted flower. Perfect for cute newborn baby pictures.
2. Women's Beanie-Style Hat... This crocheted beanie-style hat is crafted with a super soft alpaca/acrylic blend yarn, with 3 beautiful colors - celery green, mocha, and cream.
3. Women's Ski-Style Hat... This knitted snug-fitting ski-style hat is crafted with a soft acrylic/wool blend yarn in a rich cranberry color.
**All are hand wash only, lay flat to dry.
2. Women's Beanie-Style Hat... This crocheted beanie-style hat is crafted with a super soft alpaca/acrylic blend yarn, with 3 beautiful colors - celery green, mocha, and cream.
3. Women's Ski-Style Hat... This knitted snug-fitting ski-style hat is crafted with a soft acrylic/wool blend yarn in a rich cranberry color.
**All are hand wash only, lay flat to dry.
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Our eighth prize...
$50 gift certificate to Uppercase Living
donated by Kristen, momma to Ethan (a T21 friend)
Rules
1) Every $10 donation using the ChipIn to Kirill will earn you an entry into the drawing for one of the prizes.
2) All prizes (except the painting) can
3) Donations will be accepted through Monday, April 11th.
4) Winners will be announced Tuesday, April 12th.
Please blog it. Please facebook it. Please tweet it. Please share.
We have a lot of love to give and $15,000 is nothing when compared to the army standing behind the Davis family.
*If things do not go as planned for the Davis family, any leftover funds will be properly allocated in support of international adoption of children with Down syndrome.
2 comments:
I donated and will definitely be blogging about it. THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS! I talked to Tesney last week on the phone and we discussed how she was going to come up with the funds. We both agreed to let God carry that issue. When I found out you guys were doing this I went to my knees in grateful thanksgiving. Hemming that family in - with our prayers - our love. Praying Kirill comes home. Praying with all our hearts. Thousands and thousands. It has been way too long.
Thank you Julia for spreading the words. I believe things are going to come together on Kirill's behalf.
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