Throughout our adoption journey, I have written our blog based on our experience and time with Zoya. Our journey has been a glorious and blessed time. Over the past several months, we have seen so many milestones in Zoya’s life; The many “firsts” that Zoya has been able to experience. All the things we have taken for granted, Zoya has embraced them as if she was given the greatest treasures. Amy and I have taken some time lately and started looking back into our files and all the paperwork that went into adoption. Within the paperwork are Zoya’s reports from the courts and social workers. In addition to reading, Zoya has started to open up more about her life as an orphan. Some of her stories and depictions of growing up can just tear your heart open. Therefore, based on some research within the court papers that include a timeline of Zoya’s different placements in social care or orphanages and Zoya’s stories, I thought it would be nice to share Zoya’s journey. Disclaimer: I can write only what I have read and heard, I cannot depict what Zoya’s life was really like, nor have the emotional capacity to fathom what an orphan’s life is like. On that note, here is Zoya’s journey.
March 6, 2004: Zoya Meglenova Angelova is born in Berkovitsa,
District of Montana, and Country of Bulgaria.
Zoya’s birth mother is known and father is unknown.
June 9, 2004: Due to extreme poverty, a Social Assistance
directorate is issued and Zoya is removed from her mother’s care and put into a
home for medical and social care in the city of Berkovitsa. Courts rule that Zoya’s mother is unable to
care for her because of extreme poverty.
December 14, 2004: After 6 months, the Social Assistance
directorate ceases and Zoya is placed back with her mother due to reintegration
with her biological family and filing an application and statement with social
services.
Zoya lives with her mother for nearly two years, however on
November 14, 2006 (nearly four month shy of her 3rd birthday), Zoya
is placed back into the home for medical and social care in Berkovitsa due to her
mother’s inability to raise her.
Shortly after Zoya’s 4th birthday, she is transferred
and placed into the Home for Children Deprived of Parental Care in the village
of Georgy Damianovo on March 24, 2008.
August 13, 2010: Zoya’s profile is submitted to be added to
the Bulgarian national adoption registry and the courts officially added her to
the registry on September 18, 2010. After no Bulgarian families showed interest
in adopting Zoya, her profile was submitted to the international adoption
registry on July 29, 2011. It is not until August 9, 2012, over a year later,
that the courts officially added Zoya’s profile to the international adoption registry. Little did she know that on the other side of
the world, a family in Carlsbad, NM would start the adoption process and send
in their initial application on August 19, 2012, just 10 days after she was
added to the registry. And 6 months
later that very same family would open a web page listing children on the “Waiting
Child” list and would see her for the first time. It was at that very moment, February 10,
2013, that Amy and I knew God put Zoya in our life and on February 14th,
we signed papers to Zoya’s profile for adoption.
Zoya remained in the Georgy Damianovo orphanage for three
and a half years. On September 29, 2011,
Zoya was placed in the Center of Family Placing orphanage located in the small
village of Gavril Genovo. It is this
orphanage Zoya would live until being united with her forever and loving
family.
Since Zoya was taken from her mother on November 2006, her
mother only visited one time and made only one attempt to call her over the
next seven years. Though, Zoya’s mother
never gave consent for Zoya to be adopted, the courts determined she had no say
in the matter as she never made attempts to integrate Zoya into her family.
August 21, 2013: Our application to adopt Zoya is entered
into the registrants and on September 18, 2013 the International Adoption
Council determines we are suitable adoptive parents.
October 8, 2013: The
Bulgarian Ministry of Justice grants consent of the adoption procedure. Zoya is now told that a family wants to come and
meet her and potentially adopt her. We
are notified of the great news and start planning our travel to meet Zoya for
the first time. This is considered the
referral phase of the adoption.
November 11, 2013:
The day we get to meet our precious Zoya for the first time!! Zoya
recently shared her remembrance of this day.
Because we were coming, Zoya did not have to attend school that week, so
Zoya was the only child there (except one other boy that was sick). Zoya said she was so excited to meet us and
asked if she could wear a pretty pink dress for when we arrived. She said she anxiously awaited and looked out
the front window facing the street……Then the car we were in pulls up and Zoya
said, “There is my Mommy and Daddy!” We
will never forget this day. Amy and I
were so anxious and nervous at the same time.
All we knew of Zoya was how quiet she was, so we thought she might be
scared, shy or stand offish. Nothing
could have been further from this as she ran into our arms for a huge hug.
We spent about 4 to 5 beautiful hours a day until November
15th. Zoya had seen other
children come and go during her time in the orphanage, so she was well aware
that she would remain in the orphanage and that we would have to go back home
without her. While, I may not currently
know how that day was for her after we left, but for Amy and I, it was bitter
sweet. We were heartbroken we had to
leave our precious daughter at the orphanage, but eager that we were that much
closer to finalizing the adoption.
November 15, 2013: Amy and I leave Zoya and go to Sofia, the
Bulgarian Capital, and sign our consent to adopt Zoya (acceptance of the
referral) and the legal proceedings are now allowed to begin.
January 23, 2014: The United States Department of State
enters it’s agreement to continue our adoption process.
February 26, 2014:
The Deputy Minister of Justice submits his letter giving consent for
Zoya’s adoption to the Hollis Family.
All that remains at this point is setting a court date.
March 28, 2014: In
the capital city of Sofia, court is in session to potentially finalize our
adoption. Maya, our Bulgarian legal
representation gives her testimony and then Zoya takes the stand and states her
desire to join our family and acceptance of a name change to Zoya Angelova
Hollis. The decision of the court was
made shortly thereafter, approving our adoption of Zoya.
I then receive a call while at work notifying me that our
adoption is completed and approved! I
call and leave Amy a message to call me as soon as she could. I wait for her call back to tell her our great
news!! We officially are the parents of
Zoya!!
May 8, 2014: “GOTCHA
DAY!!” As all adopting parents know, the
day you pick up your child is called, gotcha day! It will forever be a second birthday for
Zoya!
Zoya spent approximately 8 total years in various orphanages
and about 2 years in extreme poverty conditions with her biological
mother. Zoya has shared some of her
experiences with us. Some of the stories
include being bullied by older children in the orphanages. Zoya has the scars all over to reflect
this. Zoya does not remember much about
her mother, but we do remember her fear of travelling through her birthplace of
Berkovitsa while we were in Bulgaria.
The heartwarming portion was that she said as long as her dad (me) was
with her, she would feel safe and protected.
Amazing how God already put in her heart that Amy and I will be her parents
and will protect her, the rest of her life.
The beautiful thing with Zoya, as of May 8, 2014, she no
longer has to think about her past. Just
as I have mentioned in prior blogs, Zoya’s name means “To Live,” as like the
resurrection. Zoya’s prior life as an
orphan is over! She now can live the
life she deserves! God is so good! The bond between Zoya, her two brothers and
us is beyond awesome! Most people
comment on how if they did not know our story, they would have thought Zoya was
in our life since her birth.
Zoya has experienced many firsts. Thanksgiving was amazing and of course we had
so much to be thankful for. Then there
was Christmas! Just amazing! We asked Zoya about Christmas in Bulgaria and
all she could tell us was that Santa would show up at the orphanage, knock on
the door and would then give them some candy.
Now, in the states, Zoya had a part in the church Christmas play, sang
Christmas songs at the school program and just loved all the celebrations! Her joy on Christmas day was great! Her smile seemed permanent! We are just so happy Zoya had a great time!
Some day Zoya will be able to share her story herself, but
for now I am proud to share what I can.
But more importantly, so proud and happy I can say I am her father, her
DADDY!! The other day, I told her I love
you, as I do many times a day and she responded with, “I love you more!” One proud and happy Daddy!!
