International adoption is by its nature an emotional journey, one that traverses the highs of creating a family and the inevitable lows born of jarring change. The road can be rough, both for the parents who often must deal with children with post-traumatic behavioral issues, and for kids who suddenly find themselves immersed in a new family and a strange culture.
“It’s the wildest ride you will ever take,” says Shelli Giess, who with her husband, John, adopted two boys – one from Russia and the other from Guatemala. “And it’s also the most satisfying and loving ride you will ever take.”
While adoption can itself be daunting, adoption of a child from another country carries its own special set of challenges, experts say. Often the children have endured poverty, neglect or abuse and become anxious or act out in their new surroundings. And, however difficult the circumstances, they also have been separated from their birth parents and been uprooted from their homelands.
'The Wildest Ride': Adoptive Parents Struggle to Conquer Trauma
Last edited {1}
Attachments
Images (1)
Comments (0)