In 2001, Maryann DeSimone had just about given up hope that she would be a mother.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, three girls — Katia, 9; Darya, 7; and Irina, 6 — were in need of a family.
Raised on a farm, the girls’ mother had died in childbirth and their father, in his grief, had become an alcoholic. The government had taken custody of the children and placed them in an orphanage.
Katia, Darya and Irina needed a home, and the DeSimones needed children.
The adoption process started in late 2003 and became official in January 2005. It wasn’t easy. In order to get paperwork filled out, everyone in Ukraine (clerks, notaries, even police officers) had to be gifted or incented for their cooperation. And of course, they had to hire a translator, who would prove to be helpful later on.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly — the girls were transitioning well, learning English and enjoying family vacations.
Until one day at the dinner table, Darya — the middle child — blurted out, “Please find Vera. When Mommy went to heaven, Vera never came home.”
Vera is the baby that the girls’ mother died giving birth to. Today, she’d be 9-years-old. Knowing their daughters had a sister somewhere in the world, the DeSimones immediately started a search. But at times, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.
