My week so far....

There is a gal here in Tucson that is graduating high school and she tells me she wants to be an adoption case manager like me. She may want to reconsider. This is some of my week so far...

I call a family the night before they leave for Guatemala to tell them they can’t go. There are paperwork issues and it has to be worked out. Sorry, but you can’t go. Change your tickets but don’t know when you’ll go. The 11-year-old child dreams of being with her new family for Christmas. Both parents are attornies an upset. More Disappointment.

A lady who is trying to adopt from Russia who has been waiting for two adorable children called me. Did I realize its been two years since they made their first trip and met the children. TWO YEARS. Losing hope. Want to quit. No please don’t.

Called a family who is adopting form GU. File hit major snag. Stuck indefinitely. Sorry. Maybe another year before child will come home. (if ever…) More tears.

Family been bugging me for an update on their case. Father is in Iraq. Daughter in GU. Mother in US. Sad Christmas. Just wants some positive news. Sorry. Your case has an error in the GU paperwork somewhere and was rejected. Have to resubmit. Will take more time. Sorry. Sad.

I had a call from a lady who I helped to bring a child home from China a few months ago. She said she needed to talk to me in person and wanted to come in right away. So I had her come in at 9:30am today. She told me the child has a rare form of aneeemia (I spelled that wrong on purpose) that will require blood transfusions every month for the rest of her life. The lady was angry and crying. I felt so bad for her. She said she had wanted a healthy child and everybody passed these children off as being healthy and their not. (for the record, we did not say this child is healthy… we are not allowed too) I got her a box of Kleenex and watched her cry for a while. What do I say………If I could change the world I would.

Next on the agenda – Call a family and tell them that they need to fly to Miami from Michigan on Sunday to sign a form. She say’s “you have to be kidding me?” I say “Believe me, I wish I were kidding you, but I am very serious”. They say “no way!”, because of that there paperwork won't be filed in GU before Dec 26 (the cutoff for GU adoptions) and won't be able to be processed. Case over.

Then I received a phone call from a lady that adopted about 5 years from Russia. She wants to know how tall the birth parents where…… her child is growing too fast. This time I say “You have to be kidding me!!” Like Russia would keep those records after 5 years……or care to even check.

Family has paperwork ready for Ukraine….but are scared. There are only 32 slots open for healthy children who are under 4 available for 2008 . Can I guarantee they will get one of them? I explain that I have no guarantees ever…..I can’t see that far into my crystal ball. (I can't guarantee you'll get a "healthy" child either).

Someone brought me a happy new years card from a child in an orphanage in Brazil to put on my desk. The child didn’t sign a name but just wants a home.

One more day to the weekend!!!!!