[bdaddy]

Hi Everyone,



I need your help…all of you and then some…Please Please Please!!!



I just got off the phone with John Anderson from the Wellsville Daily. He said he could not believe the awful questions the Russian press were asking him! He said basically the same thing as the article that was posted, but he could not believe the calls he was getting. They are clearly trying to make this case stand out and shut down IA In Russia.



Needless to say, someone out there is trying to put a stop to Russian Adoptions, and they are on a mission.



So now it’s our turn. Many of us have our children home, we know many people who have their children home and or we are waiting to bring our children home. Presumably, the Russian media will be flooding Alfred even more during the next 3 weeks…due to the Cochran case.



Here’s what I would like to do:

• I need all families that have children home to call the newspapers listed below and your local papers as well. Please tell them your story, that 99.9% of Russian adoption cases turn out great, the children are loved, happy and healthy….send pictures, offer to be interviewed, beg them to please write a story…there are children’s lives at stake here. This is not just going to go away. We need to show Russia the benefits of IA. The healh care, the love and support these children get once they are home. All the things that make IA so wonderful..we need to tell them about it. Over and over and over again until they can see it for themselves.
• We have to get these stories on the front page of every news paper we can….USA today, NY Times, Washington Post, Wellsville Daily, Moscow times..local TV..anywhere…all these papers can be bought in Russia with the exception of the Wellsville Daily…we need a story in that paper, a local story that the Russian media will see when they go to Alfred.
• If we can get the papers to run a month long story, and feature many happy families, this will only help our cause…..what is our cause you ask??? Well, I am sure you already know..it’s the children. How many children will suffer if they shut down IA? Too many! The consequences are too unbearable to think of. I refuse to go there yet..we still have a chance to do something and now is the time.

We cannot let them shut down IA..this what they are aiming for. If we get the entire adoption community together, we can show the Russians that IA is a good thing and these children are cherished.



I need all your help, your families help, your friends help, your agencies help, anyone you can think of that can help us get the stories out there. I cannot do this alone, I only have a sad heartbreaking story to tell…no happy ending on my side (yet), but I am willing to share my sad story with anyone that will listen.



Please, please get the word out, do what you can, the future of IA is at stake and together we can make a difference.



Here are the main newspapers we need to have run stories…front page if possible:



USA Today---702-854-3400

I do not have a contact here yet..please post if you have one



NY Times---212-556-7000

Jane Gross or Debora Spar

Brian Calame may be able to help..not sure –212-556-7652



Washington Post---703-469-2500



Wellsville Daily—John Anderson—585-593-5000



Moscow Times---tel: (7-495) 234-3223

editors@themoscowtimes.com

Maxine Maters, Publisher



Local Television station:

WIVB.com, WIVB-TV, WNLO-TV
2077 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14207
(716) 874-4410



You have all been there for me on my worst days, when I needed your support the most. I appreciate the honestly this board offers, the ability to vent and not be judged, and the wonderful people I have met. Today more than any other day, I need your help.



If you can add any contact information to this, please post, if you speak to someone and they agree to do a story, please post the writers name and contact info…the more people that are willing to share their stories and get the word out there, the better chance the orphans of Russia have.



If you have any other suggestions of what we can do to get the word out there, please post them.



Please help me, we cannot let these children down, there are so many that need us.



Thank you,



Bdaddy’s other half



Danielle

[mommyto4]

Thanks bdaddy for starting this thread, yes this our only hope to get the stories of all the happy families, please , please, will all of you who have adopted help those of us waitng to go back and get our children, before it is too late!!!

Thanks for all of your support!

[amyfk]

HI to Danielle and Bdaddy

I want to wish you best of luck in your endeavors! Yes it's the children who will lose out the most!

We havent adopted yet but if there's something us waiters can do let us know.

Amy K, NJ

[mommyto4]

I am a dissappointed and hurt that noone has responded to this thread and said they would help. It is sort of like if people observe a crime being committed they don't want to get involved, it is very sad, our waiting children are innocent victims and they are counting on us to be their voice.

[bdaddy]

Thanks Amy and Mommyto4.


I was hoping that the people who have already adopted from Russia would jump at the chance to help, after all, without IA, they would not have their kids, and many may want to adopt again.

No response from any of them yet, but i am hoping they working on it and just have not had a chance to respond.

I guess only time will tell.

Hey parents, if you are going to help, please post here and let me know. i would like to see if this is going to be affective, and if no one is willing to help, i will need to go about this another way.

Thanks again.

Danielle

[Vicki H]

This is a great idea and I would be happy to call. Do you know these people are they aware they are going to receive calls? I think I may call the New York Times, since that is the one I am closest to.

[Kasey]

Originally Posted by mommyto4

I am a dissappointed and hurt that noone has responded to this thread and said they would help. It is sort of like if people observe a crime being committed they don't want to get involved, it is very sad, our waiting children are innocent victims and they are counting on us to be their voice.

I know this is a painful and stressful time for you but, I am sorry I and other AP's didn't post fast enough for you, I was trying to find email contacts so it would be easier for me to do, it takes some time and it also takes time to write about your adoption journey to send off.
Only phone numbers were provided, I am at work, I can't sit here in a cube and make private phone calls so I am silently trying to go about it and i bet many others are too, so please don't be negative towards us, everyone on this board has been thru one hardship or another with their adoptions and totally feel for you all stuck in this mess and we will do what we can to help.

Again I apologize for not posting quick enough. The board itself has been quieter than usual the past couple days so give people time to check in and see what is going on, I am sure you will get more responses.

[votemom]

well, this was just posted at 1:30 and it's only 3:30. i just got in to check my email, and i know lots of other people will be checking later this afternoon and evening.

i have no doubt that people will respond. this is a wonderful forum with awesome people who believe in helping each other and advocating for the parent-less children of russia.

thank you danielle for all the legwork you have done.

you have made it very easy for people to take 30-60 minutes out of their week and quite possibly make an impact that will change a generation!!!!!!

[bdaddy]

Hi Vicki,


No, most of them are not aware. I have called and spoke to the Wellsville daily and left messages for the rest.

The more people we get involved the better chance we have to help the children. If they get alot of calls onthe same subject, and issues, they will be more willing to write the stories that need to be told. Most of you will just leave messages and it will take only a few minutes of your time....please, if oyu speak to someone, let them know that you have many families willling to tell their stories.

If you speak to anyone, please post your contact and phone number.

There are sooo many positive stories of IA, Russia needs to see them and they need to be reassured that continuing IA is the RIGHT thing to do.

I choose newspapers that I know are available in Russia, this way the stories to get to the Russian people and we have a better chance of spreading the benefits and joys of IA. Also, the local news channel, so when the Russian media is in town, th will see the television and the reports.

Thank you once again,

Danielle

[thmc1215]

I'll try to email one of these papers tonight. I also work in a "pod" and cannot tell my story in between phone calls at work.

I did find where you can email Oprah. Maybe she can help out too - can't hurt. https://www.oprah.com/plugger/templa...lugId=B2100004

[bdaddy]

Good idea, thanks

[Vicki H]

This is what I sent to Ms. Maters at the Moscow Times:


Ms. Maters,

I am sending this email in regards to the horrible situation that recently came up regarding Russian Adoption. I have read the newest case of abuse and even though I am appalled that someone would do this, I feel the need to let you know that more adoptions have happy endings than horrible endings.

We adopted our son Alex in November 2003. He is a joy and we love him to pieces. Life has been wonderful with him. We love him and he loves us. He is a happy and healthy little boy with tons of family who love him.

We complete all of our post placements on time.

I would love to give another Russian child a good home, but due to the extreme cost and recent events making things more difficult, I unfortunately will not be able to, at least at this time anyway.

I wanted to send this to you to let the public know that there are many, many loved Internationally adopted children and it is unfortunate that the public only hears the negative stories and not the stories of the loving families created by international adoption.

I urge you to print the stories of the numerous successful adoptions, so that other wonderful people can add to their families through International adoption.

Please , we need help on this issue.

Sincerely,

Vicki Hummel

[bdaddy]

great letter Vicki!

[Vicki H]

Thanks. I just hope it helps.

Vicki

[Vicki H]

Danielle,

I wanted to let you know I have tried to call The Wellsville daily phone number you have listed. I tried it twice and I keep getting a Ford Dealership.


Vicki