Slava and Giorgiy – written by adoptive mother Martha Sprow.
    
    It’s tough being a soldier at the ages of 10 and 12 but for Giorgi and Slava, that is exactly what life threw at them.
    
    It was those eyes that captured my heart and his smile that melted it. Rick and I had not planned to adopt, having three children from birth already. But the moment I saw his photo, I knew he was meant to be in our family. Slava joined our family in 2000 and immediately became a Sprow. He had one sister and two brothers who joked with him, went shopping with him and taught him all the fine details of sports, fashion, and family. We all prayed for him as he underwent surgery in March 2001. I remember how helpless I felt as I watched this brave soldier undergo procedure after procedure in hopes of straightening his back and giving him a longer lease on life. I had tremendous fear about this surgery that would straighten his back and relieve the pressure on his heart and lungs. I was torn with letting him be or taking the chance that he could be paralyzed or worse yet, die during the procedure. Then one night, I was awakened in my sleep and a voice said to me, “it will be OK” and I knew that all of this was meant to be.
    
    Slava’s recovery was quicker than most. Within months he was walking and moving around with little discomfort. His breathing became softer and he no longer struggled with going up and down stairs. With each month that passed, he became stronger and more agile. He began to ride his bike and play basketball with ease. He entered high school in 2003 and within the year was running track. The following year, he ran cross country, a feat that is difficult for even the healthiest. He continues to run track and is able to complete a two mile run in about fifteen minutes, not the fastest but not the slowest. But for me, it’s not how fast he can run but rather the fact that he can.
    
    We had heard about Giorgi during our adoption process with Slava. Our first meeting was at the orphanage the day we met Slava. Giorgi was polite and curious to see just who these people were who were going to be Slava’s mom and dad. He attempted to communicate with us and was genuinely happy for Slava. I remember our departure that day and the one question a tearful Giorgi asked, “when will my mom and dad come for me?” That question haunted me for months. Several months later, Giorgi was granted permission to come to the USA on a visa to correct his eyes. Several host families were recruited but numerous delays in travel caused each to back out. Rick and I knew that with each delay, this child’s one chance for surgery and the opportunity to find a family was slowly slipping away. We agreed to host Giorgi through the surgery and would introduce him to prospective adoptive families. In February 2001, one month before Slava’s surgery, Giorgi joined our family. Six months later he had won our hearts and we returned to Georgia to complete his adoption.
    
    Life for Giorgi was meant to be conquered. In addition to crossed eyes, he struggled with severe learning disabilities, poor social skills, and developmental delays that often times resulted in teasing by peers, minimal academic progress, and concern for his future. He required special education services, medication for anxiety, and strong parental guidance. Despite all of these challenges, Giorgi remained happy and optimistic and continuously looked for the next adventure. He learned to love roller coasters and swimming - both challenges that at first were quite intimidating. He learned to play soccer and basketball and quickly became a sports fanatic. He mastered riding a bike and playing Nintendo - both tasks that initially were too complicated to understand. Then, a little over a year ago, Giorgi mastered reading and with this, the world became his.