Q: What kinds of problems do parents come across with international adoptions?

A: Older children come from very tough backgrounds, and are often exposed to alcohol/drugs syndromes, abuse and neglect. Institutional care is very bad, and parents have NO CLUE the extent of the damage and recovery needs.

Q:  Are there services available for these parents?

A:  VERY FEW people are experts in International Adoption Medicine...so they seek out general help which is NOT good enough, as these kids need specialists.

Q:  What are some of the questions you should ask when considering an international adoption?

A:  Background of parents; time in institutions; type of care; conditions; disabilities, and to get the entire record of the child and start services immediately--do not "wait and see and hope love solves all."

Q:  Can adoptive parents suffer from a form of post-partum depression?

A:  They ALL suffer from depression when things go wrong...marital stress, family grief, chaos and a host of trauma when they have a tough kid who did not meet their expectations. Agencies mislead families that 'love will cure all"

Q:  Were Nina's problems ever diagnosed?

A:  NO, and she never sought out all the experts who were right down the road like myself and the International Adoption Clinic in Northern Virginia. She let it go and hoped it would go away, as she got worse (mother and child). She did not ask for help the right way and a disaster occurred.