From Russia with Love: Plainfield Couple Gets Help on Quest to Adopt HIV-Positive Siblings

Elizabeth and Eric Stepien always knew they would adopt children—they just didn’t know it would happen so soon.

The Plainfield couple is in the process of adopting a brother and sister, ages 3 and 1-1/2, from Russia. What’s more, the siblings—known by the Americanized names Jonah and Lila—are HIV positive.

“We always imagined that one day we would adopt,” Elizabeth said. But the Stepiens thought that would wait until their three biological children—Abram, 6, Ania, 4, and Evi, 3—were teenagers.

That changed a little more than two years ago, when the Stepiens experienced a miscarriage.

The devastating loss was compounded by the fact that Eric had just lost his job.

“It was a really rough couple of years,” Elizabeth said. “The strong desire to add to our family hadn’t gone away,” she said, but the costs of adoption made it impossible.

That is, until six months ago, when Eric began a new marketing job with Adventist Midwest Health.

Now, the couple is moving forward with plans to bring two new children into their family—and on Saturday, their church will help by hosting a “Rock-A-Thon” fundraiser to help offset adoption costs.

In total, Elizabeth estimates it will cost her family $45,000 to $50,000 to complete the adoption process, including three mandatory visits to Russia.

The Rock-A-Thon is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at LifeSpring Community Church, 14735 Wood Farm Road.

In exchange for sponsorships, 50 volunteers have signed up to rock in rocking chairs for four hours. The event represents the orphans who have no one to rock them to sleep, Elizabeth said.

Community members can also opt to take part in the event by donating $20 to rock for half an hour.

The event will also include a bake sale, with friends pitching in to provide sweet treats. According to Elizabeth, an anonymous donor has stepped forward to match bake sale proceeds up to $1,000.

“My goal now is not to run out of baked goods,” Elizabeth joked.

A hot dog lunch will be offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“It’s definitely a walk-in event,” Elizabeth said, noting that community members are invited to attend and enjoy activities including music and performances by a local dance team.

Elizabeth said she and other adoptive parents will also share their stories at the event.

Elizabeth said the more she and her husband began learning about adoption, the more they became determined to adopt a child or children with special needs.

“There are websites where you can scroll through these kids’ faces and they’re just waiting,” she said. “They’re just waiting for somebody to notice them and say yes to them.”

After spotting Jonah and Lila on Projecthopeful.org, the website for an organization that advocates for HIV-positive orphans, the couple had no choice but to say yes to them.

“We felt very strongly that God asked us to stretch ourselves,” Elizabeth said.

The fact that the tots are HIV positive hasn’t deterred the couple. With the right medical care, they are sure they can keep their new children healthy.

“It’s chronic, but it’s very manageable,” she said, adding she and her husband have been in touch with other parents of HIV-positive children to learn all they can.

Adopting from Russia has proved to be a long, arduous process, with endless paperwork and hoops to jump through for the Stepiens, including medical evaluations and intensive background checks.

But Elizabeth said her three children at home have given her hope during the often discouraging process.

“It’s been fun to watch each of them in their own developmental stage process what it means,” she said. “My 6-year-old is very excited. He’s already cleaned out a drawer in his room for his brother.”

As for 4-year-old Ania, “She’s a very gentle and sweet girl and she thinks that her new sister is going to sleep in her bed with her,” Elizabeth said, laughing.

“I get so moved when I see just the pure enthusiasm and compassion that comes out of our kids,” she said. “It’s encouraging to me when I get discouraged by the length of this process.”

Elizabeth said if all goes well, she expects to bring her Russian children home by January or February 2013.

The couple has set up a Facebook page that follows their progress as they get closer to bringing their children home.

A fundraising website has also been established.