When Natalia and her husband adopted twins—a boy and a girl—the children were only a year and a half old. The twins had spent their early life in an orphanage before finding a forever home with Natalia’s family in Ukraine.

Natalia absolutely adored her twins but faced great challenges with her adopted son, Artem. The young boy was angry, aggressive, hyperactive and struggled with accepting care and nurturing. This situation took a toll on Natalia, leading to feelings of frustration and depression. With broken hearts, she and her husband contemplated “adoption disruption” — a temporary, or sometimes permanent, separation of the adopted children from the adopted family.

Thank God, Natalia found help at an AFFEO-supported therapy training program! Through the sessions, Natalia was equipped with a trust-based therapeutic approach to use with her son. She also gained a profound understanding of the impact of trauma on Artem’s brain and behavior. As she learned that her son’s challenging behaviors were rooted in his difficult past, Natalia had a sense of relief, as she now had a tangible reason for the difficulties she was facing.

A pivotal shift occurred in Natalia’s parenting approach as she began using the  insights gained through the training program. She began to implement such engagement strategies as affectionate gaze, safe touch, and playful interaction. She became more empathetic and nurturing.

The transformative results were astounding. Within just a month, Artem’s demeanor completely changed—he allowed himself to be hugged, uttered the words “Mom, I love you” for the first time, displayed increased obedience, and demonstrated a heightened ability to connect with his adoptive parents. The family’s collective anxiety levels significantly decreased, marking a tangible improvement in their overall well-being.

Please pray that Artem continues to experience safety, love, and stability in his adoptive family and that he remains on a path of healing from his past trauma. Praise God that Artem was able to remainin his new loving family and is now thriving with them! We thank the Lord that Artem’s mother has the necessary skills to allow her son (and family!) to flourish, so that they are now able to look towards their future with optimism and hope. With gratitude in her voice, Natalia expressed to our partners her disbelief at the simplicity of the solution—changing herself and her parenting approach.

We thank the Lord for your continuous prayers that transform the lives of adoptive families and the precious children who find love and stability within their homes.