Story of Belarusian Child in Need

The June 2012 story was that this child was to be adopted by an Irish couple, but was forced to return her to the Minsk orphanage to be counted. A quick Google search told a different story.

 

In 2006, 15 children from Chernobyl spent a month in Ireland, including Marharyta  Marozava, a child helped by the Chernobyl Children’s Project which George and Mary Sugrue, PAPs, volunteered with.

“According to George, it is great experience to have the two girls here but he said it can be difficult to part with them again.

The two girls have previously spent time with the family and both the girls are thrilled to return.

“It is difficult to part with them again. There is a personal attachment but especially with one of these girls who we had intended to adopt which is now not possible,” said George.”

“The Chernobyl Children’s Project International will bring  over 1,400 children to Ireland this year as well as  organising a number of humanitarian convoys to the country – two of which will leave Tralee in July and October this year  to mark the 20th anniversary of the disaster. ”

2010

“IT was the best Christmas present they could possibly have  wished for.

Nearly a decade after a couple first tried to adopt a little  girl from Chernobyl, they finally managed to spend Christmas together.

Mary Sugrue, a dental nurse, and her husband George, from  Tralee, Co Kerry, first came upon Marharyta Marozava in 2000 as  part of a team involved in the Chernobyl Children’s Project. She  was disabled, believed to be an orphan and being sent to a  mental institution.

The only way to save her was to adopt her.” [I have to stop here …haven’t we heard this line before?]

“They brought the  then four-year-old — who suffers from a number of conditions  including club foot — home to Tralee where they put in place a  rigorous programme of physiotherapy, administered by Mary  herself, and constant medical help from Kerry General Hospital.

     

“She wasn’t able to walk when she  came to us, but when she returned to Belarus  three years later she was able to run,” Mary recalled, as  Marharyta was preparing to return to Minsk  after her Christmas in Ireland.

     

The couple had been confident of being able to adopt her and  went through all the protocols. However as the final stages were  being completed in late 2002, Marharyta’s mother came forward  and would not allow the adoption to go ahead.

     

The Sugrues fought desperately to keep her, but they had to  hand the child over to her natural mother in Minsk.

“Still involved in the Chernobyl Children’s project, the Sugrues  have stayed in close touch, bringing her to Ireland annually  during the summer and footing medical care and clothing bills.

Deprived of the constant medical attention she received in  Ireland, Marharyta’s condition regressed in Belarus.  [Wasn’t this project supposed to prevent that from happening or was this an adoption project?]

Now 14, she has fluent English, is extremely bright and a whiz  at computers.

“It was the most heartbreaking situation I have ever had to  face,” Mary said of handing the little girl she had cared for  back.

“We adore her to bits — we can’t wait until June when she’ll  return. No Christmas present would compare.”

2012 re-telling of the story

“Marharyta Marozava (16) beamed with  joy as she met host parents Mary and George Sugrue at Shannon  Airport. Ten years ago, the Tralee couple unsuccessfully tried  to adopt Marharyta who had been coming to their home since 2000.  They first met her at a Belarus  orphanage while working with the Chernobyl  Children’s Project.

“She lived with us more or less from   2000 to 2002, but had to go back under law to the Minsk  orphanage so that she could be counted for numbers in the  orphanage,” Mrs Sugrue explained. “However, she has been back  here every year since and we go there twice a year.”

Marharyta is on an open-ended trip to Kerry and hopes to  celebrate her 17th birthday there on July 18.

“This is my family. I am home,” she said seconds after meeting  the Sugrues in the airport’s arrivals hall.

A total of 102 children from Belarus – whose parents were  victims of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster — arrived here this  week. [Except Marharyta had a mother who re-claimed her, right?]

Sources:

Chernobyl charity continues to make dreams come true

[Kerryman 6/8/06 by Sinead Kelleher]

Chernobyl child reunited with adopt-bid couple

[Independent 1/7/10 by Anne Lucey]

Joyful reunion for Belarusian orphan

[Independent 6/9/12 by Barry Duggan]

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