When Kelowna resident Irina Meyer went to live in Ukraine in 2018 for two years, she never imagined she’d be coming home with an adopted child.
“I think it’s a miracle,” Meyer told Global News.
A miracle, in part, because of how the story unfolded, which Meyer is sharing on World Adoption Day.
It all started when Meyer, who is of Ukrainian descent, saw a Facebook post about one of her former school teachers in Ukraine.
The post described how the teacher found herself in a difficult predicament — thrust into parenthood at an older age after losing her son and daughter-in-law.
“It was not a very easy situation,” Meyer said of the situation her former teacher was unexpectedly in.
Touched by the difficult circumstances for both the little girl and her grandma, Meyer began offering help from this side of the world.
“We just offered a little help with a little renovation over there,” Meyer said. “We bought them, I think, a washer and dryer, and some little computer for her.”
Meyer said a couple of years later, she and her then-husband and two children went to Ukraine for an extended stay, which is when the family got to meet the little girl named Angelina.
“I came over there and we went, I think, we went to the park … and had a pony ride,” she said.
Angelina lost her mom at childbirth. Her father died six months later from complications due to a medical condition.
Even though Angelina doesn’t remember her parents, the now seven-year-old still feels the loss.
“It makes me sad,” she said.
When the Meyers’ extended stay in Ukraine was coming to an end, Irina said the grandma asked if they’d consider adopting Angelina.
“She asked me and my ex-husband,” said Meyer. “And we decided yes, for sure, we can do it.”
Meyer said the adoption process was somewhat complicated, but after jumping through hoops, they were able to bring Angelina to Kelowna just shy of her fifth birthday.
“She has some questions, for sure, and we talk over everything.,” Meyer said of Angelina’s adoption story. “She knows everything.”
Meyer said she’s already made many memories with her new daughter, but one that stands out is the first time Angelina called her ‘mom’ just two weeks after arriving in Canada.
“It was, for sure, very emotional,” Meyer said. “It was tears, for sure”.
Meyer added she was so happy that she took Angelina shopping right after to buy her a new dress.
Meyer said she hopes that life in Canada will also mean more opportunities for Angelina.
“I think it’s a miracle how I took her right before it started and now she has an amazing life,” Meyer said. “A lot of kids died over there … her grandparents sit in a bomb shelter.”
While Meyer said adoption isn’t for everyone, in her case, it’s enhanced her life.
“It’s just more love, more good emotion,” Meyer said.
And even though she’s only seven, Angelina feels immense gratitude for her new family.
“I love my family, I love it so much, I love everything about it,” she said.
Angelina added what she loves about her adopted mom is “that she cares about me and loves me.”
World Adoption Day is observed all over the world every Nov. 9.