Changed: The Clarks' Story

The Clarks would go to the ends of the earth for their children. Literally.

Jimmie and Amanda Clark are parents to three stunningly vibrant and joyful children, 11-year-old Lena, 11-year-old Aleksei, and 12-year-old Dimitri, all adopted from an orphanage in eastern Ukraine, and all affected by cerebral palsy. The Clarks' story, one of love and faith, spans more than ten years and thousands of miles.

Jimmie and Amanda had discussed the idea of adoption even before they were married, but it wasn't until three years into their marriage that they seriously considered adoption. They immediately felt drawn to Ukraine and, after getting connected with a family in Ozark who had gone through the process of a Ukrainian adoption, the Clarks were sure of their decision.

Their first stop was the National Adoption Center in Kiev, Ukraine. “We looked through profiles of kids and decided on a couple at the Antoshka Orphanage in Kranatorsk, a 15-hour train ride through eastern Ukraine,” said Amanda. “It's the most I've ever felt the need to rely on God. I don't like to travel at all, so God was stretching me beyond my limits. I was letting go and letting God work.”

After spending a sleepless night on the train, Amanda and Jimmie headed straight to the orphanage. As the children were escorted in to meet the Clarks, Amanda recognized one of the children from the profiles. “They brought him in and sat him on my lap,” said Amanda. “Immediately I was like, 'that's him. I'm taking him home.'”

Dimitri, who had already been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, was 2 ½ years old and weighed fifteen pounds when Amanda first held him. “He wasn't making any sounds, and his skin was almost translucent because he was so skinny,” said Amanda. “His heart was beating super-fast. I remember he was kind of timid and scared, but I knew this one was mine. I picked him.”

As the couple was introduced to more children, another little boy, 20 months old, caught their attention. “They told us he was blind, he was like an infant. He wouldn't stand, couldn't move his arms, but he'd smile if you called his name,” said Amanda. “I was afraid to hold him because I didn't want to get attached. I had no idea what my husband would think, but there was something special in his eyes.” Soon Amanda would find that Jimmie had made the same connection with Aleksei as she had made with Dimitri.

Amanda and Jimmie realized that both Dimitri and Aleksei would need extra care because of their cerebral palsy. “We didn't know a lot about CP,” said Amanda. “We knew it was something that happened to them at birth, that it wouldn't get worse, and that it could get better.” Cerebral palsy, a disorder that can involve the brain and nervous system, affects movement, learning, hearing, and sight. Symptoms vary widely and can include tight muscles and joints, abnormal movements of the arms and legs, difficulty chewing or swallowing, learning disabilities, and seizures (taken from the National Library of Medicine).

Once Amanda and Jimmie had finished meeting all the children, they walked out of the room to discuss what they felt. Instantly, they both agreed on Dimitri and Aleksei. “We felt a connection with the boys,” said Amanda. “We knew.”

Three days later, the Clarks officially adopted their sons and headed back home, which included a return train ride, paperwork gathering in Kiev, and a detour to Warsaw, Poland to retrieve visas for the children. “My oldest son became a different kid,” said Amanda. “He had been very reserved and sad, but the day we left for Warsaw, he became smiley and interactive.”

Once back in the U.S., the Clarks immediately placed the boys in speech, occupational, and physical therapy for their cerebral palsy. They began to notice improvements, and enjoyed seeing how each boy's personality began to shine. “Dima learned that waitresses bring food, so he would watch them and laugh at them to get their attention,” said Amanda. “He couldn't get enough to eat.” They also learned that Aleksei was not blind; rather, his eyes were just delayed to an infant level, like the rest of him.

After a few months, the Clarks began seeking resources for the children still back in Ukraine, especially a bright-eyed girl named Lena, also affected by cerebral palsy. “The workers loved her and she was very smart,” said Amanda. They couldn't stop thinking about her. “I got connected with a nonprofit group in that orphanage that had started a food program,” said Amanda. “I asked them to check on Lena.” When Amanda found out that a planned adoption of Lena fell through, thoughts of the little girl's future flooded her mind. “At the age of four, children with disabilities are sent to a poorly-funded institution, basically a nursing home,” said Amanda. “The orphanage had sent five children in the previous year, and three of them had died.” Lena, who couldn't walk because of her CP, would be sent to the institution within a month if no one intervened.

So the Clarks decided to add a new member to the family. “We stepped forward in faith and started the process,” said Amanda. “People started hearing our story and gave. People we didn't even know. Within three months we had all the money we needed.”

The Clarks traveled back to the orphanage, excited to see Lena. She was equally excited about their visit. “She told everyone, 'These are my parents! They've come to get me',” said Amanda. “She wanted us to know she was happy we had come, and that there were plenty of beds for us to stay in. She was taking care of everything, at five years old. She was soaking it up. She had this blind trust in these people she'd never met before, who were going to take her somewhere she'd never been.”

“When we finally got home it was like she'd always been there,” said Amanda. Lena's inability to speak English, coupled with the Clarks' very basic knowledge of Russian, was worrisome at first, but it didn't stop Lena. “She pretty much stopped talking, and then started speaking English,” said Amanda. “Her language acquisition was amazing.”

After returning home from the Ukraine, the Clark's received an email from the orphanage. It was the director requesting any information they could send about rehabilitating children. Amanda asked their therapist, Kym Hannah, owner of Children's Therapy T.E.A.M., if she could help. Kym tried to find Russian materials, but jumped at an off-hand comment Amanda made about just taking a trip to show them. So, after just four months at home, Amanda returned to Ukraine, this time with Kym in tow. “We showed them things they could easily do with the little equipment they had, like exercises on a mat and with a ball. We showed them what developmental progression was, and why loving on the children was so important.”

As she continued speaking with caretakers in the orphanage, Amanda began learning more about the stigma attached to orphans in Ukraine, especially those with disabilities. “It's against the law in Ukraine to educate orphans with disabilities, especially ones with special needs,” said Amanda. “Parents give their kids to an orphanage if they have a disability because the doctors tell them it's the only option. Parents are considered 'bad' if they do keep their children.” However, some parents fight against the cultural stigmas associated with disabilites and are eager to learn how to best care for their children. “We meet up to a hundred kids whose parents have kept them, despite disabilities, and we teach them about rehabilitation,” said Amanda. “We see their kids like they do, and they don't get that a lot.”

Throughout the last six years, teams of dedicated occupational, physical, and speech therapists from Children's Therapy T.E.A.M. in Northwest Arkansas travel to Ukraine each year, bringing DVDs, wheelchairs, walkers, and whatever other equipment they carry along with them. “We work with all the kids with special needs,” she said. “We usually bring two speech therapists, two occupational therapists, two physical therapists, and an equipment specialist to fit wheelchairs, walkers, and standers.” As a result of their ministry, six special needs children have been adopted from Antoshka, with three more adoptions currently in process.

The Clark family has benefited as well. “My kids are doing great,” said Amanda. Dimitri, nicknamed Dima, can now run and jump like any other 12-year-old boy. Aleksei, also known as Leks, has an unbelievable memory. “He'll know your name, your dog's name, and your grandma,” said Amanda. And Lena, who has kept her spirited personality, is now a major football fan. “She loves the Razorbacks, loves sports,” said Amanda, “which is funny, because before her, no one else in the family really liked sports!”

“One of our greatest joys and challenges is finding things the family can do together,” said Amanda. “Jimmie has spent many hours researching and adapting activities such as bike rides so that all the kids can participate.” They also enjoy Miracle League baseball, where Jimmie serves as coach.

“I know that sometimes we feel like God can't use me for this reason or that,” said Amanda. “There are so many excuses we can make up for why God can't use us. It's about learning to let go of those things and letting God do His purpose.”

“We do nothing ourselves, it's God,” she said. “If we really believe that, and it's difficult, He'll work through us. He has a plan that is much greater than anything you can imagine.”

For more information about the Children's Therapy T.E.A.M. and TEAMworks Ukraine, click here.