When I was a pap- preadoptive parent, my favorite thing to do in my spare time was to search the message boards for pictures & stories of adopted children. I especially loved the before & after pictures. I loved seeing the children thrive and grow. When I met Livi I was in love. She had some odd bruises & scratches on her face and she had bright violet medicine covering them, they shaved off a big section of her hair and that was covered in the medicine. It was nothing but love at first sight… my girl … my daughter.

It did not dawn on me that she was unwell. I did not notice while in Russia that she was pale , sick and gray. I was just so happy to have her in my arms. Livi was the youngest of the group of children adopted from the same baby home that day in march, but she was bigger than most of the children. She was 16 lbs and 27 inches tall when I met her at the age of 14 months. She was sick, underweight, undernourished and she had Hep A, Giardia and a intestinal virus. Looking at her today and looking at pictures from just eight months ago the transformation in incredible.

She has gained 10 lbs, grown 5 inches and a pink rosy glow instead of a gray sallow skin tone. Her hair & nails have grown thanks to proper nutrition. She smiles all the time, instead of giving that cold hard scared stare. We have come so far. I happily share pictures of my daughter… before & after. Physically she is a different child, while her wounds have healed, her medical conditions treated and her belly is always full. She does still have some invisible hurts that we are still working on.If only I could take a before & after snapshot of her heart and know that she is transforming and healing inside as well as the outside. I do think she is healing… a picture speaks louder than words.

Before-Livi Feb 2006
After- Livi Oct 2006