HANNAH'S HEART: HOPE TO STAY
Lyosha is an orphan from Russia. His full name is Alexey Kharlamov. Thanks to The Hope Project (read more), he was brought to the States to receive medical help, familial care, and spiritual teaching.
Special medical needs
Lyosha has arthrogryposis (Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita), a muscle disorder that causes multiple joint contractures (limitation in the range of motion of a joint) at birth. When Dean and Cindy Hesselgrave arranged to bring Lyosha to the States, his legs were nonfunctional. In January of 2007, Lyosha had bilateral through-the-knee amputations at the Shriners Hospital in South Carolina. The procedure should reduce the likelihood of future wound problems and will also help Lyosha be more functional in his wheelchair. Recently, a generous company gave Lyosha a top-of-the-line TiLite wheelchair (lightweight titanium).
Remarkable timing and circumstances
Because the doctor who initially evaluated Lyosha did not think much could be done for him, Lyosha was not originally selected to be part of the Hope Program. His name became "accidentally" (miraculously) attached to the photo of another child who had been selected to come. If a sovereign God had not intervened, Lyosha would still be in Russia without the hope of the Gospel or a Christian family. We believe the Lord specifically chose this child and brought him to the USA for a reason – very possibly to be adopted by this loving, Christian family.
Who Lyosha really is
Amber Bixby, translator for The Hope Project, says this about Lyosha:When you first see 11-year-old Lyosha, it is probably not his handicap that you will first notice, but his big beautiful smile!! Lyosha’s smile is a reflection of his personality. He is a fun-loving and very accommodating child. He responds quickly to love and has a very grateful spirit for anything that is done for him. He loves to give and loves to see others happy.
Lyosha’s hobbies include playing ball and drawing. God has given him a special talent to draw and he often draws scenes of the things going on around him or his thoughts about his present circumstances. He is spontaneous and non-pretentious. He is kind to others without a thought of what he might get in return. His shortcomings are always followed by a genuine “I’m sorry!” He is truly a blessing to work with and be around.
Ed and Robin Foster live in Rockford, Illinois, as do four of their other seven children (Sarah, Joel, Nancy, twins Kelly and Clara, and twins Tyler and Travis). The Fosters' oldest three children are away at college.
The Fosters first heard of Lyosha (Alex) when Bob Bixby, their pastor, mentioned Lyosha's situation and the Hope Project. As members of Morning Star Baptist Church, the Fosters had been praying in general about others' adoptions, and had already been prayerfully considering one of their own. As prayer was requested and they learned more about Lyosha's needs, the Fosters became more and more convinced that the Lord would have them adopt Lyosha. Since he was able to come to live with them in the spring of 2007, Lyosha has become "just like family" at Morning Star, as well.
On March 11, 2008, Ed and Robin Foster had a court date in Russia. They followed through with the finalization of Alex's adoption. This has been a long and extremely expensive journey for them, and they have worked sacrificially together to help see this adoption completed. Many wonderful individuals and groups have helped over the last year, covering the costs to bring Alex to the USA and helping him get medical care and the equipment he needed. Adoption is expensive, and we want to thank those of you who prayerfully considered donating financially or through Mileage Plus (United/Star Alliance) awards mileage to help them finance the flights to Russia and to alleviate some of the burden of other expenses they have been bearing during this process.
Bringing orphans into Christian homes is an investment both for now and for eternity. Hannah's Heart exists to help adoptive families by raising awareness and facilitating donations. We consider this an ideal opportunity to invest in Lyosha's life, both materially and spiritually. If you share our burden to help Lyosha become a part of the Foster family, please pray for them, and please prayerfully consider a tax-deductible donation to help them cover adoption expenses.
Hannah's Heart was originally the brainchild and burden of the single adults fellowship in Morning Star Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois. It is yet another project-in-progress of Global Grace Missions, Morning Star's disaster relief and missions arm. Hannah's Heart has already helped facilitate donations for three other families. You can learn more about the beginnings and motives of Hannah's Heart here.