Dennis and Francine LeVine adopted sisters, ages 6 and 7, from Russia in December, 2003. The LeVine's adoption experiences inspired the following article, which appeared in "the Hillsborough County Lawyer" Magazine in 2004.
From Russia, With Love by Karen M. Buesing
Tampa Bankruptcy attorney Dennis LeVine and his wife, Francine, gave and received the extraordinary gift of family this holiday season. On December 24, 2003, Dennis and Francine adopted two girls from Russia, bringing to five the number of children they have adopted.
"We are very happy - and a little frazzled," he said with a laugh. "The only thing that makes this possible is that I am married to a remarkable woman."
Six years ago, the LeVine family consisted of Dennis and Francine, and their now 16-year-old son, Ari and 14-year-old daughter, Marci, who were adopted as infants in the Tampa area. Dennis and Francine were contemplating growing the family and were thinking back to their roots. Dennis's great-grandfather on his father's side and grandparents on his mother's side had emigrated from Russia.
They went to an adoption fair at USF, where adoption agencies from all over the country set up tables offering opportunities to adopt children from many cultures and nations. With Dennis managing a busy law office, and Francine keeping the books and managing two children already, they were hoping to adopt an older child past the toddler state. At the fair, they were pleased to find an adoption agency specializing in children from Russia. The agency, at the time, provided the added benefit of delivering the adopted child to the parents in the United States. With their busy schedules, not having to travel to Russia and cut the red tape personally was added plus. They reviewed videotapes of children and ultimately settled on four-year-old Jack. They were a bit concerned because he was quiet, hot given to speaking on the tape. The adoption agency assured them he was fine, just camera-shy. They decided to move forward, and the laws changed - Dennis and Francine had to travel to Russia to bring Jack home after all.
It worked out great. Dennis says of Jack, "the irony is we can't get him to be quiet." Jack is now a 4th grader at Hillel, a chatterbox who is into baseball and computers.
Last spring, they heard about an adoption agency which brings older Russian children to the U.S. for a two-week "camp," where the children stay with host families who are interested in adoption. It gives the families a chance to see if they fit before committing. They decided to be a host family. Lida, 7, and Veronica, 6 who are sisters, stayed for two weeks in August 2003, then returned to Russia. The girls were warm and very self-sufficient, but the decision to move forward was a tough one. "In the end, we came to the fork in the road, and took the one less traveled," he said.
The LeVine's December trip to the orphanage in remote Siberia was long and arduous. They brought a suitcase of clothing for each girl, as children leave the orphanage literally with nothing. They also brought chocolates and fruit for the girls to share with the other orphans with whom they had lived for the past year. They celebrated Hanukkah for the first time upon leaving the orphanage, and spent a couple of days seeing the cosmopolitan city of Moscow.
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