PR ES te, te ee, SEE: PMs et Pe eee Feature Children find Canc by Valorie Lennox The Review Romanian orphans Costel, Andrei and Manuela don’t know they’ve come to Canada — they think they’ve found paradise. There is plenty of food, new clothes, amazing toys and, best of all, lots of love from new parents Jim and Donna Chinneck of Bren- twood. Even six-year-old sister Barbie is lavish with hugs. “Everything is all new to them,” Jim said. “This is like getting sent to another planet.” The day Donna Chinneck arrived in Victoria from Romania with year-old Manuela, three- year-old Andrei and five-year-old Costel was also Costel’s birthday. “He didn’t know what a birth- day was but we had a birthday party anyway,” Donna said. Donna found the little family in a Romanian orphanage, about to be split between different institu- tions. The three children had been abandoned by their parents — an alcoholic father and a mother who fled to escape the father’s abuse and threats. Costel managed to beg enough food from neighbors to keep him- self and his brother and sister alive until the children were sent to an orphanage. No one is sure how long the children were on their own, Donna said. “Theyre really good at taking care of each other.” When Donna first visited the orphanage, Costel would bring his brother and sister over to collect their share of hugs from Donna. ‘When I gave them shoes, they were just thrilled to death. | don’t think anyone had bought them shoes before’ Although Donna and Jim origin- ally planned to adopt only one or two children, they couldn’t split the family. “They're so close. How could you do such a thing?’ Donna asked. ““They work so well as a family unit.” When they arrived at the Chin- neck’s four-bedroom Brentwood home they discovered baths, tooth- brushes and pet animals — all of which they found terrifying. They had never seen television before or toys or elecinicity. They were entranced by the silver balloon which Jim brought to the airport when they arrived and by stereo headphones, which reminded them of the headphones on the plane. “They know they got to go for an airplane ride, which was thril- ling, but they have no idea where to,” Donna said. Fellow passengers and crew on the plane were patient and helpful as Donna tried to control the antics of three excited youngsters who did not speak English. The trip was a challenge: the children screamed when strapped into their seats, climbed on other passengers and refused to eat any- thing except bread and water. The climax occurred in Vancouver, where Costel threw up on an immigration official and Donna’s suitcases were misplaced. Despite their initial bewilder- ment at a strange new world, the children are adapting quickly. Jim took the trio out for their first ice-cream cones — which they ate from the bottom up — and said, 454 HUGS ALL ARO UND for the Chinneck family of Brentwood, paradise which includes (clockwise from left) five-year-old Costel, Jim, year-old Manuela, Donna, six-year-old Barbie and three-year-old Andrei. The family adopted Romanian orphans Costel, Andrei and Manuela. “They te extremely well-behaved. They stuck with me like glue.” At first they were fascinated by Barbie’s baby toys — now they play with toys more appropriate to their age. When Donna visited the Roma- nian family’s apartment she found a room no larger than a bedroom in a Canadian home. There was no food, dishes, toys or heat. “When I gave them shoes, they were just thrilled to death. I don’t think anyone had bought them shoes before,” she said. On one visit to the orphanage she found Manuela in an urine- soaked crib covered with cock- roaches. Nurses refused to clean and change the baby girl — there were no spare clothes. “That's when I knew I had to get them out of there,” Donna said. Luckily the children were only in the orphanage for a month, Jim said. “They don’t get much love in there.” “The ones that have spent their lives in the orphanage are all suffering from sensory depriva- tion. They’re not very active, their minds haven’t been stimulated,” he said. Both he and Donna plan to get any additional help the children May need, including dental work for Andrei whose front teeth show deterioration from an inadequate diet. The couple decided to adopt a Romanian child after seeing a television program on the plight of Romanian orphans. Although there is a long waiting list to adopt in B.C., there are many Romanian youngsters who need homes, Jim said. The trip to Romania and the seven-week wait for a Romanian law permitting the adoption cost the couple an estimated $6,000. They are prepared for the cost of raising three additional children on Jim’s salary as a federal employee. “Tell be a little tight but we’ll get by,” Jim said. The children are quickly learn- ing English although they chatter together in Romanian. Sign lan- guage helps and the couple were able to find someone to translate some of the children’s language. They also learned some things are better left untranslated — Cos- tel’s innocently warbled tunes turned out to be Romanian bar. songs. = Budget = 1. Selling your car? 2. Buying a car? of course. 4. Trade in? Yes, we do take trades! 5. Financing required? 6. Warranties? available.‘ 7. Prices? prices, we are negotiable. 4TH & BEVAN Monday to Saturday CAR SALES SIDNEY Do you know all the services we offer? Just need advice? Call or come in for a chat. We consign cars or we may have a buyer waiting for it. We have first class, low mileage cars (some older). Courteous, professional service. 3. If you cannot come down ... ae We will bring our cars to you, just call us. No obligation, Complete financing services available (including deferrals). Balance of factory warranty and extended warranties Ours are between wholesale and retail, but even at our PLEASE COME IN WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS 656-7000 Dealer 8310 m Review Wednesday, August 29,1990 — A1® Three Brentwood families welcomed adopted Romanian children to their homes in mid-August, after a seven week wait in Romania to finalize the adoptions. Last week the Review five-month-old Liam by Mike and Chris Chadwick. 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