Kids & Parenting

---

No More Silence in Romania: The Story of Bianca Lavinia Calderon
By Aaron Neumb



"It is not we who keep silence here [. . .] but the members of the church in the free world [. . .] for they do not speak on our behalf."
Canon Julius Hirtea


In their McLean home, the Calderons: Veronica, Carlos, and their daughters Carla and Camille had lessons in sign language every Tuesday. This wasn’t in order for them to communicate with a current family member but a much anticipated addition to the family who would be traveling thousands of miles to be a part of their lives.

When the Calderons contacted the Family International Adoption Agency in 2001, Veronica made it clear she wanted to adopt a child with a hearing impairment. Why? Romania stands as a nation rising out the rubble of political corruption, a nation of people thrown into turmoil and trying desperately to overcome poverty. Added onto this disarray is the fact that Romanian children with special needs struggle to find local families willing to care for them and love them unconditionally.

Upon learning Romanian orphanages state that children with special needs are “unadoptable”, Veronica was more determined than ever to reach out and save at least one of these silenced children from an uncertain fate in a country brought to shambles in the late 80s.

Having prayed continuously night and day, the Calderons were conferred the first of many blessings in 2002. The family received word of a two-year-old girl, sweet, quiet, and non-troublesome, in an orphanage in Calarasi.

Unknown at the time the child was brought to the orphanage, little Bianca Lavinia Seceleanu was deaf. An unwritten rule that may seem unfair at first was a bonus for the Calderons: families wanting children with special needs go through a quicker procedure. This is to ensure these children, who would otherwise spend their childhood and teenage years in orphanages that could barely afford them, are adopted. With gleaming anticipation of placing at least one of earth's precious angels within a loving home, Bianca's caretaker called to relay her availability to the Calderons.

At that moment, Veronica swelled with happiness and an unexplainable joy – unexplainable because somehow she just knew, without a doubt, Bianca was meant to be her and Carlos’ daughter and the sister Carla and Camille had been waiting for.

But blessings always seem to warrant spiritual counter-attack, evil hating for love to conquer all. The intensity of the Calderons' desire to be united with Bianca would be put to a test teeming with legal and political barriers.

* * * * * * *

[This Excerpt is Available for Free. The Complete Article is For Sale on this Site.]

(c) 2005 No More Silence in Romania/ Neumb
[email protected]

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE