She arrived today in Zaporozhyie, Ukraine where she will spend her Christmas Vacations, staying at our sweet friend Inna's home.
( relaxing at Inna's home ) 
Before Ela left Zaparozhyie, she went to the baby orphanage SOLNYSHKO where she grew up from baby until she was eight years old 
Ela spent time with Galina Galkina the director, the woman who was Ela's mama, who cared and loved Ela when she was a little girl. 
Also the staff were all happy to see Ela all grown up.
The old mentor, Ela and my friend Inna at the Zaporozhye's train station.
At Zaporozhyie's train station, the old mentor, Ela and my friend Albert.
The old mentor, Ela, the new mentor and Alexandra ( another student) in front of the new school.
Alexandra, the new mentor, the old mentor and Ela in the college's park. 
Alexandra, the new mentor, Ela and the old mentor at the hall of Khortista School
Ela with the new mentor, the old mentor and my lovely friend Inna
Ela among the flowers in the college's garden.
Here is Ela holding her cell phone and waiting for us to call her and tell her we got the visa!!
It was not her fault...
Unfortunately her parents did not understand this and they rejected her and abandoned little Ela in the hospital.
Little Ela was sent to the baby orphanage in Zaporozhyie, Ukraine.
There she met the director Galina Galkina, and she found a mommy in her..
Galina loved Ela and took care of her just like a daughter, she help Ela learn to walk and play.
Ela met at the orphanage two other little boys, Nikita and Dimitri who also had deformities and three of them grew together playing and acting like brothers and sister.
They grew seeing other orphans being adopted and they were never chosen, because of their deformities, nobody wanted them.
Until 1998 when a lady named Sonia from California, who was handicapped herself, came to the orphanage to adopt Nikita and Dimitri.
Ela asked Sonia to please adopt her too...the boys were like her little brothers and she wanted to have a mommy too..
Ela dancing a dance she choreographed
It broke Sonia's heart to tell her that she couldn't take her home with her then, but she promise Ela that once the boys were done with their corrective surgeries, she would return.
Five years passed and Ela waited.
Sonia applied to adopt Ela, but the adoptions in Ukraine were suspended, she had to wait.
Several years passed and Ela and Sonia continued to write to each other and Ela called Sonia
"Mama " and Sonia called Ela " daughter"
When the adoption ban was lifted, Sonia was told by the American Immigration Department that Ela " was over 16 and too old to be adopted"
Sonia cried and Ela cried, they wanted to be together and the law was not allowing it.
Sonia founded a non profit medical charitable foundation in order to help deformed orphans worldwide.
She named the foundation Mellowswan Foundation
because her foundation will help "ugly ducklings" become Swans
http://www.mellowswanfoundation.org/
In 2008 Sonia applied for a "humanitarian visa" to have Ela come to California to have corrective surgery.
She needed co-sponsors, so David and his daughter Samantha from Ohio helped.
David made a page for Ela,please go and visit David's wonderful blog
http://www.ukraineorphans.net/
The "Ela's team" is growing, we have our Russian friend Serguey in Moscow, who translate the letters for Ela that Sonia sends and translate the letters that Ela sends for Sonia.
Spasiva Serguey!
Now we are waiting for Ela's visa to be granted.
Sonia was very worried about Ela's future after she graduates from High School at the orphanage.
But Ela has one more person in her life, remember Galina Galkina?
She has offered Ela to stay with her at the baby orphanage, until Sonia can come to pick her up.
We are so grateful to Galina, Serguey, David, Samantha, Laila, Debbie, and all the other friends who have come to Ela's rescue.
Here is a picture of ELA (taken by Debbie) sending a big hug to all of you who are helping her come to California to have corrective surgery in her hands and feet.
We are not posting Ela's hands or her feet, as a courtesy to Ela.
