Eric F.Scholl from Oklahoma complains about red tape while trying to adopt a Ukrainian orphan.

Dear editor,

We will be watching with great interest, the path of this report about Elton John seeking to adopt a Ukrainian child. For more than a year, my wife and I have paid money, followed government protocol (both United States and Ukrainian) and patiently waited to learn whether we would be able to adopt a child from Ukraine. To date, we’ve not had an encouraging word about this possibility. Now, another well-known celebrity is seeking to adopt a child in a foreign nation. We will be very shocked and saddened to see if Elton John is able to adopt a child before we do.

It is also sad for us on another level: my material grandmother was born in Skole, [Western Ukraine]. I’ve longed to reconnect with my ancestral land and the adoption seemed to be a way to do that. From the way the Ukrainian government is handling foreign adoptions, the promise of adding a child to families looks hopeless...unless, perhaps, one is a celebrity.

Eric F. SchollTulsa, Oklahoma USA