Hello, My name is Taiala Drakos. I'm from Salvador, Brazil. My husband Sonji is in his third year as an elementary Montessori teacher and we have a beautiful son, Davi who is almost 1 1/2 years old. For the past 2 years we have been working to adopt our 7-year-old niece, Kailane, a child who is very dear to us and is in great need. We can provide her with the attention, guidance and excellent education that her biological parents are not able to give her. International adoption is a very expensive, slow, tedious undertaking and we have dedicated ourselves completely to following it through no matter what it takes. Kailane was born to my brother and her mother when they were very young. I was living in my family home at the time, so I assumed a big part of the care for her since her birth and we developed a close bond. Her grandparents and her parents love her and do all they can for her but my brother now has 2 more children and they just can't provide her with a good education or give her the attention she needs to reach her great potential. The neighborhood in Brazil where she lives is extremely poor and she is being exposed to things daily that no girl her age should. The local school she attends in the city where she lives is of poor quality and can't come close to providing a stimulating learning environment for this exceptionally bright and talented little girl. If we could adopt Kailane she would be able to attend the Montessori school where Sonji teaches. My brother and her mother have been in full agreement with the idea of us adopting her and bringing her to live with us here in the United States. We knew from the start that this would place a great financial burden on us but we decided that being able to adopt Kailane and give her a better life is far more important. Our goal is to raise $25,000, which will cover the fees owed to the adoption agency. She is at the age now when it will still be relatively easy for her to learn English and adapt to a completely new culture, but the longer we wait the more difficult it will be for her to make this big transition. Every time we call her or visit, she always asks the same question: When will I be able to come live with you? We tell her we're doing everything we can, but still can't give her anything concrete. It would mean everything to us and to her to be able to share our lives together as a family. We thank you with all our heart.
