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From Russia with love...
By Denise Schoppe
Staff writer
The Marlin Democrat
August 25, 2004
Marlin Fire Chief Tony Hoelscher has plenty of stories to tell from his years as a fireman. He has tales from fires, training and everyday administrative work. However, few of those stories can rival the ones he has to tell as a grandfather.
Hoelscher and his wife Lillian became grandparents for the second time on August 3rd, when their oldest son and his wife, Scott and Laurie Hoelscher, adopted Nathaniel Sergei. They met their new grandson one week later after he’d traveled almost 7000 miles to come to his new home in Central Texas.
“That’s half way around the world,” Chief Hoelscher said. “He’s made a lot of miles already.”
The 8-month old baby came from an orphanage in Vladivostok, Russia.
“I’m 1/8 Russian myself,” Chief Hoelscher said. “My great grandfather was Russian, and now we have a lot more in the family.”
Scott and Laurie first met Nathaniel via picture on the Internet. They then flew to Russia to meet him and made the decision to go through with adopting him.
“Their first trip to Russia was the week that Reagan died,” Lillian said. “Which is interesting considering all that Reagan did for American relations with that country.
As the world mourned the passing of a former world leader, Scott and Laurie met and began to get to know their future son. Upon returning home they worked to get all the paperwork required to make the adoption happen. Approximately two months later, they returned to Russia to bring home their new son.
Born on November 28, 2003 and given the name Sergei, he spent the first weeks of his life battling pneumonia. When he was well, he was placed in an orphanage where he had little human contact.
He is only one of hundreds of children hoping to be adopted in Russia. Laurie explained that in the area he came from there were 47 orphanages for children of varying ages. She explained also that just because the children live in the orphanage, they are not able to be adopted until both parents sign off, and it can’t happen as long as one family member visits the child at least once a year.
“Some spend a lifetime in the orphanages,” Laurie said.
When Laurie and Scott were in Russia to bring Nathaniel home, there were 12 other couples there also adopting children.
“He’s already a member of the family,” Lillian said. “He’s being introduced to many different foods, a different climate and has met a lot of people already.”
In the short time he’s been with his new parents, his development has accelerated. He “talks” and laughs and is trying to stand when held upright.
He has a large fan club at the fire station, in his parents and grandparents. However, his biggest fan has a story to tell of his own.
Paden Hoelscher started second grade this year, and like any big brother he has been telling everyone about his new baby brother. He’s an A-student and wants to be a soldier. It’s easy to forget that he himself is not your normal grade school student.
Paden was born on July 14, 1996, weighing only 2 pounds and 3 ounces. He was three months premature.
Laurie’s water had broken only 19 months into her pregnancy with Paden. In an attempt to keep the remaining amniotic fluid from leaking, she spent the next six weeks of the pregnancy flat on her back.
This followed her having survived open-heart surgery four years prior to that to correct a defect that would have prevented her from carrying a child at all.
Paden spent the first three months of his life at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.
Three years later, he found himself back in the hospital after becoming infected with a rare but dangerous strain of E. coli. The Texas Department of Health reported in 1998 the state incidence rate of 0.4 cases of the disease for every 100,000 people.
The disease affected almost every organ in Paden’s body, and he had to spend more than two weeks undergoing kidney dialysis at Children’s Hospital of Austin.
While over four years have passed since Paden had and recovered from the disease, it is something his parents and grandparents will never forget. They are thankful to have him and his new brother.
“The family is growing fast,” Lillian said. “It’s wonderful.”
By Denise Schoppe
Staff writer
The Marlin Democrat
August 25, 2004
Marlin Fire Chief Tony Hoelscher has plenty of stories to tell from his years as a fireman. He has tales from fires, training and everyday administrative work. However, few of those stories can rival the ones he has to tell as a grandfather.
Hoelscher and his wife Lillian became grandparents for the second time on August 3rd, when their oldest son and his wife, Scott and Laurie Hoelscher, adopted Nathaniel Sergei. They met their new grandson one week later after he’d traveled almost 7000 miles to come to his new home in Central Texas.
“That’s half way around the world,” Chief Hoelscher said. “He’s made a lot of miles already.”
The 8-month old baby came from an orphanage in Vladivostok, Russia.
“I’m 1/8 Russian myself,” Chief Hoelscher said. “My great grandfather was Russian, and now we have a lot more in the family.”
Scott and Laurie first met Nathaniel via picture on the Internet. They then flew to Russia to meet him and made the decision to go through with adopting him.
“Their first trip to Russia was the week that Reagan died,” Lillian said. “Which is interesting considering all that Reagan did for American relations with that country.
As the world mourned the passing of a former world leader, Scott and Laurie met and began to get to know their future son. Upon returning home they worked to get all the paperwork required to make the adoption happen. Approximately two months later, they returned to Russia to bring home their new son.
Born on November 28, 2003 and given the name Sergei, he spent the first weeks of his life battling pneumonia. When he was well, he was placed in an orphanage where he had little human contact.
He is only one of hundreds of children hoping to be adopted in Russia. Laurie explained that in the area he came from there were 47 orphanages for children of varying ages. She explained also that just because the children live in the orphanage, they are not able to be adopted until both parents sign off, and it can’t happen as long as one family member visits the child at least once a year.
“Some spend a lifetime in the orphanages,” Laurie said.
When Laurie and Scott were in Russia to bring Nathaniel home, there were 12 other couples there also adopting children.
“He’s already a member of the family,” Lillian said. “He’s being introduced to many different foods, a different climate and has met a lot of people already.”
In the short time he’s been with his new parents, his development has accelerated. He “talks” and laughs and is trying to stand when held upright.
He has a large fan club at the fire station, in his parents and grandparents. However, his biggest fan has a story to tell of his own.
Paden Hoelscher started second grade this year, and like any big brother he has been telling everyone about his new baby brother. He’s an A-student and wants to be a soldier. It’s easy to forget that he himself is not your normal grade school student.
Paden was born on July 14, 1996, weighing only 2 pounds and 3 ounces. He was three months premature.
Laurie’s water had broken only 19 months into her pregnancy with Paden. In an attempt to keep the remaining amniotic fluid from leaking, she spent the next six weeks of the pregnancy flat on her back.
This followed her having survived open-heart surgery four years prior to that to correct a defect that would have prevented her from carrying a child at all.
Paden spent the first three months of his life at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.
Three years later, he found himself back in the hospital after becoming infected with a rare but dangerous strain of E. coli. The Texas Department of Health reported in 1998 the state incidence rate of 0.4 cases of the disease for every 100,000 people.
The disease affected almost every organ in Paden’s body, and he had to spend more than two weeks undergoing kidney dialysis at Children’s Hospital of Austin.
While over four years have passed since Paden had and recovered from the disease, it is something his parents and grandparents will never forget. They are thankful to have him and his new brother.
“The family is growing fast,” Lillian said. “It’s wonderful.”
