Image may be NSFW.
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By this time many folks have read the Alone again news story. Jeff and Michelle Bignell adopted 2 children from Ukraine in March 2001. They adopted a 7 year old boy and 4 year old girl.
Let’s call the boy S.
The Bignell family felt like they couldn’t cope with S’s many mental/developmental issues. He broke his sister’s ankles, ran away and killed pets. So we aren’t talking about small issues. Feb 2005, S was diagnosed with RAD. The Bignell family tried to annul the adoption in Ukraine (maybe in 2004/2005?).
I feel like I am missing part of the story… but this is the part that caused the most controversy in the Ukrainian adoption community.
Clik here to view.
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December 2005, Michelle Bignell:
return[ed] an adopted child “who had been very problematic in their family
She dropped S.. an 11 year old boy… who only spoke English… off at a psychiatric hospital in Donetsk. She said she would be back in a month.
She never returned.
US county child protection workers (through a series of events) found out the boy was in a Ukrainian institution. It took them a year working with the US and Ukrainian government… but they finally got him transferred back to the United States before Christmas 2006.
July 2006 Jeff and Michelle Bignell divorced. The pressure of dealing with a special needs child must have been intense.
The boy is now 12 years old and has “psychiatric problems” and allegations of abuse (committed by him). He is in a shelter and is being evaluated at this point. What does the future hold for this child?
I hope he gets the help he needs. He is now part of the foster care system.
