Petrova’s Promise is dedicated to helping the children that no one knows: the Russian orphans who have physical and mental disabilities. Petrova’s Promise provides financial assistance, assumption and delivery of medical equipment, emotional support and individualized personal attention to these children, both living in orphanages and in our foster homes. With the ceasing of foreign adoptions in Russia, Petrova's Promise is now additionally focusing on building and supporting foster families, so that these children can grow up in loving families.
When my husband, John, and I were in Russia adopting our daughter Camie, I fell in love with the people and, especially, the children of Russia. I actually cried the night before we left, as I didn’t want to leave and I felt guilty taking our daughter out of her country. It was right then and there, in our hotel bathroom, that I promised myself I would somehow come back and help these children using my experience as a pediatric physical therapist. I decided I wanted to come back and help the children that nobody wanted…the children with disabilities. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do this, but the idea began with me wanting to bring back medical equipment that these darling children desperately needed. Little did I know how far we would go in the next 15 years!
MEET VALYA
Valya, who was born in 2004, was found by officials living in the streets with a pack of dogs. She did not know how to speak or even how to eat like a human. She was brought into an orphanage for children with typical needs. Unfortunately, because of her developmental delays, she caused the other children in the orphanage to regress, so she was taken to an orphanage for children with special needs. From the moment Petrova’s Promise learned of Valya, we worked tirelessly to get her out of the orphanage and into our loving care with a foster mother.
Learn more about Valya.
MEET VOVA
Vova was born in 2014 and lived his first three years with his biological mother who loved him very much. Sadly, she passed away of cancer and without any other family able to take care of him, he was placed in an orphanage for children with disabilities.
Vova has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, developmental delay and mental disabilities. We were told that Vova would never speak or walk. He was only mobile using his wheelchair. However, under the loving care of his foster mother Natalya, he is now speaking his name and is able to stand!
Learn more about Vova.
MEET ARTEM
Petrova’s Promise began assisting Katya and Valery in the summer of 2021 when they met Artem in an orphanage and brought him to their home as their foster child. Artem was born in 2004 and began living in an orphanage when he was 12 years old, after his mother could no longer take care of him. When he was 17 years old, he met Katya and got to know her. He told Katya that he did not want to move into the adult internat (similar to a nursing home here in the US) when he turned 18 years old...instead, he wanted to live with a family. Katya became so fond of Artem, that she began working on obtaining guardianship of him. He moved in with her and her family in July of 2021. Petrova’s Promise assisted Katya in obtaining guardianship of Artem and has since purchased a walker for him. Artem has Cerebral Palsy and has both physical and cognitive impairments. He uses his walker to be mobile. Learn more about Artem.