From Russia with love

Amazing, the turns life can take.  One day in an orphanage, the next.. on their way to America.

Back in Philadelphia, Joe and Sophia were very important people, as they waited at the airport.

Newspaper and television cameras taking their pictures, even people from the airline, which had donated the tickets, had come to meet all those twins. 

Now, all six brothers and sisters, three sets of twins would be together for the first time in their lives.

Keith Morrison: Did it live up to your expectations?

Lisa Salem: Oh more. More than I could imagine. There can’t be a better moment than that. 

Here’s what they were coming home to: A $55,000 addition to the home.  Every penny, every hour of labor donated by a local developer. New bedrooms, a bathroom, furniture… all of it a gift, from people who wanted to help.

There were signs from little ones to welcome them.

Lisa: They need to know that this is their house.  This is their family.  They’re my children.

Hythem Salem: They could not believe it.  They kept asking, “This is my bed?” “Yes, this is your bed. This is your room.  This is your bathroom.” And they kept asking like “This is my clothes? Can I take this?” and just like “Yes.”

And Julianne, said her first words in English: “I love you.”

Lisa: She wrapped her arms around my neck and said "I love you." That was special.

So here they are: four brand new children, all about to enter some of life’s more difficult years, in a new world, where they can’t even speak the same language.

Morrison: Do you ever look at each other and say, “what have we done?

Lisa: Yes. We did. Especially the first days we woke up and “What did we do?  Why did we do this?” But we knew we were gonna feel that way. 

In the summer of 2004, with the children just home, the family communicated using sign language, broken Russian, and broken English.  In emergencies, they had a Russian speaking friend they could call.

There was non stop, bilingual commotion from morning till night.

The children had boundaries to learn, new ways to think, to do things.

But to their parents’ surprise, behavior was better, the adjustment was easier than they expected.

Having Joe and Sophia around helped.

Hythem:  I think it’s a big factor just seeing how we interact, and discipline Joseph and Sofia.

Lisa: There’s no difference between how we treat them, and how we treat Joe and Sofia.  And they’re really watching that.  

And here, after just seven months of being home in America, they’ve all blossomed in school, their teachers say. They love being there, have made new friends. All four are soaking up English like a sponge.

And if you ask them, they’ll tell you they understand everything you say.

Morrison:  This is amazing.  How come this happened so fast?  Was it hard?

All kids:  No.

Morrison: No?

Jake: No, only a little bit.

Morrison: How did the people at school, how did they treat you?

Julianne: They want to be our friends everybody wants to be our friends.

Morrison: What subjects do you like?

Selene: Social Studies and English.

In early 2005, it was apparent they have wasted no time becoming American.

Morrison: Do you like to watch football?

All:  Yes.

Morrison: Did you watch the Superbowl?

All: yes

Morrison: What team do you like?

All: Eagles

Morrison: Can you do the Eagles cheer?

All: e-a-g-l-e-s

Lisa: The strides that they’ve made and the people that they’ve become are—all four is amazing.  All four.

There’s an extraordinary, almost indescribable bond among all six children, their parents say.  Almost mystical.  It’s as if they’re making up for lost time.

Morrison: I want to know what it’s like for you guys to be all back together again.

Sophia: It’s fun having them around.  Because they’re fun to play with.

Joe: It feels like loving.

Julianne: I’m happy be all together and play together.  It’s like a dream.

HOW TO HELP To contact or donate to the Salem family Salem Twins New Hope Fund c/o Commerce Bank 325 Main Street Harleysville, PA 19438 Phone: 888-751-9000 For Further Information e-mail: Salemtwins@verizon.net

As for Lisa and Hythem? There’s never enough time.  And NO money.  Even with the all the donations, they borrowed $90,000 dollars  against their house, they say, money which restored a family, pays for it’s support, but also keeps them up at night.

Lisa: The financial burden really makes things hard and that’s what weighs heavily on me right now.

But no amount of worry about that, they insist, can diminish their constant amazement at what this family has become.

Lisa: I would never have anticipated this kind of miracle.  Never.

Morrison: 'Miracle' you call it?

Lisa: Yeah it’s a miracle from where we’ve been to where we are now there isn’t a bigger miracle than the story of our children.

Click here to read more about the Salem twins, and to watch recent video diaries and blogs.

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