‘Angel Eyes’ changes life for alums Shawn, Sarah Basile “Zoya” means “life,” and it’s an appropriate name for the 2-year-old charmer from Ukraine who this spring joined the family of ‘Hurst grads Shawn Basile ’01 and Sarah Pulley Basile ’03 ’06.
Zoya has bucked the odds repeatedly. Born June 3, 2008, she had both Down Syndrome and a heart condition that called for surgical repair. Her mother abandoned her at the hospital.
Married soon after Shawn earned his pharmacy degree at Lake Erie College of Medicine (LECOM) in 2005, the Basiles settled down in Erie. Shawn’s a pharmacist at the CVS drug store just blocks from campus, and Sarah teaches in the suburban Millcreek School District. They bought a house. They got a dog. And they prayed about what their next move should be.
Unlike most special needs children in her country, she received the surgery she needed. And her big blue eyes on the “Reece’s Rainbow” website captured the hearts of both Shawn and Sarah. “There were plenty of reasons not to do this,” Sarah says, “but once we saw her we couldn’t get her out of our hearts.”
Sarah’s background is in special education (she got her master’s at Mercyhurst in 2006), and both the Basiles worked with groups for children with special needs, like the Gliding Stars adaptive skating program and the Erie Adaptive Sailing Experience (EASE). It was only a short step to thoughts of adopting a child with Down Syndrome. To their surprise, they learned there’s a waiting list to adopt kids with Down Syndrome in America. But, through “Reece’s Rainbow,” they quickly discovered a huge demand for adoptive families overseas. Children with special needs have little worth in many cultures, so they’re warehoused in orphanages and then – often by the time they turn 4 – moved into mental institutions. With little nurturing, few survive long.
After navigating a maze of paperwork and making two trips (totaling five weeks) to Ukraine, Shawn and Sarah brought Zoya Faith home in April. They celebrated both her adoption and her second birthday with a “Zoyapalooza” party in June. Zoya had already been showered with gifts, so they asked their guests to make contributions to Reece’s Rainbow instead. The organization awards grants to help potential families meet the high cost of international adoptions, which can reach $25,000 or more.
The little girl who could barely sit up when she arrived is walking now. Exposed to the English language for the first time just months ago, she’s developed quite a signing vocabulary and is putting words together as well. “People often tell us we’ve done a wonderful thing,” says Sarah. “But she’s changed our lives so much more. After going through two horrible years, she’s already let it all go. She’s the happiest kid. She’s an inspiration to us.” Check out the Basiles’ blog at angeleyesadoption.blogspot.com to follow Zoya’s story. Visit reecesrainbow.org to learn about other children awaiting adoption or to make a donation.
The Basiles get ready to begin their journey home on what they call “gotcha day” – April 19, 2010, the day they were allowed to take Zoya from the orphanage.
Inspired by Zoya’s amazing story, EASE (the Erie Adaptive Sailing Experience) christened its brand-new sailboat in her honor.
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