Recently the world learned that the biologic parents of the famed Paralympic swimmer Jessica Long are from Russia.
Correspondents from “Komsomolskaya Pravda” visited Jessica’s parents – Natalya and Oleg Valtyshev – in their village Tem (Irkutsk Oblast). In the end of this visit Natalya handed journalists the apology letter to her daughter…
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Translated from http://kp.ru/daily/25952/2894619/:
Journalists visit the Russian parents of Jessica Long
- Valtyshevs? – asks the stocky man. – Who does not know them now! Go straight, then right, their house is in the last but one street.
The fence door is open, dogs are barking from behind. A woman is leaving the house – she just planned to go to the shop. Jessica’s mother is not quite happy to see us, but she is not driving us away.
The house where Valtyshevs live
PHOTO – Denis Kravets
- Let us give you a ride to the shop, – we offer.
- OK.
The road is not long, just enough to get acquainted.
- We moved to Tem one and a half years ago, – says Natalya. – We bought a house and 32 sotkas [ed: land measurement unit equal to 100 square meters] for 120 thousand rubles[3,850 $]. Here, with Oleg we raise three children.
- You were born in Kursk Oblast…
- I have lived in so many places! In Kursk Oblast, anftewrads in Donetsk Oblast. And then I went to live with my father in Bratsk where I attended the training school to become a cook. Though I haven’t worked a single day in this profession. One day I went to visit my friend in Tynkob, and fell in love … Oh, here we’ve come!
PHOTO – Denis Kravets
Natalya enters the shop. Comes out with bread, canned fish, spaghetti and beer.
- This is to relieve the stress after Moscow.
[Note: Natalya went to Moscow to participate in TV show dedicated to Jessica Long]
Together we set food on the table and get acquainted with the youngest daughter Dasha. She was born handicapped. Pretty, good girl who happily comes in contact with strangers.
- Dasha, how did you feel when you learned that you had another sister?
- I cried from joy …
“I was giving birth on the threshold of bathroom…”
- Natalya, let’s get back to our story. So, you and your husband met in Tynkob …
- Yes, he was born and grew up there. We met on November 7. He saw me and immediately disappeared. I was a pretty girl then, – Natalya shows the black-and-white portrait. – This is me just before I got pregnant with Tanya… I hesitated, was afraid that people would judge me. Till the last moment nobody knew except Oleg…
PHOTO – Denis Kravets
- How did it happen that you abandoned the child?
- The baby was born prematurely. We went to Bratsk and stayed at my friend’s place. We didn’t make it in time to the hospital, the labors started and I gave the birth at the bathroom threshold… Valentina, the landlord, was helping me. Doctors arrived when it was over. We were taken to the hospital, and this is where the nightmare started. All nurses and doctors were saying in one voice: “Give her up, give her up. You’re still young, why do you need the disabled child”. I and Oleg were against it, but then mother-in-law had her word, saying that she wouldn’t help with the handicapped child. So, Tanya remained in the hospital, and we went back to Tynkob. What a scum I am…
Natalya talks quietly. Her eyes are dry. She just lights another cigarette.
“She is a good girl, she will understand”
- Your sister told our newspaper that you wanted to go back and take Tanya …
- I thought about it all the time, hoping to persuade the mother-in-law. And then I found out that Americans adopted Tanya. After that the second daughter, Anastasia, was born. Then twins followed – boy and girl. Dasha was born disabled, too.
- You did not abandon her …
- Of course not! I can’t get rid of the guilt for what I already have done <…> I’ts not easy to raise people with disabilities here, we are treated with contempt: cannot leave the house, children are throwing stones and sand.
- Have you thought of moving to the city to arrange special school for Dasha?
- I cannot live in town, we have our farm here. This year we started growing pigs and keep chickens all the time.
- What is your husband doing?
- He works in timber industry, sometimes absent for 20 days in a row. Comes back to have rest and then again – to taiga. The whole farm is on me.
- Tanya said she wanted to see you. What would you say to her when you meet her?
- I just want to look into her eyes and ask for forgiveness… I did the wrong thing, but I want to explain her why it happened. Her new parents have done for her what I could never do. I know she is a good girl, and will understand.
We offered Natalya to send a message to Jessica. She thought for a long time, looking through the dusty window. And then she started writing …
Letter to Jessica Long from her Russian mother
[Translation below]
Letter to Jessica Long (Page 1)
Letter to Jessica Long (Page 2)
Translation:
Dear Tanechka!
I feel very guilty. All these years I was thinking about you, thinking how you live. I knew that you were adopted, I didn’t have an opportunity to take you back. I am glad that your life turned in such way, I wouldn’t be able to give you all of this. I would really want to apologize to you in person, looking into your eyes. Hopefully, I will have such opportunity. Meanwhile I am asking for your forgiveness on paper …
I am very grateful to your parents. I would get on my knees in front of these people. They helped you to become a complete person. I dream to see you and your mom and dad.
I embrace you with love and hope to see you soon.
Kiss!!! Love you!!! Miss you!!!
Mama Natasha!!!
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Comments of Russian netizens
Below are translated some comments which left Russian readers of this story.
Guest No. 73 (replying to the above): Don’t offend the woman – she is guilty, but won’t beg for anything, it’s not that type.. Нечего оскорблять эту женщину — она виновата, но ничего выклянчивать не собирается, не тот это типаж..
Доброжелательница: I feel bitter for Russia – can’t make its own children happy, therefore sells them…Горько за Россию: не может сделать своих детей счастливыми и торгует ими…
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Interesting perspective on adoption in different countries than the US. The same type of emotions still flow through the onlookers, it seems. I find it nice that others are willing to take up a child, and make it their own when others can’t.
I don’t get it.
Why did children throw stones to Natasha’s house? It’s just because she has a disabled daughter?
Where does the “logic” come from? How ironic and pathetic it is!
That’s the thing people should think of.
In most Soviet states, if a child is born with any physical defects, giving up the child is something that is given heavy considerations. It is because of this that many Russians do not take to adopting children, a great many either suffer a physical defect or are born to parents who were incredibly high (or much worse).
The west’s acceptance of these children have been an incredible blessing for the kids. They had no chance of becoming anything in Russia. You can see by the how the doctors reacted to Jessica’s deformities that her life would have been poor had she stayed. The girl is incredibly lucky.
Great article!
Honestly, seems like a way to get attention now that her daughter is famous. I am sure Jessica is very happy with her life in the USA and would have preferred not to have a stranger interject herself into her life via MEDIA.
I can not even image giving up a child whether they were disabled ro not. But I am not one to judge other people’s choices. It saddens me that the mother has to wait until the daughter has her moment in the sun before she tries to let her know how she really feels.
I won’t be mother’s advocate, but – as far as I know – she didn’t know that Jessica is her daughter until Russian journalists [not the ones who took this interview] located her.
hey this sobit was ready to help her .. i mean to gave to more with her.. i am serious because i know ..so i am ready have spend my whole life with her