By Gabriella Nurhapy
Anastasia Gershenovitz captivated the audience at the 2024 Kidsave Miracles Gala with her story of meeting her forever family through Kidsave’s Summer Miracles program. Her speech was a heartfelt journey, narrated through poetic metaphors of ripples in a river.
Anastasia, born in 1999, spent her early years in an orphanage in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Like many children in the orphanage, Anastasia felt overlooked and longed for a loving family. “Life in the orphanage was pretty bleak. I was one of many kids who felt forgotten, one of many kids who longed for a family to love them,” she said.
Her life took a pivotal turn when she became part of Kidsave’s Summer Miracles program and traveled to the United States. “As soon as I arrived at the airport, I was handed a balloon with a big butterfly on it and was swept up into a hug by my hosts, the Gershenovitz family,” Anastasia recalled. The warmth and love she felt immediately after her arrival showed her a glimpse of what family love feels like and ignited a spark of hope within her. “It was like a new beginning for me.”
Kidsave’s Summer Miracles program offers children the opportunity to travel to the U.S for five weeks during the summer, where they stay with a host family that helps them meet potential adoptive families (and sometimes even adopts them). During her stay in Los Angeles, Anastasia’s days overflowed with sunshine and laughter, a stark contrast from the cold and snow she was accustomed to. Each day brought new experiences: she relished the feeling of sand on the beach, reveled in chasing waves, and discovered the joy in swimming and horseback riding. She also treasured the simple pleasure of sharing things with her soon-to-be siblings, a dynamic she had long missed. As she prepared to leave, Anastasia was filled with memories, but above all, she cherished the feelings she experienced. “Here I was, creating lifelong memories and for the first time in a long time, I remember feeling loved.”
Anastasia’s story with the Gershenovitz family didn’t end there. Shortly after she returned to Kazakhstan, the family that had fallen in love with her made the life-changing decision to adopt her. Suddenly, all her wishes came true. She had her own room in a loving home, with parents, siblings, and even a pet. “I was truly surrounded by endless ripples of love,” she reflected.
The unwavering support and love of the Gershenovitz family became Anastasia’s anchor, helping her overcome any challenges that came her way. When they discovered that she had dyslexia, her parents’ love and patience helped her through adapting to this learning difference. In 2022, Anastasia graduated college with a double degree in General Education and Special Education. Currently, she’s working on her Master’s degree at Cal State Fullerton, her parents’ alma mater.
As Anastasia reminisced, she was filled with gratitude, nostalgia, and pride for her journey. She felt immense appreciation for being able to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah. Despite facing the challenge of dyslexia, she undertook the path of memorizing Hebrew prayers and Torah, languages foreign to her upbringing. Now, as a Jewish adult, she is deeply grateful for the love and celebration she feels from her community, a testament to her resilience and the support she has received.
Anastasia is now committed to making a difference in the lives of children as a teacher, and she hopes to one day adopt a child of her own.
About Summer Miracles
Our Summer Miracles program gives older orphans who are overseas a chance at a family. The program provides older kids with no possibility of reunification – and little likelihood of adoption in their home country because of their age – the opportunity to stay in the U.S. for five weeks in the summer (or three weeks in the winter). While here, the kids stay with host families, learn about American culture, create lifelong memories, and connect with potential forever families. Book a call with our team to learn more.
