FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

• By PAM BORDELON
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Nov 16, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:00 a.m.

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When the Russian sisters signed the paperwork putting their sons up for adoption, they made one request, that 17-month-old Nikolai and 10-month-old Ilya be adopted together.

Richard and Jana Kay Carley made that wish come true.

After running the emotional gamut of fertility options for more than 10 years, the Carleys turned to adoption to create their family. When they contacted Catholic Community Services, they immediately clicked with their social worker, Kitsia Baxter, whom Jana Kay describes as an expert in international adoption.

The Carleys knew they wanted two children, but they were taken aback when the Frank Foundation called on Feb. 2, 1999, and asked if they were open to adopting two infants at once — not twins but first cousins. And so the journey to bring Nikolai (Nikolas) and Ilya (Lewis) home to Baton Rouge began.

“They sent us some brief information on them … a video with about 30 seconds of each boy,” recalled Jana Kay. “When my dad saw Lewis, he says, ‘He’s an Anderson.’ He looks just like my dad, and Nikolas looks just like Richard did when he was a baby.”

After the family watched the video, the Carleys sent it to a specialist to examine for any symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome or birth defects. They were watching LSU play in the College World Series when the phone rang.

“I couldn’t imagine who would call us in the middle of the game,” said Jana Kay, who with Richard is a self-confessed diehard LSU fan.

It was the out-of-state pediatric specialist with news that he’d reviewed the video and the boys looked perfect, “the best he’d seen all week.”

Ten days later, the Carleys were on a plane headed for Moscow. They brought with them gifts for Russian officials involved with the adoption process — Tabasco, jambalaya mix, Timex watches and several LSU-logo items.

Worried that any needed piece of paperwork not get lost, Jana Kay slept with the packet containing multiple copies, which all had to be notarized. That is where Uncle Richard came into play.

“He saved us a fortune in notary fees,” said Richard of brother-in-law Judge Richard Anderson’s assistance. 

Both Richard and Jana Kay said it was nice to have someone with Anderson’s legal expertise looking out for them. Once they got to Moscow, though, they had to rely on their driver, translator and coordinator to help them maneuver through the Russian judicial
process. It’s not a traditional “how you were born” story, but the tale of how Nikolas and Lewis, the American version of their names, came into the Carleys’ lives is an interesting one.

In what probably doubled as new-parent practice, neither Jana Kay nor Richard slept much the week they were in Russia. While there, they met with a host of Russian officials, eventually coming before a judge.