Imagine the sheer hell of being a young child locked up in a bleak institution for years on end. No toys. No education and almost the only contact with adults being when you are being shouted at to behave. Being dressed up and ordered to smile broadly when visitors arrive who may adopt you. That is what happened to Adel and Karina Wilson, the most polite and kind schoolgirls you could come across. I met them a couple of days ago and was struck by their lovely attitude to me, to their adoptive parents and to each other.
Aged 11 and eight, these charming wee girls were caged in two Russian orphanages, just 20 minutes apart, until three years ago. Their natural mother had been an alcoholic and they had been plucked away for their own health and safety by the authorities. Karina was only three months then. Conditions were grim with no stimulation. A disturbing video of Karina taken before she was adopted shows her banging her head against the wall. Kids suffering from lack of stimulation do that. It’s difficult to watch. She now has an eye defect. Maybe it was caused by the mother’s drinking, the head banging or, well, who knows. Her big sister has no hearing on one side which causes her big problems. They have difficulty concentrating. They are awkward with other kids. Should that be a surprise to anyone knowing their background?
The girls were adopted by Roger and Janet Wilson who decided in semi-retirement they had love to spare. They moved to the Western Isles but, oh heck, that was not a good move for them. Despite their endless protocols and procedures, the small school they went to did not assess them properly, if at all. Nor did they tell the psychologists and other professionals who should have been told. The effect of the trauma they suffered in their early years meant the girls fell behind badly. Four hours of homework for a six-year-old at the weekend is not the answer to that. Anyone can see that. The parents complained bitterly and pleaded for supervised playtimes and other help. Nothing was done. They had to take Adel and Karina out of the unsympathetic school, massively disrupting their own lives. An adjudicator now finds the Wilsons were largely right in the claims.
The family have had enough. They are leaving the islands. As we chatted over coffee, I found myself gulping at the implications of the Wilsons’ predicament. What if these caring, articulate parents had not complained? What if, like most of us, they had just accepted these professionals’ bumbling incompetence and cover-ups? We tend to think they must know best. They often do not. We should worry now. How many other kids in the Western Isles – and elsewhere – are not assessed properly and face the anguish of being left foundering and constantly trying to catch up? If the assessors are not assessing, it is time to assess the assessors. How many of them would go to the top of the class?
I am very distressed at reading the Wilson’s story and very sorry for what they went through.
I am in a similar situation and my daughters needs are not being met at school. She has Aspergers syndrome and now suffers with severe anxiety due to a tremendous amount of bullying. The school has done nothing to help and she has no friends whatsover. One teacher told me it was her karma and her actual teacher told me her problems are a “layer”which has been wrapped around her by us and the way we have treated her. All the proffesionals have expressed shock of what is happening but the school does not acknowledge it. I am sending my deepest sympathy to this family and wish you all the very best for the future.
Susan , Morayshire