Fund Rimante and Kristijonas' Fresh Start

My name is Jennifer. Sadly and unexpectedly my sister in law died last January She left behind 2 amazing children Rimante a girl age 15 and Kristijonas a boy age 13. Two hours after their mom died, Rimante called me and asked if they could live with my husband (Modestas) here in the United States. Rimante and Kristijonas live in the UK.

Since that phone call, every move, decision, and sacrifice we have made has been for the benefit and well being of these children. I have taken a leave of absence from work, I cashed out a retirement to help pay for their living expenses in the UK, airfare to and from the UK, retention of legal services in the UK —all while having no clear answers on if we could even bring them back to the United States and pursue their adoption. The children are Lithuanian citizens with settlement status in the UK. ( a lot of moving parts) My plan was to make monthly visits to the UK to be a source of love and support and provide some respite for the friends who were caring for them.

This past trip to the UK, my husband and I brought extra luggage to leave at their apartment. Our hope was that we would be able to bring them to the United States for summer vacation while all this got sorted out. They were kind of on their own from 4/5 am till 7/8pm at night.

In an unexpected wild turn of events, we were able to bring the kids to the United States this trip! Initially we were told to expect this process to take one to 2 years. No one was quite sure how to navigate all this. The kids packed what they could fit in 2 suitcases. While leaving most of their possessions behind. They basically have the clothes on their backs and they need everything from shoes to furniture to school supplies. We are also faced with the legal expenses associated with navigating their adoption here in the United States. Funds will be used to help pay these expenses and getting them started and settled. Thank you for even considering helping us out. The picture is of Rimante, Kristijonas and I as we took an Uber from the airport in Boston to their new home in Rhode Island.

Thank you all!

God bless

Rimante, Kristijonas, Jennifer and Modestas