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Search for Sergey

A boy named Roman and his 6000 mile search for his brother and sister

Roman's journey

Roman's letter

Roman is searching for his brother Sergey and his sister Nastia (short for Anastasia). He wrote a letter in 2014 and needs help delivering it.

To my brother Sergey (who may have a different name now),

Dear Sergey,

I wanted to write this letter for a long time. This is your brother Roman. I know that like some of my friends you may be called by a different name now. I kept Roman because it can sound Russian and American - where I am now. I still want to say it the Russian way - it sounds like Row - mahn.

I have always remembered you and our little sister who we called Nastia. I know that girls named Nastia can get called Stacy or Anna in America. You and I were a team and always took care of her and loved her. When no one else helped us, we helped each other. After you and Nastia were taken to an orphanage, Home 1 in Russia, I was sick and then sent to another place. I would walk a long long way or take a bus to see you. One day, years ago, I tried to go see you two at Home 1, but the principal told me I would not see you again because you were adopted. No one had warned me so I didn't get to say goodbye. I was about 9 and you were 7. My (doctor) says that deep-down, you will remember me. Sometimes I tried not to think about you because it hurt. Then I would think my brother and sister had a family and that made me feel good.

Then three years after that, in 2009, I had a chance to have my own family and was adopted in America. Now I have a great dad and family and friends and cousins - including some Russian ones. We live in a nice house and the Boys and Girls club is behind us. In the summer, I have worked as a camp counselor in training at one camp and a soccer instructor in another. People say I have done a good job because I like little kids. Little kids always remind me of you and our sister.

Until last year, I used to be very small for my age. In Russia, I had been sick. In America, I got a lot of help from great doctors and friends and I ate a lot of food. I have grown a lot. I'm in the 10th grade at Watertown High School. I play soccer and basketball. I was happy to make the varsity soccer team as a freshman on a team that was Watertown's best in many years and won the Eastern Massachusetts championship. This past year I became a starter and we won the sectionals again, but lost the Eastern Mass title. I'm also on a spring soccer club that is good and my friend, school teammate, and foster brother Dhimitri, who is in 11th grade, lives at our house too. Our teams are made up of many kids - including kids from orphanages - from many countries including Brazil, Armenia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Ukraine, France, Colombia, Algeria, Venezuela, and Haiti.

I hope everything is great for you and our little sister. I want to know all about what you do. I was not a good student in Russia,but have been given lots of help and have improved. I speak, read, and write in English. It has taken some work because I started late, but I'm doing better at math too.

If anybody in your family reads this letter, I hope they will know that I love you and our little sister and will help you in every way I can. I hope they help us to see each other again.

With love from your brother,

Roman