Adam Stein

Three-year-old boy, adopted from China, by Philip and Michele Stein, in November 2009, suffered severe head trauma, and ended up in a coma. Michele Stein was charged with abuse. In January, Adam had been hospitalized with burns on his hands.
Date: 2010-03-19
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Apex, North Carolina
United States
See map: Google Maps
DocumentDatesort icon
Apex woman headed to prison for child abuse2011-10-25
Apex woman bound for prison for abusing adopted son2011-10-24
Mother of 3-year-old faces felony child-abuse charge2010-04-21
Apex mom charged with child abuse2010-04-12
Mother jailed on felony child-abuse charge2010-04-10
Mother of comatose Apex boy charged with abuse2010-04-10
Adoptive mother charged with child abuse2010-04-09
Adopted boy, 3, in a coma; parents investigated2010-04-07
Apex child in coma; police investigate2010-04-06
Apex child in coma, parents investigated2010-04-03
Adopted boy, 3, lies in a coma2010-04-02
Parents of comatose 3-year-old under investigation2010-04-01
0

Non-lethal abuse

Another adoptee with head trauma... this time it's a boy from China.  Don't hear too many stories about them... boys, I mean... from China. I'm guessing Adam was "Special Needs"... otherwise how/why would an American be able to adopt a boy from China?

According to a statement made by a clinical neuropsychologist who works with adopted children, Parents sometimes don't know how to handle behavioral and psychological problems, he said. They may sue the adoption agency or abuse or relinquish their children.

Of course, right now all sorts of attention is being given to foreign adoptees, and the way they are treated, thanks to recent news about yet another AP who could not cope with her adopted son.  Comments are a-plenty on all sorts of news-sites and adoption forums.... and it's interesting to see just how many are siding with the Amother of  Artem Justin Hansen (Artem Saveliev).  Many claim what she did was humane... many claim little can be done with children who are hell-bent to hate an AP who wants nothing more than a child to love.... many claim adoption is NOT for everyone, including specific types of children.

It's hard for someone like me to read this sort of news.  For many of us adoptees who were abused, each story brings back it's own triggering issues.  I try not to let it all get to me, but at night it comes back.  That's usually when the demons of the past like to remind me where I am and where I have been.  <deep heavy breath... reminding myself to b-r-e-a-t-h-e >.

I guess it is far better to be put on a plane to God-knows-where, than to be beaten so badly, you're in a coma.  Maybe if Adam is lucky, he will be so broken and damaged, he won't have any memory. Period. 

Sad thing is, how many children on THIS LIST were put on a plane, (train or automobile), and promised better treatment... a better life, through adoption?  How many AP's delivered?  (And how many abused adoptees remember just how they were treated after the novelty of having completed an adoption wore-off?)

Something I want to remind readers.... not all cases of abused adoptees make the news.

Please remember that.

Location

Pound Pup Legacy