New agency helps couples become parents again

VALERIE MYERS

MEADVILLE -- Erica Ploski miscarried six times before deciding to adopt.

Now the mother of an adopted daughter and two biological children with her husband, Garth, she's opening a new adoption and counseling agency to help other couples adopt or conceive. Alliance for Children will open in the Masonic Building at 310 Chestnut St. in early December.

"I've had a couple of lifelong dreams, but being a mom is first and foremost," she said. "I may not be a doctor, but I can counsel people struggling with infertility or help them to adopt kids."

Erica Ploski ran a Project Oz Adoptions agency for five years before the agency was sold and its local office closed. She looks forward to helping couples become parents again.

"There are children nationally and internationally who need parents, and so many parents who desperately want kids. They need to know it's a real option," she said.

The Ploskis finally decided to adopt after struggling through infertility and the heartbreaking series of miscarriages.

"At that point, we said enough was enough, it was more important to us to be parents. It didn't matter whether it was biologically or through adoption," Erica Ploski said.

The couple had thought the adoption process intimidating until a co-worker adopted a baby from the Ukraine.

"Before that, it was so daunting, we never thought we would do it. When we saw someone do it, we said, 'Ah-ha!' and a light bulb went off," Erica Ploski said. "After that we did a lot of reading and investigating."

The couple found the daughter they believed was meant for them in one of the three profiles and photographs of Russian babies sent to them by Project Oz Adoptions. The due date of their first child, a girl they'd named Anastasia, would have been April 5, 2001. Instead, she was their first miscarriage. But among the profiles of Russian babies sent to the couple was a girl named Anastasia who was born on April 3, 2001.

"We took that as a sign and proceeded with the paperwork and trying to save up money," Erica Ploski said.

They worked two jobs each to pay their fare to Russia and to cover housing and meals during a monthlong stay in Moscow. Erica additionally made and sold crafts. Their parents helped with one-third of the total cost.

At last, they brought their 11-month-old daughter home from Moscow.

"She's awesome. She's phenomenal. She's bright, assertive, artistic, smart and funny. We couldn't have a better daughter, or have had a better adoption experience," Erica Ploski said.

After adopting Anastasia, Erica Ploski personally helped more than 30 families adopt children through Project Oz. She enrolled in pre-med studies at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania before becoming pregnant with daughter Savannah, now 3, and later son Chandler, 2. Garth Ploski continues to work in the medical field, for Select Specialty Hospital in Erie.

Together, they celebrate their adopted and biological children equally.

"After Anna, we had two more children come along unexpectedly," Erica Ploski said. "We're thrilled that Anna has siblings and thrilled to have three very different and three very wonderful kids."

Adoption is as much a miracle and blessing as the birth of a child, Garth Ploski said.

"Anastasia has enriched our lives and taught us so much about the joy of life, unconditional love and being parents. For the longest time, there was an enormous sense of emptiness and grief in our hearts, but God had a plan and brought us all together as a family," he said. "Anastasia has brought love, joy and completeness to our lives and will forever be our daughter, big sister and daddy's little girl."

Helping others experience those wonders is Erica Ploski's new dream. She tells of reading an e-mail from a friend still unable to conceive a child, and being comforted by a kiss from Chandler, just done with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"It's so sad that this woman hasn't yet become a mom and is missing those sticky, peanut butter kisses," she said.