Angels in - Pound Pup Legacy

her biological parents. She has also spoken at the
Korean American Adoptee/Adoptive Family Network
(KAAN) Conference in Washington, DC. KAAN works
closely with its members, the Korean American
community, and the Korean government to promote
awareness of Korean adoption issues and develop
programs that will benefit both adoption and Korean
communities. Sloan is a well-rounded individual. She
has done many things that would simply be a dream
for an average 16-year-old but she has done one
thing more, made them a reality while contributing
to the understanding of adoption.
Margaret Tomasicchio
Representative Timothy Bishop
Peggy Tomasicchio has been a devoted and caring
foster and adoptive parent in Suffolk County since
1975. Over the past 30 years she has been a foster
parent to 57 children, adoptive parent to nine, and
is now a grandparent to 11. At age 61 she is
retiring from the role as surrogate parent to focus
on the four children she has recently adopted. In
addition, Mrs. Tomasicchio has worked at the Three
Village School District, where she establishes
programs for preschoolers with disabilities, and has
helped the Suffolk County Foster Parent Advisory
Council to develop their training program for new
foster parents. There is no questioning Mrs.
Tomasicchio’s love and affection for the children
that she has helped raise. She is a true Angel in
Adoption , and an example of selfless giving.
North Carolina
Raymond and Debbie Abrams
Representative Robin Hayes
Raymond and Debbie Abrams serve as guardians for
Raymond’s nephew, Cameron, who was made a
ward of the state when his father died and his
mother lost parental rights owing to drug and
alcohol addiction. His Grandmother was given
custody, but, she passed away soon thereafter,
leaving Cameron with his Great Aunt, who also had
failing health. Because of the child’s own medical
situation, she accepted offers of assistance for him
from Raymond and Debbie. They now have
secondary custody of the child, and take care to
meet all his needs. They have sacrificed the past
three to four years for this now 10-year-old boy. He
recently lost his paternal grandfather and his
maternal great grandfather is dying. He has had
severe emotional difficulties owing to his early
experience with the loss of so many family
members. For Raymond’s and Debbie’s steadfast
commitment to their nephew, I’m pleased to honor
them as 2003Angels in Adoption award recipients.
Harriet McCarthy
Representative Richard Burr
Harriet McCarthy and her husband, Eugene, have
adopted three boys from Russia. After adopting
their first son, Harriet became involved with a
number of wonderful parents on several Internet
sites and started a local support group called
Piedmont Families for International Adoption. Two
years later she began an online communication and
support group, called Eastern European Adoption
Coalition (EEAC). Over the years, EEAC has grown
to thousands of families as well as a small group of
intelligent, caring, and dedicated volunteers who
work entirely behind the scenes providing factual
and helpful information to those traveling down the
international adoption road. She spends several
hours a day working for EEAC on a volunteer basis.
In early 1998, she responded to the need for
support groups for adoptive parents of older
children and created a group called Parent
Education and Preparedness. This year, she accepted
a job teaching at the Triad Academy, a school for
children with learning disabilities, attended by her
son Sergie.
North Dakota
Loralei Klitzke
Senators Kent Conrad & Byron Dorgan
In addition to having three biological children with
her late husband, Rodney, Loralei has adopted nine
children since 1976. Her experience has taught her
how to work with children to achieve their greatest
potential, despite physical and emotional
impairments, being new immigrants or as members
of a sibling groups. Loralei has made a commitment
to adopting children who need a home and a
family. After the death of her husband in 1996,
Loralei continued to adopt, welcoming two children
in 2000 whose earlier adoptions had disrupted. The
children in her care have become adults who retain
a close relationship with their mother. Moreover,
Loralei works full time while still remaining active
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