Embassy honors four Mainers for aiding Russian orphanage

PORTLAND – Four Mainers who were so touched by a 1999 newspaper photo of a deaf 8-year-old girl with a shaved head that they established a charity for a Russian orphanage for the hearing- and speech-impaired were honored this week by the Russian Embassy.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins presented awards from the embassy to Mary Dinan of Cumberland and Jim and Maureen Gorman of Falmouth. The fourth recipient, Greg Foltz, was undergoing radiation treatment for cancer and was unable to attend Tuesday’s ceremony.

Foltz, the director of St. Andre’s Home, a Roman Catholic adoption agency in Biddeford, has spearheaded efforts to help the Sophia Fund, which has raised thousands of dollars for beds, kitchen renovations and sports equipment for the orphanage in Novozybkov.

After the Gormans saw the Associated Press photo in their local paper, they contacted their friend, Dinan, who in turn sought help from Foltz.

“Greg makes miracles happen,” Dinan said.

With help from an Associated Press photographer, Foltz managed to locate the girl in the photograph, whose name was Sophia.

After learning Sophia was abandoned by an alcoholic mother and could not be adopted, Foltz concluded that the best way to help her was to help the home where she stayed.

Foltz visited the Russian orphanage to learn more about Sophia and was shocked at the harsh living conditions. Novozybkov was still feeling the effects of the 1986 nuclear meltdown in nearby Chernobyl and a struggling economy caused by the fall of the Communist government in 1991.

But Foltz was also touched by the children’s affection. He soon dedicated himself to not only helping Sophia, but also the 75 other children in the orphanage.

“He’s been everything to this,” Jim Gorman said. “He is the emotional and physical force behind the fund raising.”

Despite battling cancer for the past six years, Foltz worked on raising donations for the children. The group has raised more than $29,000 this year to fund the purchase of computers for the children.

Foltz’ condition worsened a week and a half ago.

“He’s not giving up,” said Sister Viola Leusier of St. Andre’s. “The doctors can say all they want, but there’s a man stronger than any medicine.”

No matter what the outcome of Foltz’ illness, the group plans to continue to help the children of Novozybkov. “We will keep going on,” Maureen Gorman said.

For more information about the Sophia Fund, contact St. Andre’s at 282-3351 or visit www.saintan

drehome.com.