CASPER, Wyo. — At just 5 years old, one Wyoming girl adopted from Ukraine has already lived quite an extraordinary life.
In 2022, Sarah and Tony Witbrod flew to Ukraine and adopted two children, Julie and Caius, just days before Russia invaded.
“We said, ‘If the flights are flying, we’re going to get our babies.’ We flew from Denver Saturday and Sunday, landing in Ukraine late Sunday. We saw our babies on Monday, had court the next day on Tuesday, got Junie and Caius on Wednesday, and then, on the fourth day, we were supposed to fly home but instead woke up to bombings at 4 in the morning. At this point, it was ‘all things go’ to get us home,” Junie’s father, Tony, said.
At just 2 years old, Junie had only known life inside a Ukraine orphanage. Because she was born with special needs and health conditions, Tony and Sarah knew she would need extra love and care, a task they were more than up for. Before adding Junie and Caius, their family consisted of three adopted children and three biological children. However, as they sat in the orphanage eager to pick up their two children, Junie nearly slipped through their fingers.
“Our first appointment in January 2022, we went to southern Ukraine to meet the kids in person and say ‘yes’ officially. This time at the orphanage, they give you a binder filled with documents of all the kids, and you flip through and pick your child out. So, we’re flipping through the first binder, and my wife finds Caius and says, ‘This is our son.’ But we don’t see Junie,” Tony said. “So, she flips through the second book, and still no Junie. Finally, we flip through the third book and find her. The lady at the orphanage in her broken English says, ‘I knew that was the girl because her page fell out of the book and fell on the floor.’ Had she not known Junie’s page fell out, we would have never gotten to bring Junie home.”
Finally, after long drives and several flights to flee Ukraine during Russia’s advancements, the family made it safely home to Douglas, Wyoming. While they narrowly evaded one war, a whole new battle was just beginning for Junie’s health. Seven months after arriving home, Junie hadn’t put on any weight. Her doctors performed genetic tests and discovered she had a rare blood disorder, called Fanconi’s Anemia, that would require a bone marrow transplant, among other treatments, as well as a long, hard recovery. Two years after her adoption, Junie’s doctors determined it was time to begin planning for the bone marrow transplant that would take place that summer. This is when Make-A-Wish Wyoming came into the picture.
When it came time for Junie to determine her wish, the decision couldn’t have been easier. If there’s one thing Junie never stops talking about, it’s Minnie Mouse.
“She wanted to go to Minnie Mouse’s house, so, of course, we had to go to Disney World. We stayed in the Give Kids the World Village and went to Disney, Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios. We met Minnie Mouse and had breakfast with her. We had lightning passes, so we didn’t have to wait in line, which is essential when you have eight kids in tow! It was just the absolute, most memorable trip for us, our eight kids and, of course, Junie,” Tony said.
This past May, Junie and her parents, seven siblings and grandma enjoyed three full days exploring Disney World. Junie’s wish granted her and her family Make-A-Wish Wyoming lanyards that gave them a truly VIP experience, including skipping the long lines. The kids rode many rides, met several Disney characters, wandered around Give Kids the World Village, spent two days at Magic Kingdom and spent one day at Epcot, where Junie ran through the gates, past Goofy and straight to Minnie Mouse.
After getting home from the most magical, Minnie Mouse–filled place on earth, Junie and her parents headed down to Denver Children’s Hospital for the next 100–180 days to begin her bone marrow transplant process. Her summer was touch and go as she encountered complications with her heart, kidneys and basic human functions — like eating and breathing — following the transplant. Everything became a challenge for Junie as she recovered from her transplant, received chemotherapy and battled viral infections and a liver disease that has a 10% survival rate. Yet despite her odds, Junie’s tough spirit helped her make it through.
“This has been the most amazing yet heartbreaking summer, but the Disney World trip was the highlight of our year. We took so many videos that we watch with Junie often to bring smiles back to our faces and relive the fun we had together as a family. It gave us memories, hope and things to reminisce on as we continue to go through this incredibly difficult time,” Tony said.
Since her trip and transplant, Junie has turned 5 and continues to recover. While she battles her condition and other complications from the transplant, she and her family remain in Denver with hopes of coming home soon.
You can stay up to date on Junie’s journey by following juniesjourney.com.
