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Family Has Adopted 4 Romanian Siblings, Wants 5th

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The Alexanders
RALEIGH — A Wake County family is fighting to get ateenage boy out of Romania. Allen and Regina Alexander adopted a childthere six years ago and later discovered he had four brothers and sisters.One by one the family has adopted the siblings, but the oldest has beenleft behind.

U.S. immigration laws say he's too old to be adopted. Regina Alexandersays she's very upset that it's her own country barring the way.

The Alexanders get emotional when they talk about 17-year-oldViorel. They have adopted four of his siblings and want to adopt him, butbecause he is over 15, by law the U.S. government will not allow themto bring him to America from Romania.Viorel's sister says the Alexanders have given her so much that she'snever had before, and she wants her brother to experience the love she hasfound.

Lutheran Family Services is the local agency that handles many foreignadoptions. Social Worker Susan Bokor Nodas says the Alexanders case isunusual and one that doesn't have an easy solution.

The Alexanders have written local congressmen and applied for avariety of visas with no success. Viorel writes and calls his adoptivefamily on a regular basis. Regina Alexander says it haunts her.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service says that it cannot change thelaw for the Alexanders. They say their only option is to apply for a visafor the teenager, but they have done this and been denied several times.

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