Kevin kevin kevin...
You have lost all integrity by jumping on the bandwagon here taking the position of defending agencies working with thanasis..How the heck do you know for a FACT that anything by ANY agency using thanasis was done "by the book"

What wonderful news that agencies working with him were processing cases by the book..What agencies work with him?????

I am sure the Embassy had good reason to ban Mr. Collias but would not want parents with children adopted through him to be uncomfortable. I personally know ethical adoption providers who had cases through him processed completely by-the-book. Not a defense of Mr. Collias, just sharing some perspective…

Kim,

If you had written that about anyone but me I'd have deleted it for being a personal attack. As always anyone can disagree with me, but is it necessary to attack me by saying I have "lost all integrity"?

Do you know every converesation I have had with an agency director? Do you know the steps that some took to ensure their cases were all by the book? Do you know the private social workers they hired to meet with birthmothers? Were you at the civil registries they visited to ensure that birth certificates and cedulas were legitimate? Do you know the scrutinty their lawyers placed on any document that came from him once they thought he might not be 100% legitimate?

Good and ethical agencies do at times get caught up with bad characters. And the real testament is what they do once they realize that. And until you have walked a mile in their mocassins, you have no right to judge.

I don't name names on this site because I've been threatened with lawsuits. So unless you are ready to provide a legal defense fund, I will keep it that way.

I don't know what bandwagon you refering to. It would have been easier for me not to have published this story at all given everything in my life. But I decided to let the chips fall where they may because I felt the adoption community deserves to know - especially parents in process.

What does that say about my integrity?

Kevin
Guatadopt.com

I just completed one of his cases. I don't love the man, and I don't love the agency for staying involved with him once it was known that he was "troublesome," however, the agency did take some extraordinary measures to ensure that his cases were handled properly, and I thank them for that. If they had not been working with him at all, I would not have my beautiful daughter, and I DO love her.

As usual, we really know nothing but rumor and innuendo about this whole thing. I would STILL like to know exactly what the man was accused of doing, not rumor, but fact.

And, I agree, how is this going to be enforced, when his name appears on none of my documents.

I only feel free to say this because my daughter is safely home. I offer my prayers to families still in progress with this man.

And, I offer one more thing: Readers, it's possible to have this man as your facilitator without knowing it. His name likely won't be in your paperwork. It was only after reading the postings about "the Greek" late last year that I noticed his name on some electronic files I had - just reference names for the agency's use. If not for that, I might never have known. I did meet him when I visited. So, if you've visited, and not met him, you likely aren't using him.

Jennifer
one of the last T cases at my agency

Kevin,

I would like to say that after reading this list for over 2 years now I think of you as having extremly high integrity. I find your writings very informative, encouraging and factual. I think you avoid gossip at all costs and I for one can't say thanks enough for all you do. I know this isn't your "job" and yet you put your heart and soul into it. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, time and integrity with us.

Daena

Do you know every converesation I have had with an agency director?I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NOT HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH AGENCY'S OR GONE TO BAT FOR OTHER AGENCY'S WHO HAVE BEEN CAUGHT WITH BAD LAWYERS CONTACTS ET... Do you know the steps that some took to ensure their cases were all by the book?I KNOW GUATEMALA AND KNOW WHAT IS AND IS NOT PROBABLEhmothers? Were you at the civil registries they visited to ensure that birth certificates and cedulas were legitimate? Do you know the scrutinty their lawyers placed on any document that came from him once they thought he might not be 100% legitimate?
WHEN WAS HE THOUGHT TO BE NOT LEGIT//HOW LONG AGO?
Good and ethical agencies do at times get caught up with bad characters.YES AND HAVE YOU WALKED IN THEIR SHOES OR GO TO BAT FOR THEM?

I don't name names on this site because I've been threatened with lawsuits. So unless you are ready to provide a legal defense fund, I will keep it that way.

I don't know what bandwagon you refering to. It would have been easier for me not to have published this story at all given everything in my life. But I decided to let the chips fall where they may because I felt the adoption community deserves to know - especially parents in process.
THEY DESERVE TO KNOW THE FACTS NOT YOUR PERSPECTIVE, THAT IS WHAT THEY DESERVE
What does that say about my integrity?
WHEN BLANCA WAS BANNED YOU SURE WERE NOT AS QUICK TO JUMP TO ANY AGENCY'S DEFENSE -

FWIW - I didn't have any trouble telling the difference between the facts and the personal perspective of the author.

We also adopted a child using this facilitator. Although I am unsure of why he has been banned from the embassy I have to state that my personal observation from having spent time with him during our visit trip is that he does treat his birth moms like gold.

Also, when the raid was done on his house and his office at the Westin reports stated that they found nothing that tells me that the raid is not necessarily associaged with this ban.

Having said this, we have also heard that the attorney that processed our first adoption from Guatemala will be banned if she does one more thing wrong so attorneys and facilitators being banned is not new at the embassy.

Leading up to and during the time of the raid there was a lot of negative posting in other adoption forums regarding this facilitator that turned out to be either innuendo or raw lies. Refrain from judging people in his situation when you do not know all of the facts.

I would be very interested in knowing why this facilitator was banned also. I truly believe that he loves the children of Guatemala, and I, too, know that he treats his birth families with alot of care and respect.
He helped us with both of our adoptions and I really like this man. Had it not been for him, we would have never gotten our last daughter home, so I will be eternally grateful to him.

i do nto know much about this facilitator but what i do know is not good. That being said to me it is veru=y questionable just the fact that he has like 5 different aliases if you are above board and doign business honestly and ehtically you do nto need 5 aliases. I say kudos to the embassy and i hope they ban a few more that need to be banned also. All it takes is one story that is unethical and that gives the antiadoption forces a field day. JMHO Nina

Nina,

You should not pass judgment on this facilitator since you have had no dealings with him and you have never met him as I and others on this list have.

Keven askes in his post that parents who have children thru thanasis NOT be uncomfortable-

Kevin can you explain what exactly went down in the lobby of the clarion hotel last year, between thanasis and a birthmother?

KIM

Kim, who are you really? Not some alias with a bogus e-mail address but really?

I have said the same thing to parents who used Blanca, Portillo, adn everyone else who has been banned - just because they were banned does mean that you should necessarily question the validity of your adoption. I was merely stating that in case, I know agencyies that went above and beyond to ensure that everythig was fine. Not all agencies, not all cases - I never implied that.

If you want me to compare the agency you think I was unfair to regarding Blanca and the agencies I know who dealt with Athansis, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to do so as publicly as possible. You just get that agency to agree not to sue me for telling the truth. They lied lied lied to their clients - they even denied Blanca had been banned for weeks until I could prove it via a notice from the Embassy. They knew it was true - it was on the JCICS board I know they read! I offerred advice to this agency about what the ethical thing to do was in the situation. I sympathized with them for the position they were in. But then they sent out one e-mail to their clients which gave me some hope they'd do the right thing - but they never followed up on it.

I heard of one incident at the Clarion but not that Athanasis was involved (not saying he wasn't). I've also heard numerous versions of what actually transpired. But I am not defending him! I will say it again - THE EMBASSY DOESN'T BAN PEOPLE FOR NO GOOD REASON! I TRUST THE EMBASSY'S JUDGEMENT!

So I will reiturate one last time. I know of SOME agencies who went to EXTRAORDINARY means to COMPLETE the cases they had started with him when it APPEARED he may be troublesome. They did this to ENSURE that everything was legit.

And I always try my best to separate what is my opinion from what is fact.

Kevin
Guatadopt

Kim,

I agree with Kevin, who are you?

I have spoken to Thanasis about the Clarion incident and he has explained it to me in full but I am not willing to explain this situation to anyone. Honestly, if you have questions in ref. to Thanasis why don't you telephone the Westin and ask the desk to transfer you to his office and ask him directly if you are so interested in why he has been banned and what exactly happened at the Westin.

Why don't you and all of the other nay sayers just leave this man alone since you do not know him.

Who am I ??
I am an ethical humane person who believes it is a waste of my energy to continue with this thread

adios

I do not know anything about this facilitator who was banned. I am familiar with Portillo because he was the attorney who handled our adoption. Our experience was not a good one but I do not know if it was because of Portillo or because of the Hague. I am very grateful for the horrible experience my husband and I went through because it resulted in us being the parents of a wonderful daughter. I just want to say that it is so painful for me to see how political adoption is and how people can become so hateful and divided over something that should not be that way. I hate to see the hurtful words, accusations, and the downright fraud and profits that can come about because of adoption. Shouldn't it just be about the children who need homes? I love my daughter so much and would love to adopt again but I just don't know if I can handle it emotionally. It is so sad to me that adoption can cause so much turmoil. Let's all just try to remember that adoption is about children having loving homes!!!!

Amen to that! I can't even tell you how many people I know who would instantly adopt if it were affordable. It's soooo sad.

Kevin,
Thanks for doing your best to keep everyone with an interest in Guatemalan adoptions informed about current happenings. I would not have found out about the corruption associated with my "Blanca case" had it not been for your post on this site last year that started the "digging" and resulted in our FINALLY getting our beautiful daughter. I searched your lines and between them but could not discover the cause for Kim's rantings. Please continue to keep this great site alive. Thanks for all that you do.

Hi Kevin-
Thank you for doing such a great job with this site. Sometimes it felt like my own link to my daughter when she was still in Guatemala. Can you tell me what Tenassis has been accused of or suspected of? I do know him from my daughter's adoption.