Exclusive Interview with “Inside Our Home” Editor, Chava Yelloz

In her own realm, Dawne Busch’s home is a haven for helping kids have a second chance in life. And to top off the hours, the months, and the years she has sacrificed to bring them out of the mire of mental health challenges, she further adds another commitment to her laundry list: she’s a long time supporter of the Rubin-Zeffren Children’s Home.

The Busch home, located in Petersburg, in central Illinois, is just 30 miles North of Springfield, the state’s capitol. Dawne and her husband Wally, have 3 sons between them. The eldest, 37, is Wally’s son from his first marriage. The couple is also blessed with two more sons, 29 and 27 years old. Having an open heart and home, they jointly decided to adopt more children into their family, so they began communicating with the Department of Children and Family Services.

After taking rigorous classes in child fostering and adoptive parenting that includes a routine investigation to assure that the family does not have a sordid past, the Busches were given two siblings. First came a 16 month old baby girl, Queen Esther* and weeks thereafter, her baby brother, Zachariah* joined the household. Today they are 16 and 15 years old.

Dawne with her biological children and grandchildren

Caring for and educating these children was no easy task, yet Dawne, known as a very “gutsy broad” wanted to enlarge her sphere of love, and asked family social services for more children. Nicky* and Harry* came next – also a set of siblings. They are 17 and 15 years old today. For most people, it might be difficult to imagine, but throughout these tedious procedures, Dawne’s energy level increased. She was ready to take on an even greater challenge. She proceeded to also adopt another brother and sister - eleven and ten year old Spidey* and Lizzy*.  Dawne chuckles as she describes Spidey,  “…a born climber and quite a handful.” She reflects for a moment and admits, in the most positive and cheerful tone, that each of her adopted children was “…difficult to handle.”

In one of the most interesting and informative interviews LLL has ever had with a friend of the Rubin-Zeffren Children’s Home, we learned so much about mental health: genetically inherited diseases, the neurological fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and one of the leading causes of mental retardation, paranoia and schizophrenia. The fact that Dawne and Wally were willing to adopt six children who suffered from so many setbacks and mental problems is not only difficult to fathom, but a source of great admiration. It leaves us to wonder how can a woman and her husband, who were already blessed with 3 children of their own, open their home and heart to such troubled kids?

Dawne tells us that she was adopted at 2 months old. She believes that this was surely a motivating factor for her desire to help additional children. And, while caring for these six adoptees, Dawne, a “Torah observing gentile”, as she refers to herself, learned about Lev LaLev. “It was approximately 6 years ago, I was reading Arutz Sheva, an online Israeli news service. I was so touched by the plight of the girls at the Home that I knew I wanted to support them too.”

Dawne, 59 years old, is a powerhouse. She dances between cooking, housework, appointments, meetings and just caring for all her charges. She keeps abreast of all their accomplishments and problems and helps them live the best life possible. LLL sees so much commonality in what Dawne and Wally do for their children, which is so congruent with what we do at our Home in Netanya.

Lev LaLev is an awe of the patience, understanding and hopefulness that the Busches have for the children they took into their own home – offering them a new and brighter beginning and also marvels at also being included in their ‘sphere of love.’

* The names of Dawne’s adopted children have been changed to protect their privacy