Hearts Of Hope
In the early 1990s, Bob and Kathy Drane were living a somewhat ordinary and traditional life. Bob’s career afforded the Dranes a nice home and, even after eight years of infertility struggles, the couple were able to have a daughter, Jessica.
They were members of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville and, out of the blue in 1993, Bob — the one who didn’t enjoy traveling — signed up to go on a mission trip to Ukraine for 18 days with other church members.
“He came back and was never, ever quite the same,” Kathy Drane said. “He became super involved in mission work; led groups of 20 or more to China, India, Sudan — he just fell in love with missions.”
Kathy took a little more prodding. Their daughter was in grade school and life was busy.
Finally, in 1997, Bob gifted Kathy and Jessica passports and tickets to Ukraine for the spring of 1998 and it’s safe to say it changed the Dranes’ lives forever.
“I went with a bad attitude. I didn’t really want to be there, but on the last day of our trip, we went to the state-run orphanage for children. They were no older than three and a half or so. Bob’s team had done work there and he wanted us to meet the director,” Drane said.
The visit went well and as they walked away, Drane recalls her daughter calling her back toward the orphanage to see two identical twins, Olla and Natasha, who were “precious.” However, Drane was 47 years old, had recently healed from back surgery and felt the dream of having a sibling for Jessica was long gone.
“Jessica was saying we should take these twins home. She said, ‘We have such a big house for just three people. Why is your heart so hard?’ I dismissed it but back at home, back at work and school, this feeling would not leave me alone,” Drane said. “I kept hearing her words: ‘Why is your heart so hard?’”
The family started the process of adopting Olla and Natasha in June.
Drane believed the girls to be around 10 months old at just 16 pounds apiece and in 9-month clothing, but the twins were two and a half at that time — a sure sign of malnutrition.
They received approval for adoption in October, but by then, Natasha had developed an upper respiratory infection and had passed away.
“Due to inadequate conditions in the orphanage, severe winter weather and no one caring enough to buy a $10 prescription for penicillin, a little child died,” Drane said.
They returned to Ukraine to adopt Olla and Drane said she’s been the light of the family over the past two decades. It was a decision Drane never regretted, but it also led to something she would have never expected.
Drane began sharing her story and the process she and her husband took toward adoption. As word got out, she began receiving phone calls from families who were dealing with infertility and interested in adoption from all over the country.
“I started hosting groups at the church. I couldn’t continue talking to each individual family like I did in the beginning, so in the long run, as I helped other families, I traveled back and forth to Ukraine with couples, eventually placing more than 600 children with families in the U.S. over an eight-year period,” Drane said.
Many of those families, in turn, wanted to give back and help too.
That’s where Hopeful Hearts comes in.
Instead of aiding in adoption, Drane founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aimed at working with abandoned and at-risk children all over the world.
“We provide medical, nutritional and educational assistance. We’ve put braces on their teeth and sent them to school and have paid for college. From our standpoint, most importantly, we’ve taught them about Jesus,” Drane said.
Today, Hopeful Hearts has made an impact in seven countries: Ukraine, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Haiti, Kenya and India.
They partner with an organization already established, such as an orphanage or nonprofit located in those countries, and help wherever they can.
“We’re meeting people where they are and providing what they need when needed,” Drane said. “We go to each location at least once per year and often do a VBS for the kids with arts and crafts, Bible lessons, games and fresh food.”
For example, one of Hopeful Hearts’ latest partnerships came when a gentleman from Myanmar reached out. He told them since Myanmar doesn’t have state-run orphanages, he had taken 51 children in from off the street.
“We purchased 15 acres and built a house on each acre. Each house holds a set of house parents and 20 to 25 children. They have to earn their own money, but we provide free housing and their rice supplement for the month,” Drane said. “Now, we support more than 400 kids in Myanmar.”
The children were in need of bicycles in the small Christian village Hopeful Hearts was able to develop, but the nonprofit knew they couldn’t afford such an expense.
“We reached out to some of our supporters and within a matter of months, we had more than 470 bicycles delivered in Myanmar. It looked like the Tour de France,” Drane said. “We’ve also been given the opportunity to support children who are refugees from the war in Russia and Ukraine.”
Drane couldn’t have imagined the path created from a visit to an orphanage and adopting a young girl in need to caring for thousands around the world.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride; quite a life I would have never dreamed for myself or my family. We only have one paid employee, the rest of us are volunteers and it’s a passion,” Drane said. “We’re just a small grassroots nonprofit. We’re not flashy. We’ve just got a lot of people who love the Lord and love these kids and feel like we need to do something.”
Visit hopefulheartsfoundation.org for more information or to donate support to the Hopeful Hearts mission.
