Rr Katia and her brother both look like they could be your children. They are both precious and I can understand why you are so passionate about this case.....God Bless you RAT!
How precious they are. How can a SO-CALLED man be so CALLOUS and SICK as to rob these children of their mother by murdering her?! I pray that justice will prevail in this case, and that somehow, these children can recover and live happy and healthy lives. That's a tall order, I know, considering what they've gone through and continue to go through everyday.
With so many of my own, I probably could just slide those two in and no one would even question it! However, they are where they should be since they can not be with their mommy. I do though firmly believe that Yana's death prevented an even more horrible future that those kids faced with Scott.
You know it is my pleasure to share this glimpse of the little family that has been taken into the hearts here!
ACR - I watched as that photo was taken and just knew that it would be the one they used in the paper. Does it not say it all?
Video Link Interview of Elena from the memorial service on Tuesday. http://www.winknews.com/news/local/10034486.html?video=YHI&t=a
Thank you RR ~ what a lovely memorial service! :rose: Her mother wants to stay until the trial? That may be a while. :snail: It's like that in Texas, anyway.
JC - something got a little lost in translation there......Elena could leave today as she now has full custody of the kids, but they will stay here until Petr's job is done.
I was waiting for RiverRat to post this, but she's tied up with her own personal stuff, so thought maybe I would let everyone know that through the generous donations of many, the Huss family will have a roof over their heads this month while continuing their efforts to see justice for their beloved mother, sister, and daughter. Thanks and blessings to all who help, pray, and support this family and these precious children. You make a big difference. TAKE THAT, MURDERING SCUM!! FFJ ROCKS!!
:yes: KK Rules! Thank you so much for picking up my slack and then some..... Reality is setting in and my heart is very HappySad, but I am ready for this family's return to Russia where they can have more of a support system than they do here. !ouch:
Victim's mother keeps promise to care for her children http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20071007/NEWS/710060496/1264/NEWS0103 Article published Oct 7, 2007 Elena Kuchinskaya holds her granddaughter, Katrina Huss, 2, in Port Charlotte. Kuchinskaya, a Russian citizen, who arrived after the murder of her daughter, Yana Huss, has won custody of her grandchildren Katrina and Peter, 8. Victim's mother keeps promise to care for her children By HEATHER ALLEN heather.allen@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Elena Kuchinskaya cannot help but smile as her two grandchildren run around the house and play. Katrina, 2, jumps into Kuchinskaya's lap while Peter, 8, slyly places a frozen water bottle on her neck. The family, brought together by tragedy, can play now that Kuchinskaya made good on a promise to herself, her deceased daughter and her grandchildren. Soon after her daughter, Yana Huss, was brutally killed, Kuchinskaya vowed to do anything she could to care for the two children. Authorities say Huss' husband, Scott Huss, repeatedly stabbed her in the couple's Port Charlotte home in April. Huss, charged with second-degree murder, remains in jail. And after six months of fighting, Kuchinskaya, 50, has been awarded custody of the two children. The win is a triumph for Kuchinskaya, but it also marks a hard realization for the children, who are struggling to comprehend what happened to their mother and what will happen to them. The children were placed in foster care together immediately following Huss' death. Kuchinskaya was allowed to visit them once a week, until she was granted temporary custody over the summer. Then, the state granted her permanent custody in September. When the children arrived at the home Kuchinskaya rents in Punta Gorda, Katrina was confused by the many photos of her mother. "Where is my mommy?" she would ask. "What happened with my mom?" Kuchinskaya eventually took the pictures down. Peter, who authorities say witnessed the attack against his mother, asks if Scott Huss is still in jail. Peter often has nightmares and asks if they are safe, Kuchinskaya said. He will likely be called as a witness at the trial, which is scheduled to begin Dec. 10. Kuchinskaya, who lives in Holland but is a Russian citizen, eventually plans to move the children to St. Petersburg, Russia, where one of Yana's sisters will adopt them. But she refuses to do so until Huss' trial is over. "I'm not leaving," she said. If she remains here she believes there is a better chance that Huss will be found guilty and that prosecutors will push harder. That resiliency, friends say, is how Kuchinskaya won custody of the children. "As far as I'm concerned, she's my hero," said Deb Dennett, a friend of Yana Huss. "She's a strong person, and she doesn't quit until she does what she needs to do." When Kuchinskaya first arrived in Florida, she was overwhelmed by the loss of her daughter, the language barrier and the justice system. But she kept pushing. "Peter and Katrina are like little Yanas," Kuchinskaya said in an interview after her daughter's death. "They are the best reward for me after the loss of Yana ... that is very important to me." And for a woman who spoke little English when she arrived, knew no one locally and relied on others for rides to court, the store and her weekly visits with the children, she is now surprisingly independent. Her English has improved to the point where a translator is no longer necessary, and she has a large network of friends and advocates. She even has a driver's license and drives a used station wagon. "I cannot be happy because of my daughter; I cannot forget this, but I feel much better," she said. "I am smiling. I have friends. I am normal. I can now live normally." Money remains a problem. She survives on support from friends, donations from strangers and money sent from her family overseas. Friends have set up a memorial fund in Yana Huss' name at Wachovia Bank to help Kuchinskaya care for the children, but donations have come in dribs and drabs. Some weeks are easier than others. Just after Yana died, Kuchinskaya vowed, with tears streaming down her cheeks, that if she could be with her grandchildren, she would feel alive. Today she says that she does. "They give me energy," she said. "They take, but I have."
Oh, that's a good article, RR. I actually got a link sent to me by Heather Allen in my email, but just got it today. So glad the Herald Tribune is supporting this family, as they mentioned the financial problems and the memorial fund. GOOOOOOOO HERALD TRIBUNE!! And thanks a million! :fingers:
