KEY POINTS:
Even as Alana Cleland steps close to the end of her battle to adopt Romanian Iani Lingurar, she is not prepared to believe the end is nigh.
After two years living in Romania, the New Plymouth woman is in London waiting for a New Zealand citizenship application to be translated, at a cost of thousands of dollars.
The bad news is that could take about a month. The good news is the TSB Bank yesterday offered to pay for her and Iani's trip home to New Plymouth.
After so many disappointments and delays, it was hard to get excited even now, Miss Cleland told Radio New Zealand today.
"When we're on that last plane home we'll start to get really excited."
Miss Cleland went to Romania in 2005 after authorities there demanded the return of seven-year-old Iani, who had been living with her and her family in New Plymouth for two years.
Leaving Romania after two years was an odd feeling, she said.
"It didn't quite seem real like we wouldn't have to go back. Iani was saying 'why are you saying goodbye, I didn't think you like it too much'.
"It will be nice to be back in my own country and not be a foreigner, to go the way you know, rather than try to figure things out in a strange place.
"It's a shame it has taken so long and been so difficult. Once we get back to New Zealand a lot of the hard parts will disappear and we'll be able to remember some of the good times."
The Taranaki Daily News who had asked the TSB Bank to help the cash-strapped couple out reported the response from manager Kevin Rimmington was immediate.
"TSB, on behalf of the people of Taranaki, wish to assist in flying Alana and Iani back to New Zealand, or back here to New Plymouth in particular," Mr Rimmington said.
He said he had been touched by the level of personal commitment Miss Cleland had shown in her two-year battle to adopt the Romanian boy after Romanian authorities ordered him to return.
When asked what had carried her through the past two years, Miss Cleland had only one answer: "Iani."
"There's no other option," she said. "You can't go: 'I've had enough now, I'm going home, see you later'."
Support from family, friends, church and community had also helped.
Iani is looking forward to riding his bike when he returns - even if it's 2am, she said.
- NZPA
