Even though they have four children of their own, the Broadlands of Granite Bay have opened their hearts and home to a Russian child in need of a family.

Vanya Broadland, 12, with his blond hair and blue eyes, looks like he’s one of their own and he even chose to take the Broadland name the minute the Broadlands mentioned the possibility of adoption.

“I think Vanya was born to be in our family,” said Leslie Broadland, Vanya’s adopted mother and owner of NorCal Candids photography in Roseville.

The story of Vanya and the Broadlands getting together began a few years ago when George Rothbart, a member of a church in San Rafael went to Russia, met Vanya, who “touched his heart.” Determined to find a family for the boy, Rothbart worked to bring Vanya to the U.S. for medical treatment – Vanya has Goldenhar Syndrome and was born without a left eye, left ear and with a severe cleft pallet. He has undergone 23 surgeries at Shriners Hospital in Sacramento and now has an aesthetic ear and a glass eye.

In 2003, Vanya came to the U.S., spreading his time between foster homes and the hospital. In the meantime, Rothbart’s church sent e-mails to members of Bayside Church in Granite Bay searching for a home for Vanya.

Leslie and her husband Todd always toyed with the idea of adopting a child and when they received the e-mail, they thought, “this is it.”

“Not everybody could adopt,” Leslie said. “I knew we could open up our hearts.”

On Christmas Eve in 2005, before Vanya came to the Broadland residence, Leslie said her children were asking Santa for an addition to the family.

“The kids thought they were getting a brother and were disappointed with the trampoline,” she said.

What started out as a four-month visit with the Broadlands turned into a two-year stay for Vanya that began in April 2006. During that time, the family knew they wanted to adopt him.

“You’re heart is attached, you don’t look at the practical, you just follow your heart,” Leslie said.

With immense help from the community and a recent three-week trip to Russia to finalize the adoption, Vanya officially became a Broadland.

“It’s amazing, the outpouring of love from the community,” Leslie said.

Vanya’s school, Ridgeview Elementary School in Granite Bay, organized a drive-through bake sale last spring and raised approximately $5,000 toward adoption fees.

He’s currently in the fifth grade, working his way up the intellectual ladder, but when he arrived in the U.S., his education and speech were quite limited. He’s still learning to read, write and spell, but he’s catching on quick.

“That’s one thing about Vanya, his vocabulary doubles daily,” Leslie said. “You’re like a sponge,” she told him.

Carol Frei, Vanya’s homeroom teacher at Ridgeview, tutors him once a week and commends the energy he always has to learn. She said since the moment Vanya enrolled in the school, he was an instant celebrity.

“He’s quite the personality,” she said. “Everyone loves him and encourages him.”

When asked what his favorite school subject is, “Oh, that’s a good one,” is his response, with a laugh from the family. He said it’s math, but his sisters are convinced it’s science or history – which they feel shows his genuine interest in learning.

In addition to classes at Ridgeview, Vanya is enrolled in special education and is tutored at home a few days a week by Frei and one other teacher at Ridgeview, both of whom volunteer their time.

Through the course of Vanya’s life in Russia, he has lived in three different orphanages. The last orphanage was nicknamed “the dead end,” said Jessica Broadland, 14, one of Vanya’s siblings.

“He was the first child in the history of the orphanage to get adopted,” she said.

Vanya’s energy and creative imagination are what draws people to him, his family said.

Todd, a Burger King franchise owner, said Vanya enjoys helping out at the business. He attracts people wherever he goes, meeting and talking with them, Todd said.

“I think Vanya is special, he’s got something about him,” Leslie said.

And he seems to know he’s a lucky kid.

“I have the best dad, the best brother, the best sisters and the best mom,” Vanya said.