From Russia with Love

An adoption story: Leila Raines of MSU Women’s golf team “thankful for a family” and how golf makes lasting bonds

By Tom Lang

Adopting a child is one of the strongest expressions of love two parents can show.

Nolan and Michelle Raines of Galena, Ohio, expressed it in triplicate, first adopting their daughter Leila from Russia at almost age 3 – who has since gone on to star for the MSU women’s golf team and is now in her junior year. They later adopted two girls from China, and all three have grown up together to develop a love for each other, and subsequently, for the game of golf.

Leila earned Big Ten Player of the Week in February after tying for medalist at the Moon Golf Invitational in Melbourne, Florida. There she fired a 7-under par 65 in the final round to tie for first place with a 13-under par 203 – which tied her for the best 54-hole score in Spartans’ program history, originally set by Allyson Geer-Park. As a freshman, Leila placed 11th at the Big Ten tournament to lead the MSU team to the 2021 conference crown.

While those are nice accolades in the golf world, Leila has some of her fondest memories of growing up, going to the driving range with her dad and then having her two adopted sisters start coming along as well.

“My husband used to be a social golfer and he would go to the driving range and hit balls,” Michelle explained. “He just started taking Leila with him on Saturday mornings and then it just became every Saturday morning. Leila would go to the driving range with Nolan and that became their like, father daughter special time. As that went on…it became three girls, three daughters and Nolan at the driving range.

“Golf has helped Leila in so many ways,” Michelle continued. “It's helped all three of my daughters in so many ways. It's a great lesson in life. Within 18 holes you're going, ‘oh this is great. Oh, this is awful, this is great, this is (hard).’ You're overcoming challenges on a daily basis. It is just so many different life lessons that are taught by golf that I think helps them succeed in life.

“Over the years has been wonderful family time for us. We've taken trips where they're just golf trips, so it's been great for our family to have. The girls are very competitive, and they always find that time.”

Accepting new sisters into the family became natural for Leila. She said her parents remind her she enjoyed being the only focus of attention early on, but she knew there was something more to be experienced. Leila also expressed no memory of living in Russia specifically.

“It was really cool to kind of grow up with a few different cultures,” she said. “My cousins were adopted as well.  That's not something you get a lot these days. So, definitely feel blessed to have the opportunity to grow up in a little bit different lifestyle. I remember tagging along with my sisters when they would go to Mandarin class and because my parents kind of wanted them to keep up with that. Little things like that that you know aren't big to you when you're little but looking back at them they were like cool experiences for sure. 

“When they went to adopt my younger sister, I was at home with my grandparents and they came back with a little girl. I was like, ‘What's going on?’” Leila said with a chuckle.

“It was definitely an adjustment at first, for all of us to kind of, you know, grasp, you know we're all three adopted and we're not really related but we are sisters – and to just create that bond over time and see how it's been able to grow has been a really neat experience.”

Michelle said they would always try to “instill pride” in each girls’ culture from their home country. One for Leila was shopping at a local Russian grocery store where she would buy Russian branded candy.

Michelle explained how her brother and sister-in-law adopted a baby boy first, and that experience guided her and Nolan to eventually do the same. She followed their progress throughout and was telling all her friends and co-workers about it as if she herself was adopting the boy.

“It wasn't until he was placed in our arms and the first time I held my nephew, my husband and I, we just looked at each other and … We knew our adoption journey's about to start.”

The family went to China with Leila to pick up oldest sister, Kara.

“Kara and Leila, from the moment they got together, they just had this own little language and they bonded so tight when we were in China,” Michelle said.

“I had my 8th birthday in China when we adopted my sister who was 12 at the time,” Leila said. “I think it's different for my older sister … seeing how we were interacting with her and how she interacted with us and was just very clear that she was super thankful to have a family that wanted her; and going to China and having that experience is something I'm really thankful for.”

Younger sister, Mia, is motivated by what she sees Leila accomplishing in life, currently at the college level.

“I think (her work ethic) has really motivated me to be more like her,” Mia said. “Golf has really helped me feel closer to my sisters because I think we were able to bond on a golf course and I was also able to bond on the range even when we were little, we were constantly going out with each other and in competitions which I think really strengthen our bond. 

“Leila's golf career has kind of pushed me to be better in my own golf game and so she has kind of motivated me to just keep bettering myself and you know, seeing her be so successful here on the college level, it's made me kind of strive to have what she has just because I know how happy she is (at MSU).” 

Leila cannot imagine not having sisters around, especially ones who have the same passion for golf – and she hinted that the process of adoption is not finished in the Raines family.

“We would take golf as our time to, you know, three of us go and have some quality time together and go to the course, go to the range and putt putt here and there,” Leila said. “But it was definitely a bonding moment between us, which was really nice to have. 

“I think to many people it's very interesting, you know, three adopted sisters and they all play golf is not something you see every day but wouldn't trade it for the world,” Leila said. “And we all know going forward it's gonna be a big part of our lives and we can use it any way that we may need to. 

“And the same thing with adoption,” she added. “We all three have a big passion for it because it's given us so many amazing things and we're just really excited to see where it takes us.”

To learn more about adoption:  https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/adult-child-serv/adoption