“At 6 years old, his brother died of child abuse. He was separated from his sisters, adopted without him. People could not see the child he was going to become. They only saw the broken child. ‘Is he available for adoption?’ I was ready to be his mama.”

‘Anthony was the ‘throw away child,’ in and out of foster care since 4 years old. I felt God calling on me: ‘He is yours.’: Family adopt teen stuck in foster care, ‘He’ll forever live in my heart’

‘This isn’t the place for me. I just don’t fit in.’ He didn’t want to be adopted. We were broken.’: After foster heartbreak, couple adopt teenage boy, ‘He was given to us in our most desperate hour’
“’I just don’t fit here.’ He didn’t feel like he was good enough for us. We felt the weight during the entire process of trying to hold it all together. We questioned if we EVER wanted to be parents. I asked Joel, ‘Do you want to hear about another kid?’ He nodded. ‘Yes.’”

‘You’re worthless. No one has ever wanted you here.’ I was a suicidal, hopeless teenager. ‘We would adopt you!’: 26-year-old adopted after years of child abuse
“My dream of having a forever family was coming to an end. I lost hope that I’d be adopted because I had aged out of the system, and I was fearful I’d have to do life alone. ‘We would adopt you!’ Tears flowed down my face. You’ll never be too old to need parents.”