“After a 3-day binge, I told my husband he needed to choose. He could go to rehab and get sober, or he needed to leave. He chose to leave. I was a single mom with two heartbroken little boys. I knew I wanted to help other kids out there going through the same thing.”
‘I received a call. ‘We have a 14-year-old boy. He really needs to leave the home he is in.’: Single mom becomes foster parent to help other families battling addiction, adopts teenager
‘Kids told him, ‘They don’t really want you!’ There was a sadness in his eyes. For me, it was love at first sight.’: Family adopts teen, ‘We’ll be here for him forever’
“’When can I visit?’ I didn’t have an answer. He’d lived in a residential facility for almost 2 years. I’m his second chance.”
‘Please take me home.’ Watching her crumble at her birth mother’s feet almost did me in. We had to protect her.’: Couple adopts teen from foster care, ‘She deserves a safe place’
“Nothing about foster care was easy. Why wasn’t there a boot camp for this? The Navy had trained me so well for potential threats, but now I was in an actual war field and felt left for dead. I almost walked away.”
‘I can’t go to juvie! You don’t know what they DO to people there!’ She choked out, ‘Will you be my parents?’ We were 23, newly engaged. Already a teenager, we were her only option left.’: Young couple adopt 5 children into ‘forever family’
“When I thought about my future as a quadriplegic, I didn’t think my dream of becoming a husband or dad were going to happen, much less 5 kids before marriage! God brought us these girls for a reason, and I was determined to give them all the love they needed.”
‘She was sitting in a shelter with no place to call home. A teenager, she’d already given up on being adopted. Then I received a text: ‘Hey, Autumn. You still interested in foster care?’: Couple adopt teenager from foster care
“I’m often asked, ‘Wasn’t it hard bringing a teen into your home?’ The hardest part was missing the first 16 years of her life. The hardest part is knowing I can’t take away the pain she’s endured. That in order for us to gain her, other people had to lose her. The universe has showed me this beautiful, brown-eyed girl was supposed to be with us.”
‘Can I stay?’ I had 5 under 5. I wasn’t ready. I thought she deserved better. But there was nowhere else.’: Woman adopts 17-year-old from foster care, ‘We said YES’
“I got a call. ‘I know you don’t do teens, but I have this girl.’ Her one wish was to not spend another birthday in the system. I had just taken in a newborn, but I couldn’t say no.”
‘You’re too young to foster a teen.’ Everyone around us told us to say no. We already had 5 little kids.’: Foster mom says ‘every kid deserves to know they are loved’
“My 11-year-old son with autism said to her, ‘Will you remember me when you leave? I don’t want you to forget me. I won’t have anyone to play with at school.’ He told her he loved her. It isn’t easy. Sometimes it seems like the trauma won. But she will never have too much ‘baggage’ to be loved. I’m so glad we said YES.”
‘We’ve dealt with lice, super lice, lies, fighting, suspension, sexting, smoking, vaping, and drugs. It wasn’t our plan, but God had other plans.’: After infertility, mom fosters 10 kids
“I remember yelling at God in my minivan after another depressing doctor’s appointment. This wasn’t our plan. ‘Are you going to take me?’ His room was concrete blocks, no outlets, and a window so high you couldn’t see out.”
‘We should have a bio child first.’ The fetus grew into a tumor. We were discouraged from fostering.’: Woman with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease fosters son, ‘You can change the world’
“Only one mother showed up at ‘Family Day.’ It broke my heart. Our friends and family discouraged us from moving forward. All I could think about was how Alex didn’t have a choice.”
‘Do you want my boys? We don’t want them anymore.’ They were broken. We were at a crossroad.’: Mom adopts teenage twins, one with brain tumor, ‘We are still here as a family‘
“Tears would well up in Victor’s eyes. ‘Why didn’t she love me?’ Those days were over. ‘Mom? If I’m being admitted, it means I have to stay here, right?’ I said, ‘Then that means I’m staying here too.’ We were going to pick up the pieces.”
