Three brothers, who had spent years in foster care, finally got a chance to love and grow up with their baby brother after their family’s neighbor adopted the child. Here’s the whole story.
There is utmost respect for families who have the desire to adopt children that have not only lost their parents but have sometimes been abandoned and neglected by their biological parents and found themselves in foster homes.
For Julia Washington and her family, adopting three children proved how much love they had to offer. Washington and her husband had always wanted to expand their family unit.
The couple already had two biological children but were looking forward to adopting more kids and welcoming them into their home. So, the lovebirds were genuinely excited when they received three siblings in 2015 — Michael, six, Jess, five, and Cameron, four.
Although the siblings were pleased with their new home, the Washingtons received some sad news. The three children had a baby brother, Elijah, who was still in the system and at risk of remaining in foster care if no family showed up.
The couple could not bear to have unwillingly separated the brothers, but their hands were tied as their family was already large, and one of the kids was battling cerebral palsy and needed more attention. Washington told People:
“It broke my heart, but I didn’t just feel we could do it. We’d gone from two kids to five— one with special needs. I just felt we’d be overwhelmed, and someone wouldn’t get the attention they deserved.”
At that moment, Washington phoned a neighbor and friend, who stepped in with a priceless surprise. Jay Houston knew that her neighbors did not want to pass by the story of 17-month-old Elijah, and she offered to adopt the little boy.
Houston, who was a mother of six and also adopted, took Elijah in on September 15, 2015. After living with the child for six months, she finalized the adoption, and the 17-month-old officially became a member of Houston’s family.
During a chat with ABC News, Houston revealed that she adopted Elijah immediately after Washington adopted the child’s brothers. The Southern Georgia resident also added:
“They all know they’re brothers and get to grow up together. They don’t live in the same house but live in same town… Knowing I get to be his mom forever, it’s an awesome gift and I’m thankful for it.”
Houston said her decision to adopt the child was immediate after seeing a video of Elijah laughing, smiling, and crawling. On the day of the adoption, she took a picture of the little boy and his three siblings in celebration of all four boys finding a home.
Houston, a mother of two biological and four adopted children, told the outlet that children in foster care came with a negative stigma attached to them.
However, she explained that they were just kids that needed love, adding that her adopted kids had changed the lives of her and her husband.
With Houston’s kind-heartedness, Michael, Jess, Cameron, and Elijah can spend as much time as possible with each other, swimming in an ocean of love and acceptance.