10-year-old boy sent to foster family who didn’t want to adopt him
Children can alter you, but occasionally the ones that have the biggest impact on you are the ones you least anticipated to have. At least that was the circumstance in which a Nashville, Tennessee, couple who wanted to nurture themselves found themselves.
In 2018, Dominique and Kevin Gill made the choice to welcome Andrew, a foster kid, into their household. He had been in state care since he was six years old and was then ten years old. Although Andrew had four siblings, they had all been adopted immediately away, and his parents’ parental rights had been revoked long before.
Not Andrew though, and despite experiencing trauma for four years, he still had a long road to recovery ahead of him. According to Dominique, “during his first week with us, he sat in his room with the door closed and gazed at old images.” He declined to speak.
Joc, the couple’s son, enquired as to whether Andrew wanted to play any video games. The activities and shared love of PopTarts helped the lads form a close friendship.
Of course, that didn’t mean the journey would be simple. The Gills claimed that there were instances when Andrew continued to be reserved, misbehaved, or even locked himself in his room. But eventually, it appeared as though Andrew had discovered a location that he might call home.
Kevin told WBIR Channel 10 that “[Andrew and Joc] got very close as the years went by.” It’s encouraging to observe how their relationship has developed over time.
The Gills’ first goal was to foster and assist as many children as they could without adopting them. There was interest in another family taking in Andrew, but they already had Joc and a young girl named Kynnedi. The Gills realized it was a sign when Andrew was in seventh grade and a second adoption failed.
We had the idea that we would support him until he got his forever home.
However, after the second adoption failed, I understood God had placed Andrew in our lives for a reason. In order for him to return to us, God made sure the adoption didn’t go as planned.
The Gills wanted to formally welcome this unique young kid into their family, but they knew they couldn’t just tell him what they were planning. So they asked Andrew whether he would want to go on a stroll with Youth Villages Counselor Molly Parker.
Andrew saw the Gills and the family friends he had made while spending time with them while they were out walking. He was initially taken aback by the balloons and signs. But then the family proposed, and Joc was even wearing a shirt that said, “Will you be my brother?”
According to WBIR, Andrew nodded in agreement and received a shirt from his new parents that had the word “yes” printed on the front.
Dominique added to TODAY’s interview with Andrew that “Andrew has always said, ‘Thank you for accepting me,’ ‘Thank you for not giving up on me. “When people read his file, they would run away in fear. But I was aware that despite his many traumas, he was a decent kid.
The Gill family feels whole right now. In addition to Andrew, Joc, and Kynnedi, the family most recently welcomed KJ, a second baby boy. The matriarch claims that although getting there was a difficult trip, love helped them get there.
In September 2020, Dominique said on Instagram that the year had been filled with significant events. Then, Dominique added, “Life has been utterly fantastic with a lot of obstacles. We were able to adopt our son through patience, love, and even more patience, and we have been patiently celebrating each small victory thus far.
Not everyone has the opportunity to foster, adopt, or otherwise influence someone else’s life in the same manner that the Gills did with Andrew.
But the touching tale of this family serves as a reminder that families come in various sizes and shapes, and that a house is a place you make it. It also serves as a reminder that everyone needs love, and this is particularly true of young people who initially appear to be heading in the wrong direction.
We may all contribute in tiny ways in our daily lives. One option is to donate your time, money, or goods to local institutions or groups. Another is to volunteer as a Big Brother or Big Sister to a youngster in need.
In the meanwhile, the first step in the foster parenting process in Canada is to get in touch with your neighborhood Children’s Aid Society or Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agency. You never know how it might alter a life, be it your own or that of another child.
