Anthony became part of the foster care system when he was only two years old. He was adopted by a couple in Oklahoma when he turned 4. At age 10, Anthony was abandoned at a hospital by his adoptive parents, who never came back for him.
He never laid eyes on them again. With no notice or reason, the people he once called “Mom” and “Dad” walked out of his life. Tragically, this wasn’t the first time they had done something like this—years before, they had left his older adopted brother behind in much the same way.
When I became a foster parent, I thought I would care for kids whose biological parents couldn’t. I never imagined I’d take in children who were legally adopted and then discarded. It was heartbreaking to see the pain these boys had been through abandoned twice by people they trusted.
Before meeting Anthony, I had been fostering two brothers, ages 4 and 10, for seven months. I had grown to love them deeply, but one day the court decided to return them to their birth parents. That goodbye shattered me. Driving home afterward, I cried most of the way, torn between sadness and happiness for the boys being reunited with their family.
Just four days later, my social worker called. She asked if I could care for an 11-year-old boy for the weekend. I told her I needed a break. I was emotionally drained. But she convinced me it would just be for two nights. I agreed.
That child was Anthony. He arrived at 3 a.m. I didn’t ask questions. I didn’t want to get attached. But within 20 minutes of arriving, he asked if he could call me “Dad.” I was shocked. Most foster children avoid that word. I said no this was only temporary.
By Monday, he was supposed to leave. I finally asked why he was in care. That’s when I learned the truth, he’d been abandoned by his adoptive parents. I was devastated. When the social worker said he’d be moved to a group home, I couldn’t allow it. I told her he could stay.
He became my son officially on November 12. Since then, he’s read over 500 books, made many friends, and helped me care for other foster kids. Anthony is kind, resilient, and full of life. I thought I was helping him but the truth is, I needed him too. That weekend changed everything. What started as a short-term placement became a lifelong bond built on love, faith, and healing.
