In Disney’s hit animated adventure science-fiction film, Lilo said that ‘Ohana’ means family. Lilo could not have put it better—“family means no one gets left behind.” Last year, Treka Engleman, a math teacher at Winton Woods Intermediate School and single mother, adopted Mercedes, Alexis, and Elijah. The three children became part of her family as … Read more
Jayvee Lazaro Badile II is living his best life. A successful business manager at a financial company, he mentors financial advisors, lives in a beautiful home, wears luxury brands, and travels far and wide for both business and pleasure. His picture-perfect life though, is a far cry from his childhood as the adopted son of a … Read more
A 75-year-old woman from Johnson County, Iowa was honored for her incredible life work of fostering over 600 children for nearly five decades, three of whom she ended up officially adopting. In October 2019, Linda decided to stop fostering children due to health reasons. After she announced her decision, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors … Read more
A Wisconsin who grew up in foster care officially became a mother of eight last week when she legally adopted six boys. She begins the life of a single mom journey with these wonderful boys. When Jessica Benzakein was just 12 years old, her life took a major turn. “My caseworker, his name was Ron, … Read more
Families take many forms and on one special day, love won for 37 children and their adoptive families on Adoption Day in Kent County, Grand Rapids, Michigan. One endearing child, five-year old Michael Clark Jr., was at the adoption hearing to formalize his union with his new family, and was warmly supported by his other … Read more
Guardians of the Galaxy actor and ex-WWE star Dave Bautista might be known for his intimidating look and bloody-red body paint as Drax, but ever since Thanos was defeated, he is now the guardian of two adorable 6-year-old pit bulls. “I needed them, they needed me,” the retired wrestler wrote in his Instagram post. His … Read more
Two years ago, Michigan-based Project Hope Animal Rescue saved a dog named Bella. As is the case with most rescues, the poor dog was scared of everything. Bella remained constantly fearful even when she was adopted by her new family, except when she was in her safe place – her crate. Bella’s adoptive family noticed … Read more
Jonathan Pinkard, a 27-year-old man with autism, desperately needed a heart transplant to save his life. Unfortunately, he was removed from the transplant list after it was discovered that he lacked a support system. But thanks to this nurse, Jonathan got not only a second chance in life but also a family who would take … Read more
When a former member of the Queen’s Guard heard that his service horse is set to retire, he thought it was the perfect time to show gratitude to his old friend by formally adopting him. Ezphia Rennock and a horse named Agricola met nearly two decades ago in an army barracks in London. From 2000 … Read more
An Italian man named Luca Trapanese has been involved in social service programs ever since he was a teenager. So when he held Alba, a baby girl born with Down syndrome who needed a family, he knew in his heart that he was going to be the father of the abandoned child. From the moment … Read more
This couple never expected that at their age, they would become adoptive parents to a precious baby boy. Keia Jones-Baldwin, a North Carolina-based therapist, and her husband, Richardo Baldwin, were planning to adopt another child into their family of five. They were looking into older children to add to their happy bunch. But then, an … Read more
This couple from Ohio just agreed to adopt two sisters only to find out a surprise of a lifetime two weeks later – they were pregnant with twins of their own! A family of two easily became a family of six due to a serendipitous turn of events. Calena Durel and her husband, BJ, experienced … Read more