9-yr-old in foster care was yearning for a forever family—until a move by her former teacher changed her life
A loving home can make all the difference in a child's life during their formative years. A nine-year-old who had spent around five years in foster care hoped for such a home, too. But little did she know that her wish would come true with the help of her second-grade teacher, who had decided to adopt her and make her a part of the family. The girl, Loralie, was super excited and emotional as she started her journey with her new mom, Zoe Henry and the Henry family. The teacher was equally elated, per ABC 7 Eyewitness.
The girl was just four years old when she became a part of the foster care system. Loralie had spent around 1,445 days in the system before her teacher adopted her. Zoe had formed a meaningful connection with the girl the moment they met each other for the first time. "She completes our family, she completes our life. She brings such adventure and joy and fun and spunkiness to everything that we do, so it's perfect. It's perfect. Don't cry? OK," Zoe expressed. The adoption was finalized during a virtual ceremony back in 2021 because of the pandemic. Both Loralie and Zoe were really emotional after they heard the decision. The family was eager to welcome a new member.
The adoption was finalized before Thanksgiving in 2021 and all of them were excited to celebrate their first Thanksgiving with Loralie. Along with the girl, 165 children were adopted by families in Los Angeles County from the foster care system. The adoption hearing took place on National Adoption Day. Judicial officers at the Los Angeles Superior Court held virtual hearings and gave families gift cards donated by the LA Rotary Club, per Newsweek. "I am immensely pleased that the ongoing pandemic did not get in the way of this very special day," Bobby Cagle, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, remarked at the opening ceremony of the virtual event.
"The Saturday before Thanksgiving was specifically chosen as the annual day for this event, given that it is a time of symbolic gratitude," he added. "This day also serves as a reminder that thousands of children in foster care need a permanent, loving family. This is an annual observation that marks an opportunity to honour all adoptive parents nationwide and to celebrate as dreams become a reality for countless families and children," the man went on. "As we approach Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for and it warms my heart that all the children being adopted today will grow up knowing that they are loved, protected, connected and most importantly, that they are not alone."
Zoe and Loralie gave each other a big hug in the video shared by ABC 7 on Facebook. People applauded the family for giving Loralie a forever home in the comments section of the video. Elizabeth Castle wrote, "May the Lord bless you and your family, thank you for rescuing this precious little girl." GJ Thrasher commented, "Wonderful lady! So happy for this little girl to have a forever family after over four years." Maria Ontiveros remarked, "Thank you, you made one little girl happy."
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