Couple adopted 3 brothers. When neighbor learned about the 4th, she called social services and changed their lives
As human beings, there are times we have the opportunity to turn a life around with simple actions. As we go through adulthood, we get the power to understand things happening around us and act in the best interest of all. We have the liberty to take action and if used correctly, this liberty can be transformational. Jay Houston came across the liberty to act when she learned her neighbor Julie Washington adopted three boys, Michael, Jess and Camden, per ABC News. The trio also had another brother, Elijah, and when Houston came to this understanding, she made a quick decision.
It all began when Houston learned that Washington was in the process of adopting the three boys from foster care. While the casework was on, Washington figured the boys had another brother. However, since she had two kids of her own already, it was a tough call to adopt 4 children. Washington noted that she was initially interested in considering it. However, Jess had cerebral palsy and looking after him meant even more hard work and care. "We went from having two to five kids and one has special needs. We weren't sure if we were able to take in another child,” she said, per ABC News. She and her husband then made the choice to adopt the three boys to provide for them as best as possible.
Unfortunately, both women learned that if they couldn’t adopt Elijah, he would be “over a thousand miles away.” It didn’t settle with the duo and Houston started planning something. “I called Julie back and I said, ‘No matter what, we would always make sure that these boys were family and that they knew they were family, that they were brothers,'” she noted. Houston knew Elijah was the youngest and said that his eyes “lit up” when he was around his older brothers, learning and experiencing life. While going back to her own story, as an adopted child herself, something cooked up in her mind.
She mentioned how having kids and adopting was something she always wanted to do. When she saw a video of Elijah, she knew she wanted to be his mum. "It was immediate. His former foster mom sent us a video of him laughing, smiling, crawling and I knew he'd fit right in,” Houston recalled. To keep the brothers together forever, Houston adopted Elijah. “I knew how important it was to [Houston] to keep siblings together. They said they were open to having another child and we made a pact to keep them together, so it kind of just fell into place,” Washington said.
The families are happy and content with their biological and adopted kids. Elijah is close to his brothers and never has to worry about being separated from them. Houston’s thoughtful observation and kindness ensured the boys lived together and remained a tight-knit family forever. She is glad to know the boys can have each others’ backs, but there is something more rewarding to her. “Knowing I get to be his mom forever, it's an awesome gift and I'm really thankful for it,” she remarked.