She Was His Foster Mom Until He Told Judge About The Romance

Tense Situation It was time for the judge to give their final verdict. That was when the boy decided to stand up and say something. The room went quiet when the boy cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me, your honor, if I may, I have something to say,” Everyone in attendance grew tense as they watched the young boy. He was overwhelmed with emotion as he continued, “I have to tell you the truth about my mom.” Precious Desire Instagram_Sara Sara Cozad always wanted to be a foster mom and adopt children. And when she met the love of her life, Stuart Shank, she made sure to tell him on the first date as this was very important to her. Fortunately, Stuart loved the idea. When they got married, that’s what they did. Journey Begins Pixabay As a young couple, Sara and Stuart only fostered babies and toddlers. And they would often stay with them for a couple of days. Sara preferred this. She felt she didn’t have the necessary skill set to look after older kids. But her next fostering assignment would turn her world upside down. One Weekend A Lifetime YouTube_Facts Verse One day in their usual fostering journey, they were assigned to care for a 3-year-old boy named Michael for a weekend. Two days turned into a week, a week into months, and months into years. And Michael completely stole Sara and Stuart’s hearts. However, trouble would soon knock at the door. Brothers Reunite Instagram_Sara Michael had a 10-year-old older brother, Dayshawn. And when they laid eyes on each other, there was such an eruption of intense emotion that they hugged for several minutes before letting go. Sara, watching this unfold and knew she had to do something. But whatever she could do was going to interrupt her plans. Brotherly Love Instagram_Sara Sara was 23 at the time and 13 years older than Dayshawn. She never considered fostering older children. But letting the brothers grow up separately wasn’t an option. After careful consideration, she decided to take Dayshawn in and care for him and his little brother. Things would only get worse from there. Romantic Attachment Instagram_Sara Up until this point, Sara had always had her family and friends’ support. However, the arrival of Dayshawn made everyone feel uneasy. Dayshawn was becoming close with Sara. And people started to wonder if Dayshawn was developing feelings towards her that went beyond mother and son.. False Alarm Instagram_Sara Going for years without a loving family had taken a toll on Dayshawn. And when the opportunity of a loving family presented itself, he took it with both hands. Dayshawn made sure Sara and Stuart knew he appreciated them. That was the source of all of the confusion. However, the possibility of being broken up was lurking. Considering Adoption YouTube_Facts Verse Recognizing this threat, Sara and Stuart began the adoption process. It felt like years. At last, they were at the final hearing where the judge would give her verdict. Before she could give her verdict, Dayshawn stood up, “Excuse me, your honor, if I may, I have something to say,” said Dayshawn with a shaky voice. Concerns? Pixabay Sara was only 26, and Dayshawn was 13. A considerable concern echoed through friends and family as Dayshawn was right in the middle of puberty. His behavior could be unpredictable. And this could be problematic for everyone involved. But what Dayshawn had to say erased all the concerns. Silence Pixabay And the room went silent. Sara and Stuart tensed up, “Your honor, I have a confession to make,” Dayshawn continued. “My mom Sara and I have a strong bond. She and dad love Michael and me so much. And we are proud to be their sons,” said Dayshawn with teary eyes. Judge Move With Emotions Pixabay The judge was moved by the love displayed in front of her. She felt it would be appropriate to grant the adoption request. There was an emotional uproar after hearing the judgment. Everyone in the courtroom was moved by what had happened. Not Finished Instagram – cozyd Dayshawn’s heartfelt words had convinced the judge that he and his brother belonged with Sara and Stuart – it was their forever home. The judge wiped a tear from her eyes and gave her seal of approval. But Dayshawn still wasn’t quite done with his speech. He knocked the table until he had everyone’s attention once more. More Words Instagram – cozyd “Yeah, they all love us,” Dayshawn said. “We love them. Our whole family is the best thing we ever had,” the boy confessed. “I’m glad to have these people in my life. I’m glad to be their son.” Although Sara was already extremely emotional, she broke down completely when she heard Dayshawn’s words. Where They Belonged Instagram – cozyd Dayshawn’s speech elicited another round of quiet sniffles in the courtroom when he was done. It was an emotional moment – everyone could feel that the boy knew that he and his brother were finally right where they belonged. While Stuart tried his best to retain his composure, Sara sat beside him and couldn’t contain her tears. But Dayshawn still wasn’t done. Relief Instagram – cozyd Although the whole courtroom was in tears, Dayshawn continued his speech.Instead of addressing the judge, now he addressed his adoptive parents – who couldn’t be happier that they were finally the legal guardians of the two boys. Finally, the waiting and worrying about the brothers getting lost in the foster system had disappeared. The relief the family felt was palpable. Final Words Instagram – cozyd As he spoke, it was clear that Dayshawn was incredibly relieved too. He turned to Stuart and Sara, who was still in tears, and really drove his point home. “If I could wish for anything in the world, I would wish I could just love these people for the rest of my life,” he said. Remembering That Day Instagram – cozyd Sara, who was an emotional wreck at the time, later described exactly what she was feeling and what was going through her mind on that day in August, 2018. She confessed that it was the most important day of her life and her emotions felt like a rollercoaster. However, she also had some mixed feelings. Bittersweet Instagram – cozyd While Sara was ecstatic that she and her husband were the legal guardians of the two brothers, Dayshawn’s heartbreaking speech also elicited sadness. Sara was incredibly sad that the boys hadn’t been given the love they deserved right from the beginning. “No child should feel grateful to have a family love them,” she said on Good Morning America. “It should be a given.” Support Instagram – cozyd Back on that fateful day in the courtroom, the emotions on Sara’s face were reflected by her and Stuart’s loyal supporters, who witnessed the day’s events. They had been supporting the couple right from the beginning, so it was fitting that they were also there to witness Dayshawn’s speech and the judge’s ruling. Needless to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. And who could blame them? Watching The Fight Instagram – cozyd Sara and Stuart’s staunch supporters had been there to support the couple right from the beginning. They had continued to support them in their battle for legal guardianship of the boys for more than three years. They watched as they overcame each obstacle, became attached, and finally, were officially recognized as a family. But their story wasn’t over yet. Final Details Facebook – Sara Cozad Now that the judge had made her ruling, Stuart, Sara, Michael, and Dayshawn were legally a family in the eyes of the law. However, amid all the celebrations, Sara and Stuart felt that there was one more detail they needed to square away to make it all official. There was just one thing left to do. Changing Their Names Instagram – cozyd The newly-recognized family decided to take the final step to all share a last name. It was an important and symbolic action that cemented the parents and their sons. So, just like that, Dayshawn and Michael changed their last name to Conzad. It was the last step in the long journey that made the family whole. Limo Instagram_Krista Welch Creative As they walked out of the courtroom, a luxury limousine was waiting to take the brothers home. They were officially Sara and Stuart’s sons and had to be welcomed home in style. Dayshawn couldn’t be thankful enough. He gave another monologue in the car, as they rode around the city, about how happy and grateful he was. But their supporters had a question for Stuart and Sara. Room For One More? Instagram – cozyd Now that the long adoption process was finally over, Sara and Stuart’s friends and family couldn’t help but wonder if the couple intended to open up their hearts and home for more foster children. Now that they had the time to think about it, they had to weigh all the pros and cons before they made a decision. A Choice Instagram – cozyd “At our adoption party, I was asked several times if we would continue to foster now that our boys are adopted,” Sara explained their decision in one of her personal blog entries. “Stuart and I have decided that if we continue to foster, we’re going to become a specialized home. ” But what would that mean? Spreading Awareness Instagram – cozyd Sara’s blog was featured in LoveWhatMatters. She explained that she and Stuart hoped to become a specialized foster home. They had decided to focus their efforts on welcoming LGBTQ+ teens and teen moms in the foster system into their home. In the post, however, Sara explained her reasoning even further. They decided to specialize because of the foster system. Committed Instagram – cozyd “Not because we can necessarily parent these kids better than anyone else, but because it’s heartbreaking that these demographics of teens sit in social workers’ offices for WEEKS (or even months) on end, since so few homes are open to them,” she wrote. And Sara and Stuart Cozad have already made a difference to children entering the foster system’s lives. They are absolutely committed to the cause, even though it’s not always easy. Journey Doesn’t Stop Instagram_Sara Sara, Stuart, and their two sons were ecstatic about finally being a family. But Sara was not done. She continued fostering more children that needed a loving family to care for them. Over time, Sara and her husband realized fostering teenagers is a little more rewarding as they can talk through traumas with the teens. Way Forward Instagram_Sara Sara discovered fostering teens is not as dangerous as people make it out to be. Most teens aren’t ‘dangerous’ or ‘trouble,’ claims Sara. And Sara has set out to bring awareness to this with her blog. And she has begun putting together material to help simplify adoption processes in all states. The post She Was His Foster Mom Until He Told Judge About The Romance appeared first on Top5. Source link