Becoming a parent and feeling loved by our parents is what we often hope for in a family. But life can be unpredictable, as was the case for Alba.
Alba was abandoned by her mother when she was very young. Despite being taken in by twenty families, they all eventually turned her away. However, a ray of hope entered her life.
Luca Trapanese, a gay man from Italy, faced many challenges when he decided to adopt a child. Despite the obstacles he faced from society, he was eventually allowed to adopt a young girl. This girl happened to have Down syndrome, but Luca didn’t hesitate. They formed a strong bond that everyone could see.
Luca had been told he could only adopt a child with a serious illness, significant disability, or behavior issues. But any of those options would have made him happy.
Finally, when Alba was just 13 days old in 2017, Luca officially became her father. By then, twenty families had already said no to adopting her because of her physical condition. But for Luca, Alba brought him immense joy and fulfillment, and he was honored to be her father. He took his role as a father very seriously.
Becoming a father had been a long journey for Luca, even though he had experience working with special needs. It all started when his best friend died of cancer at 14, motivating Luca to help others. He now helps people through his work with a Catholic charity.
When the opportunity to adopt a young girl came up, Luca committed to being her father wholeheartedly, even though he didn’t have a partner or live with anyone. Alba is a lively girl who loves to sing and dance and is very outgoing.
Although Luca was scared the first time he held a newborn, he knew instantly that they belonged together. He shares updates about their adventures on Instagram, where he has hundreds of thousands of followers. Together, they survived the challenges of a pandemic and became stronger.
We wish Luca and Alba a long and happy life together, filled with love and joy.
Wish list written by a foster child in Oklahoma
Dreamcatchers for Abused Children is a non-profit organization devoted to reform of abused children. According to their website, their main goal is to “educate the public on all aspects of child abuse such as symptoms, intervention, prevention, statistics, reporting, and helping victims locate the proper resources necessary to achieve a full recovery.”
Recently, the organization shared a heartbreaking list written by a child from Oklahoma who ended up in the foster system after enduring severe abuse from both his parents who were heavy alcoholics. The boy never experienced love or the joys a childhood normally brings. All he ever knew was negligence and starvation.
Years went by before a neighbor noticed that horrible things were taking place in the boy’s home and decided to alert social services.
Once police intervened, the boy was taken to the Dreamcatchers for Abused Children organization who made sure the little one ends in a new and loving home.
Finally, when the organization found the perfect family and shared the great news with the boy, he made a wish list on which he included all the things he wanted in his new forever home.
Needless to say, the list melted many people’s hearts. Many took their time to comment how the things on the list are not something a child should dream of because they should have them automatically as most of them are just basic needs.
This is the list:
“Things I want in my family:
I want food and water.
Don’t hit on me.
A house with running water and lights.
I want love.
Mom and dad don’t fight.
I want no drugs.
Don’t kill my pets.
Help with school.
Nice clean clothes.
No lice. No bug in house.
Clean house.
Clean bed with covers.
Don’t sell my toys.
Treated fair.
Don’t get drunk.
Tv in house.
Let me keep my school stuff.
Nice shoes.
My own comb soap. Nice house and safe and heater coat.
Toothbrush.”
This list is a reminder that we should never take the things we have for granted.
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