Meet Stanley. Abandoned by his family at birth, Stanley spent the first 13 years of his life in the orphanage until Overture stepped in with IBESR to reunify all of the children from that orphanage.
After months of identifying special families willing to foster a child with special needs, Stanley was moved to a transition home so that his foster mom could receive the necessary training to care for him under the supervision of an experienced caregiver. After the training period, Stanley finally went to live with Jacqueline — his new permanent mom.
All the way to his new foster home, Stanley seemed on edge with our team of social workers. His cries showed that he was frightened, and no words or gestures would reassure or calm him during his transition.
However, when we arrived at Stanley’s new home and handed him over to Jacqueline, it was as if Stanley was saying to us: “Here’s my family! “Here’s the person I know and trust, and the one whose company I really enjoy!”
Gently and with a burst of enthusiasm, Stanley joined Jacqueline’s arms. No more cries. No more complaints. No more gestures of rejection on his part. In an instant, he tenderly caressed Jacqueline’s face as if he were saying: “My Mommy, I missed you so much.”
Jacqueline’s heartfelt first words when she received him from our hands were, “Stanley, this is Mommy, my darling. You’re finally coming home.” It was obvious from the get-go that something special had happened between these two, and that they shared an unspoken bond that transcended words or labels such as “foster parent” or “disabled child.”