365/7 Damo

My spouse and I became foster parents a few years ago. After going through months and months of interviews, reference checks, medical checks, home inspections, criminal record checks and so forth, we were approved as foster parents.

Then we waited. We waited MONTHS without a phone call or a referral. We bought a van. We bought a crib. We got "ready" and nothing happened. So we went on a mini-vacation. I had to go to a conference for work in Kananaskis and so Shel joined me.

We had barely arrived at the conference and we got a call. Could we take a little guy - an 18 month old and could we take him IMMEDIATELY. I couldn't leave the conference, but we cancelled our mini-vacation and high tailed it home to meet with our first foster kid.

Here is Dame.

Dame was with us for about 6 months. We took him on a trip to California to my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary and the whole family fell in love with him (and he with them).

We absolutely fell head over heels in love with this little boy. He is the first child - that is not a niece or nephew - that took my heart completely. When he left it was as though a part of me left with him and I still miss him desperately. My arms have this "muscle memory" which he fills which will never be filled by another, as long as I live. He will ALWAYS be "my boy".

We believe (and I am pretty sure his mom believes) his case was handled badly from beginning to end. There were SO many things in this little boys life which should have been handled differently, but there is no doubt that he was completely loved in our home and STILL.



As a P.S. Our little man. Damo, is home with him mom and he is doing ok. We have a great relationship with his mom which means we get to see him and we TOTALLY appreciate it. He knows that we love him and he always greets us with HUGE smiles and hugs. This little boy changed my life. He changed my heart.