When Andrew was adopted by Joc’s parents, he had spent over half of his life in foster care. Dominique and Kevin Gill, Joc’s parents, welcomed Andrew into their house. He was just six years old, when the rights of his parents were terminated.
He was just six years old, when the rights of his parents were terminated. “Andrew has four siblings, and they were all adopted immediately immediately,” Dominique said in a statement to Today Parents. He spent his first week with the Gill’s sitting in his room with the door shut, gazing at old photos. He was unwilling to speak.
Our intention was to support him until he got his forever home, Dominique added. However, after the second adoption failed, I believed God had placed Andrew in our lives for a reason.
God made sure that the adoption failed so that he might return to us. Andrew sobbed when the Gills asked if he wanted to live with them permanently. “From the start, Andrew has always said, ‘Thank you for accepting me, and Thank you for not giving up on me. ” Dominique added.
People would read his file and run away, she continued. But I was aware that despite his many traumas, he was a decent kid. At first, Dominique noted, Andrew would “scream and behave badly” in an effort to fend them off.
The family still gets stared at when in public settings. Their mom remarked, “People may stare at us because Andrew is white and we are Black. They’re confused.” There have never been any racial issues for Andrew and his adoptive parents. He selected “no preference” when questioned about his preference for the race of his foster parents. Dominique said : “Love doesn’t have a color. Andrew is our son just like Joc is our son. He’s a part of us.”
Kevin told NBC News, “As the years went on, Andrew and Joc got pretty close. It’s good to see that bond they have grown over the years.”
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