Life as a foster kid isn’t fun, and older children find it particularly difficult. Once children pass a certain age, not only are they left with the difficulties of having no family to call their own or a permanent place, but they also realize that a forever family is probably not a possibility. Very few families are willing to adopt older children.
For 11-year-old Sebastian, the hope of ever having a family seemed impossible. While Sebastian lived in Colombia, he was sent to the United States with the “Kidsave’s Summer Miracles” program that is designed to match orphans with temporary host families for the summer.
Sebastian ended up in California where he stayed with Amanda and JoBen Barkey. This couple had had seen his picture online and had instantly fallen in love, and were anxious to make him a family member for the summer, reports Happiest.
The Barkeys already had four children of their own. While Sebastian’s presence in their home could have caused problems, the kids instantly fell in love with him and began to treat him like another brother.
Sadly, the five-week summer program ended far too soon. Sebastian was sent back to Colombia to live in a children’s home, and the Barkeys felt like a member of their family was missing. According to Happiest, for the 11-year-old boy, going back to Colombia made it seem like he would never see these people again.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all. Unbeknownst to Sebastian, the Barkey family had no intention of letting him go. The couple had already begun the adoption process so that they could bring Sebastian back to California to live with them for good. When it came time to tell Sebastian the good news, the family used a video chat to tell him their plan. Sebastian was so stunned that he covered his face and began to cry.
On the reunification day, Sebastian found himself overwhelmed with hugs by his new parents and his siblings. You can see that this family was so excited to see each other once again, and Sebastian was all smiles to be back with the Barkeys.