Mom Julia Washington was absolutely in love with her new family when she received devastating news that there was a fourth brother who needed to be adopted as well. Devastating because Julia knew she could not adopt him.
Washington and her husband already had two biological children but were looking forward to adopting more kids and welcoming them into their home. So, the family was genuinely excited when they received three siblings in 2015 — Michael, six, Jess, five, and Cameron, four.
Though the siblings were pleased with their new home, the family received some sad news. The three children had a baby brother, Elijah, who was still in the system and at risk of remaining in foster care if no family showed up. This kid was battling ᴄᴇʀᴇʙʀᴀʟ ᴘᴀʟsʏ and needed more attention.
“It broke my heart, but I didn’t just feel we could do it. We’d gone from two kids to five— one with special needs. I just felt we’d be overwhelmed, and someone wouldn’t get the attention they deserved.”, Washington told People.
It seemed like a hopeless situation until the couple’s neighbor Jay Houston stepped in with an incredible solution. Take a look!
This kind neighbor, who was a mother of six and also adopted, knew that her neighbors did not want to pass by the story of 17-month-old Elijah, and she offered to adopt the little boy.
Houston took Elijah in on September 15, 2015. After living with the child for six months, she finalized the adoption, and the 17-month-old officially became a member of Houston’s family.
Houston revealed that she adopted Elijah immediately after Washington adopted the child’s brothers.
“They all know they’re brothers and get to grow up together. They don’t live in the same house but live in same town… Knowing I get to be his mom forever, it’s an awesome gift and I’m thankful for it.”, she told ABC News.
According to Houston, her decision to adopt the child was immediate after seeing a video of Elijah laughing, smiling, and crawling. On the day of the adoption, she took a picture of the little boy and his three siblings in celebration of all four boys finding a home.
Houston, a Southern Georgia resident, told the outlet that children in foster care came with a negative stigma attached to them.
However, the mother of two biological and four adopted children explained that they were just kids that needed love, adding that her adopted kids had changed the lives of her and her husband.
With Houston’s kind-heartedness, Michael, Jess, Cameron, and Elijah can spend as much time as possible with each other, swimming in an ocean of love and acceptance.
