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Florida – Adrianna and her brother, Alex, spent most of their early years in foster care.

They thought they were going to be adopted many times, but something always fell through.

“I went to different houses … like a lot of houses,” Adrianna shared.

When the siblings were referred to the Foundation’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program and met their recruiter, Wendy, with Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, both Adrianna and Alex were shy at first.

They were hesitant to trust another adult after all they had been through. But Wendy earned their trust by staying consistent in their lives.

“Kids in foster care who have bounced around from home to home often have also had multiple case managers — it’s really important that they have that one person that they can count on,” Wendy said. “So I tried to be that person.”

As Wendy worked diligently to find a permanent home for the siblings, she recognized their deep connection with foster parents Olga and Jackie. Olga understood their experiences firsthand and could relate to them on a deeper level.

“I grew up in the foster care system,” Olga explained.

Olga and Jackie provided the consistency and unconditional love they needed.

“They take care of us,” Alex said.

“They made me feel safe,” Adrianna added.

Wendy advocated for the siblings’ voice every step of the way. “She would ask me questions, like, ‘How do I feel living in this house?’” Adrianna said.

Olga shared that one of the biggest challenges was proving to the children that she and Jackie wouldn’t leave when things got difficult. “I think that’s when they realized, ‘Wow, they’re going to fight for us. I think these are the people that are going to keep to their word.’ Because they were told many times they were going to get adopted, and no one actually went through with it,” Jackie said.

“You end up running into the walls that they build around their hearts because they’ve been through so much trauma,” Wendy explained. “And that’s what a lot of people don’t take the time to get past … to work through all of the layers … But take the time, it is worth it.”

Jackie added, “Regardless of their age, they need a home. They need structure. They need love and comfort and support. They need to know that it’s not their fault that they are where they are. They need somebody who’s just willing to understand their trauma and help them through it.” And that’s what she and Olga worked to provide.

“We sat at the table, and they said, ‘Do you want to leave or stay?’ And we said, ‘Stay,’” Alex shared.

With help from the Foundation and our caring supporters, Adrianna and Alex were adopted at ages 8 and 6.

Today, they are making special memories as a family — including a surprise trip to New York. Jackie and Olga covered their suitcases with a blanket in the back of the car and drove to the airport.

“So, we all got out of the car, and I said, ‘Well, since we’re here, why don’t we just catch a flight to New York?’ And they’re laughing, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, yeah, let’s do it mom.’ And I said ‘No, seriously — look in the back of the car.’

Alex was speechless.

It’s one of the very few times he had no words,” Jackie shared with a laugh.

“They had never seen skyscrapers before, so everything was just a first. Seeing their faces light up … it’s just awesome. And I’m from New York, so it’s like I got to see it from their perspective.”

Alex and Adrianna have also joined the soccer team, traveled to Puerto Rico with their family and decorated their bedrooms with help from their moms. Jackie and Olga have also finalized the adoptions of Adrianna and Alex’s younger siblings, Arian and Liv. Now all four siblings are growing up together. They recently moved into a new home with more space for everyone, and are enjoying making friends at their new school.

For Adrianna, adoption means: “I’m not going anywhere because this is my forever home.”

If you have room in your home or in your heart, you can help more siblings like Alex and Adrianna waiting for a family right now. Explore ways to get involved and join our caring community that makes stories like these possible.