KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A 12-year-old boy spent seven years in the Tennessee foster care system, waiting to find his forever home. After more than 2,000 days, he's found it with Pat Brown.
She adopted Ricky, 12, and gave him a chance at growing up in a loving and caring home. She said her favorite job is to be a mom, and Ricky's diagnosis could not shy her away. He was diagnosed with Sanfilippo, a rare condition that takes away his mobility as he gets older.
"I absolutely will take him knowing that we he may not be forever, but none of us might be forever. So I had to put that aside and say, 'Let's live our best life,'" she said. "Ricky is not a special needs child. He is a child — every child has special needs."
Ricky faced several medical emergencies in the years he spent in foster care. But now, he is with a family.
"Every human deserves to be loved," said Brown.
Brown said Ricky is joining a house full of other children. Ricky is Brown's ninth adoptive child, they are caring for a total of 15 others. Ricky is also staying in contact with Taylor Berry, his care helper from the Childhelp Tennessee Child Advocacy Center.
"He really makes this job worth coming to. He's the reason that I do this job," said Berry.
After he shared Ricky's story with Brown, there was an immediate match.
"She was like, 'Yeah, bring him on. I would love to him here.' And he went there, and it was just immediately that you saw the connection that they had. It was really beautiful to see," Berry said.
Anyone interested in fostering or adopting a child in Tenessee can find more information about how to do it online.