Start From The Beginning
The word "family" conjures up images of a warm home and people who care about us. Though some people have been lucky enough to grow up in stable households, this is not always the case. In many parts of the world, thousands of children go through their whole childhoods without the help they desperately need.
Fortunately, many parents are eager to adopt children and provide them with a home. Whether or not they are happy or have a happy life at home is unknown to you. Even with a smile on their face, you never know what someone is thinking or feeling on the inside. In one case, a young man dared to speak out against his adoptive family in front of a judge.
A Dream Is the First Step
The act of providing foster care for a kid is fraught with both joy and peril. One must give the child with foster care before the court can officially acknowledge them as the child's biological parents.
On August 13, 2018, Sara Cozad and her husband attended court as part of the adoption process. They brought their two children, residing in foster care, with them to support them throughout the hearing. On this particular day, a court would decide whether or not Sara could legally adopt the children and therefore become a mother for the first time. This would be part of the adoption procedure.
The Couple's Tears
The court had not yet made a decision. In anticipation of hearing the judge's decision, Sara's extended family had gathered in huge numbers in front of the courthouse. While Sara and her husband waited in the courtroom, the two little boys seated next to them were being considered for adoption by Sara and her husband.
Then Dayshawn, the older youngster, stood up and surprised everyone by doing something nobody had anticipated. During the trial, the defendant made a few statements regarding the Cozad family. When he did so, both Sara and her spouse were brought to tears.
It Requires Time To Achieve One's Dream.
Waiting periods for verdicts that are stressful and difficult to predict are a nuisance in their own right. At long last, Sara could unwind and take it easy on the day that would be her last before the judge handed down her decision.
The future of a woman planning to become a foster mother to two children who were just 26 years old was uncertain. Sara's lifelong dream has been to become a foster parent and eventually establish a family of her own. This one instant would determine the course of her existence.
Seven years have passed.
Seven years before this extremely significant court action, Sara was fortunate to meet Stuart Shank, the man she would eventually marry and the love of her life. She didn't hold back from letting Stuart know that one of her most important goals in life was to start a home for foster children.
The thought of Stuart and Sara becoming foster parents appealed to him, and seven years later, the two of them attended a hearing together in the hopes of adopting two handsome boys. This day seemed like a dream come true for Sara because she has always had a strong desire to adopt children, and she can finally do it.
The Perfect Match
It seems odd to bring up adopting children as a topic of conversation on a first date. Because the idea of being a foster parent was so fundamental to Sara's sense of self, she was unable to refrain from discussing it regularly.
Stuart was taken aback by how well the news was received by her, which pleasantly delighted Stuart. Cozad said she was impressed with how Shank rolled it in an interview that she did back in September 2018, which was held in 2018. From what I could tell, they were an excellent complement to one another.
The Meeting of Minds
It is a sporadic occurrence for a couple to decide on their first meeting that they will become parents. The idea that this took place gave the impression that Stuart and Sara were destined to be together in every sense of the phrase.
They were married in 2014 after falling in love rather quickly. After being married, the couple went on their honeymoon as their very first adventure together. On the other hand, as soon as Sara and Stuart returned home from their vacation, they started planning how they would become foster parents.
Young Heart
When Sara decided to submit her application to become a foster parent, she had no idea how old she was. Even though she is just 23 years old, she has always harbored the desire to become a parent to a young child.
Consequently, she lacked the resources necessary to interact successfully with youngsters her age. Before that very moment, she had never thought about the possibility of starting a family with her future husband and their child.
A Starting Point
It was an exciting time for Sara and Stuart when they decided to take the first step toward becoming foster parents. They started taking in children and raising them as their own, helping them with their schoolwork and getting them involved in extracurricular activities.
They mainly fostered younger children, most of whom were newborns or toddlers. They started out fostering only infants and toddlers after receiving advice from a social worker. At the time, both of them were just a few years older than they are now.
The First Seven Days
They were responsible for looking after an infant named Michael throughout the weekend. The initial plan called for Michael, now three years old, to visit Sara and Stuart for a total of one week rather than the two days that had been scheduled.
They looked to have already developed an emotional connection with the baby, as evidenced by the fact that they were having trouble letting go of him. Despite this, Sara and Cozad were confident that taking on the role of foster parents would be ideal for both of them in their current state and their future selves.
Time Flies so Fast.
The couple's appeal to lodge Michael for a short time—just a couple of days—was met with little resistance on their behalf, as the couple had previously shown no objections to the request.
They were entirely unprepared for the significant way in which Michael, a young boy of only three years old, would alter their plans. A whole week was created out of the weekend. The week slipped into months, just like everything else.
Cozad mentioned this on their website, "Love What Matters," where it is attributed to him: "And those months grew into years." They carried on as if nothing had happened, oblivious to the rapid passage of time.
At The First Meeting Of The Family
Even though Michael quickly became a part of Sara and Stuart's lives, the couple never intended him to stay with them for an extended period. They were meant to keep an eye on him for a couple of days, but it ended up lasting more than a few months.
They were paid an unexpected visit not too much later after that. Sara and Stuart were taken aback when Michael's older brother, Dayshawn, visited them. That was the first time we spent time together as a complete family!
Inseparable
Even as we try to find the words to express how delighted we are, a few tears have already made their way out of our eyes. When Dayshawn and his younger brother first saw each other, it didn't take him long to rush over and give his brother a bear hug.
Sara and Stuart could hear the brothers' excitement, but they did not see it themselves. After seeing this, Sara was convinced she needed to take action. She could not bear the thought of them being separated once more.
The Reorientation of Objectives
To avoid the brothers being split up again, Sara and Stuart had no other option but to take them both in as foster children. On the other hand, Sara had no intention of adopting a child who was already ten years old.
Because of her age, she never considered the possibility of adopting a child younger than 13 years old. If she follows this course of action, it will completely derail everything else that she has planned. In this scenario, the foster child she cared for would be 13 years older than her.
Building of Relationships
Since Sara and Stuart had only planned on fostering and parenting infants and toddlers, they were unprepared for the challenges of caring for an older child, especially a preteen or teen.
When they accepted Dayshawn into their home, who was already ten years old, his foster parents had their work cut out for them. As soon as Sara started talking to Dayshawn about her recent about-face, she realized that she might not even have to make as big a deal as she had initially planned. Making friends with the child was undoubtedly beneficial in reducing some of the strain.
There were Challenges.
For valid reasons, Sara decided not to adopt any older children during her adoption process. On the other hand, she lacked any prior experience working with older children and could not adequately care for them.
Despite this, she was aware that she could not consent to the two brothers being split up again, and she did want to. She was utterly helpless.
Dayshawn had to overcome increasingly difficult obstacles as he got older. Additionally, Sara and Stuart were sometimes responsible for the care of other children, making the situation even more challenging for them to deal with.
The Plan
As a direct result of the couple's zest for assisting other people in times of need, they were always prepared to provide a helping hand to whoever required it.
During the period that they acted as foster parents, they took care of four children who were 14 years old, providing them with the psychological and material support they required to get through the difficult times. The realization of Stuart and Sara's longtime goal to improve the lives of disadvantaged children was one of their most significant accomplishments.
Once they had adopted one child, they decided to keep adopting children despite the difficulty of doing so while still meeting their other obligations. The two individuals intended to assist the children and, if at all possible, reunite them with their natural relatives.
Creating Choices
After considering the predicament, Sara took a brief break to decide what action to take next. After giving it much thought, she finally settled on a choice.
She was fortunate in that she could articulate her thoughts and feelings through her blog titled "Love What Matters," which served as a launching pad for her future goals and aspirations. When it is within our power, we will always advocate for reunification.
On her blog, Sara mentioned that the most rewarding aspect of her work in foster care is seeing how hard parents work to regain custody of their children. This event was more important than Dayshawn turning a year older since it meant getting the boys back together and ensuring they had a bright future.
The Exception
In this particular instance, Sara had decided to create an exception to the rule. Something that she had never before given any thought to was the possibility of fostering or adopting an older child. It wasn't until she saw the two brothers together that she realized how important it was to do so.
As soon as Sara and Stuart laid eyes on Michael and Dayshawn, they were immediately aware that the brothers needed to be brought back together in a caring and supportive atmosphere. Because of this, they concluded that it would be best to make an exception and try their best to adopt both of the children.
The Final Decision
It didn't take long for the newlyweds to discover that they were in a situation entirely out of the blue. Because of this, Sara and Stuart were adamant that they would not break any rules governing the adoption procedure.
They did not want their two kids to be separated again. After living together for a year, Sara and Stuart decided to officially adopt both of the boys, even though adopting both of them had never been part of their original plans. They found out whether or not the court had approved the adoption once the adoption was finished.
A Long Process
Even though Sara and Stuart put in a lot of effort to accomplish their objectives and provide a secure future for the boys, the adoption process took much longer than it should have. After a fierce struggle lasting for six months, we eventually got the ball going in the right direction.
During this drawn-out court dispute, patience on all sides was necessary. The boys couldn't contain their joy at the possibility of staying friends for all of eternity.
Because of this, they had to wait a significant amount of time before determining whether the report was a fraud. After some time had passed, Sara mentioned on her blog that the process had taken many years.
There's a Long Way to Go
When this young couple decided to adopt two children, one of whom is already a teenager, they knew they were getting into a challenging situation. Adopting a single child is already a complicated process; adopting two at once is even more so.
Even though Sara and Stuart had to endure great anguish, they never wavered in their commitment to work toward realizing their goals. Despite the slow development, there was a bright spot: the family was getting even closer than before, and the brothers gave off the impression that they were happier than they had been in a very long time.
Learning Process
On her blog titled "Love What Matters," Sara detailed their journey, including all of its highs and lows, and she wrote a post for each milestone along the way. This experience had a significant impact on the young couple.
They gained insight into the values of perseverance, love, and family, in addition to the benefits of hard labor and patience. They had a wonderful time with Dayshawn and Michael when Sara and Stuart were there.
They gave off the impression of being a balanced family unit. The couple had decided that they would not relinquish custody of their child under any circumstances, regardless of how long it would take for the issue to be resolved in court.
When the End of the Road Is in Sight
Just like there is always something unique waiting for you in life, there is always something extraordinary waiting for you on the other side. Even though they had been stressing about the adoption process for several days, all of their efforts ultimately paid off.
Michael and Dayshawn would be able to continue to have a relationship with one another if Stuart and Sara were to take on the role of their parents. On August 13, 2018, they were finally allowed to learn the fate of their loved ones and find out what was going to happen. The day of the final court hearing would be the day on which all of their hopes and efforts would be answered.
An Unexpected Occurrence
After going through so much, the couple was happy to learn that everything could be resolved amicably. Because of the gravity of the situation, every single person in the courtroom immediately started crying.
When Sara and Stuart were finally in a position to adopt the boys, their friends and family couldn't contain their joy. Sara was forced to her knees and began crying hysterically in the middle of the courtroom after yet another piece of evidence.
It was an unexpected turn of events that took everyone by surprise at the time and had to do with Dayshawn's older brother in some way.
The Awaited Moment
Because we know everyone is interested in learning what took place in court. Thankfully, someone was able to record this incident in the courtroom while it was taking place so that it could be reviewed afterward.
During the video, the judge can ask the attorneys and parties involved, "Do you believe such an adoption should proceed?" They were waiting patiently in the courtroom for the proceedings to end when the unbelievable occurrence happened, taking everyone by surprise.
Nobody could have predicted it.
When the judge poses one of these questions, no one typically anticipates that anyone will volunteer an answer. That's right; each one of them adores us. Nevertheless, things were different this time around.
Dayshawn's statement came entirely out of the blue. When everyone in the courtroom heard his response, which none of them had anticipated, that is precisely what they were all thinking. He got everyone in the room to chuckle with one witty remark, but they had no idea he had more in store for them.
His Heartwarming Message
Just as the proceedings were about to close, Dayshwan decided to do something that would make everyone laugh and grin. On the other hand, Dayshawn added a heartfelt and thoughtful statement a few moments later.
They are consistently ranked as one of our top groups. We are thrilled to be surrounded by every member of our family. These individuals add depth and dimension to my existence. The fact that I am their son brings me joy. He made this declaration, much to the astonishment of his parents: "They're the best thing I've ever had."
The Response
Sara was pushed to her breaking point when Dayshawn made a spontaneous speech on the courthouse steps. She burst into tears in the courtroom, and many other people in the audience also found themselves unable to hold back their tears.
It was very evident to Sara, both to her and to her husband Stuart, that their two sons played a significant role in their lives. Additionally, it illustrated how much Michael and Dayshawn loved and appreciated being a part of such a wonderful and caring family for them and how much it meant to them to be part of that family.
A Fresh Sense Of Joy
The depth of love Sara and Stuart felt for Dayshawn and Michael was demonstrated by the fact that they desired to adopt both boys so that they would not have to be parted from them. They had finally succeeded in reuniting everyone after all of their laborious work.
Dayshawn continued his speech by expressing his gratitude to Sara and Stuart for all the love they had shown him and saying, "If I could wish for anything else in the universe, I might well wish I could just love these people for the rest of my life." Dayshawn was so thankful to Sara and Stuart for all the love they had shown him that he proceeded with his speech by saying this.
Let's Have A Party
At this point, everyone in the courtroom was overcome with emotion. Everyone in the room was happy to see the happy conclusion to such a heartwarming story.
Consequently, Michael and Dayshawn became family members and were assured they would always have a home to return to. What they were experiencing at that moment was beyond description and could not be put into words. Because Sara and Stuart were feeling so ecstatic after their wedding, they decided to throw a celebration for their friends and family.
Adopting a Surname
The married couple and their two sons had a lot of reasons to rejoice together as a family. The couple decided to go by the surname "Shank," and Dayshawn and Michael couldn't have been more ecstatic with the decision.
Because he could no longer contain his joy, Dayshawn decided to give himself a middle name. He went with the name "Star" when Sara suggested it to him as one that would suit him well. She commented that he breaks every stereotype that is associated with a teenager.
The Starting Point
For the four, a fresh start signified the beginning of a new era in their lives. When the opportunity for a new beginning presented itself, everyone was so ecstatic that all they could do was hope their family would continue to be happy and healthy.
Sara and Stuart said their lives have significantly improved since Dayshawn and Michael joined their family. They can look forward to happy family life and a prosperous future. On the other hand, they successfully achieved a goal that required a great deal of effort.
Fostering a Different Child
Sara and Stuart decided to continue fostering children after they had already adopted two of their own. After that, in September of that same year, they became the adoptive parents of a girl who was 14 years old and looking for a family.
The family was currently participating in training because they had fostered a child who had been the target of sexual abuse.
The couple was ready to make a significant commitment and put in a lot of work, but they were excited at the prospect of gaining new knowledge and being able to assist another child at the same time.
Acquiring Extensive Knowledge
For Sara to better manage her feelings while going through the adoption process, she kept repeating "Love What Matters" to herself over and over again. She would make this observation for several weeks or even months: "Unfortunately, these groups of youngsters are forced to remain at social service organizations or shelters when there are so few families willing to take them in."
Sara and Stuart maintained their education, the goal of which was to prepare them better to provide care for children who came from various backgrounds and had experienced a wide range of other things than they had. Both found great satisfaction in expanding their knowledge and assisting the most significant number of children they could.
A Good Way To End
While the adoption process may appear challenging and taxing to some, Sara and Stuart enjoyed every moment of the ordeal. Because achieving this was their ultimate goal, they could not fathom leading any other kind of life for the foreseeable future.
According to what Sara wrote, it is inappropriate to feel thankful for having a family that loves you. She would not give up until she had assisted each one of the children who needed her assistance since she was a firm believer in the necessity of providing families for all of the world's children.
She and Stuart have been able to keep their home life filled with joy thanks to the help of foster children Michael and Dayshawn and the other youngsters they routinely take in as fostering.