Connect with us

METRO

This Woman Adopts A 17-year-old Girl Who Spent 3,739 Days In Foster Care And 24 Different Homes

Published

on

By

 

Being a parent would undoubtedly rank among the top ten most difficult occupations in the world if we had to produce such a list. Raising children, running a household, and working to pay the bills and feed the family is a difficult undertaking for anyone.

Regardless of how difficult the job is, some people choose to take it on even if they don’t have to. They are known as “foster parents.”

Katie Holstein is an example of this. She made the decision to become a mother in 2017. In January of that year, she applied to become a licensed foster parent…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

“I wanted to be a mother, and I was tired of waiting for Mr. Right to do anything about it. In an essay for Love What Matters, she said, “I imagined I’d foster for a few years, help reunite some families, and maybe get to say yes to forever.”

Her application was finally approved after eight months of waiting.

Her first task didn’t take long to arrive. The same day she was accepted, she learned about two siblings in need of foster care: a one-year-old and a two-year-old.

Katie became a first-time mother to two babies overnight. It was “terrifying,” yet it was also “all I could have hoped for and more.”

This strong mother raised 16 children in the next three years. Katie claimed that she was apprehensive to take teenagers since she had heard so many horror stories, but that changed when she met Akyra, a teenage girl.

“On March 9, 2019, I received a call from my favorite social worker. ‘I know you don’t deal with teenagers, but I have this girl,’ she explained. She’s wonderful; she and her current foster family simply require a break. “How about simply for the weekend?” says the author. Katie recalled something.

She was fostering numerous children under the age of five at the time, including Thomas, a newborn who spent some time in the NICU and whom she affectionately refers to as “Tiny.”

Katie wasn’t quite ready to take on another full-time foster child, but she consented because she wanted to assist.

It turns out she made the correct choice.

Akyra was adored by the small children, who referred to her as “big friend.” Katie and she became friends through shared hobbies like Twilight and sleeping in late. Akyra would visit her for a week here and there over the next few months as she bounced around different foster homes. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Akyra and Thomas

Katie thought it was time to foster Akyra for earnest after almost a year of knowing her. She was 16 at the time and had planned to live with Katie until she turned 18 and was no longer in the system.

“The goal was for her to live with me for approximately a year until she graduated and then go into independent living, which is an incredible program operated by our state,” Katie explained.

“It permits youths who are about to leave the cabinet to dedicate themselves until they are 22.” They are provided with lodging, a stipend, mentors, and assistance with jobs, school, and other issues. Instead than being forced to fend for themselves at the age of 18, it allows children to make a gradual, supervised transition into adulthood.”

However, as time passed, the two got closer. Then Akyra inquired if she had ever considered adopting a teenager. Katie realized what she needed to do at that point.

Akyra became an official Holstein three days before her 17th birthday. Not only that, but at Akyra’s request, Katie also adopted Thomas on the same day!

The Holstein family

The joyful ceremony was broadcast live on Zoom. Akyra’s caseworker, family, and friends were all present to witness the historic occurrence.

The trio held a picture shoot to commemorate their time in foster care, which was marked on a board.

Katie believes that now that their story has been shared, it may motivate others to welcome foster children into their homes. She told me that having everything in order wasn’t necessary.

“I would have missed my kids if I had waited for the ‘perfect time.’” I guarantee you, there are children in your neighborhood who are in desperate need of a safe haven right now, and they won’t care whether you’re on a budget, live in a small house, aren’t married, or are still figuring out parenting. She explained, “They need willing families, not ideal ones.”

What a lovely message of humility and kindness! This anecdote just goes to show that being a true family doesn’t always have to mean being related by blood; it may also mean being linked by the heart.

Was this story motivating to you? Don’t forget to tell your friends and family about it!

 

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

METRO

Racist Cops Handcuff Black Female General, Her Call to Pentagon Destroyed Their Careers –

Published

on

By

 

The handcuffs clicked shut with a sound like a gunshot in the quiet street.

“You’re resisting arrest,” the cop snarled, twisting the Black woman’s arm behind her back.

Bystanders gasped as she was forced onto the hood of the cruiser, her military-sharp posture never faltering.

Then, in a voice like steel, she said, “You have no idea who you just handcuffed. But in 20 minutes, these two officers would beg for their careers back.”

And in an hour, the Pentagon would make sure they never wore a badge again.

General Naomi Carter was used to command, not compliance.

A decorated war strategist, she had just returned from a classified overseas mission and was on her way to debrief at the Pentagon when she stopped for coffee…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

She had spent her life fighting battles—just not the kind where the enemy wore a blue uniform.

The cops had been watching her since she stepped out of her car.

“Suspicious vehicle,” one muttered, eyeing her luxury sedan.

When she questioned their unnecessary stop, they escalated.

“You fit a description.”

Then came the cuffs, the shove, the condescending smirk.

That’s when Naomi stopped being just a citizen.

“Let me make a call,” she demanded.

The taller cop laughed. “You ain’t calling nobody.”

But Naomi had memorized emergency protocols better than they’d memorized their own badges.

With her hands restrained, she recited a series of numbers to a horrified bystander. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“Dial it now.”

The phone rang twice before a voice answered: “Pentagon secure line.”

The cops froze. Then came the words that turned their blood to ice.

“This is General Carter. Badge numbers 4,872 and 5,193 just detained me unlawfully. I need immediate confirmation of their authority.”

For the first time, doubt flickered in the officer’s eyes.

The dispatcher’s radio erupted with panic.

“All units, stand down. Stand down.”

Backup arrived, but not for them.

The chief’s voice cracked over the comms. “You just cuffed a Pentagon-level officer. God help you.”

Naomi stood straight as her cuffs were removed.

The cops stammered apologies, but she simply picked up the phone.

“Secretary, I want their records audited. Every stop. Every complaint.”

Then to the officers: “You targeted the wrong woman today.”

By sundown, the officers were suspended. By week’s end, charged.

And as Naomi walked into the Pentagon the next morning, the news played footage of their perp walk.

Proof that even generals in street clothes outrank prejudice.

 

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading

METRO

One of death row’s oldest inmates gave scathing final words before execution by lethal injection –

Published

on

By

 

Oscar Franklin Smith, a 75-year-old man who had been on death row for decades, was executed in Tennessee by lethal injection. He was found guilty of murdering his wife, Judith Robirds Smith, and her two teenage sons, Chad and Jason Burnett, back in 1989.

But even as he was about to die, Oscar kept saying he didn’t do it. He claimed he was innocent, and he never changed his story in all the years he spent in prison. Just before the execution, he spoke out strongly, criticizing the justice system and the governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee.

He said the system is broken and doesn’t always get it right. He believed that not only was he innocent, but that there are other men like him still sitting in prison, waiting to die for crimes they didn’t commit. He said the governor is foolish if he doesn’t see that. Oscar’s last words included the phrase “I didn’t kill her,” which he reportedly said several times before he died. He was declared dead at 10:47 a.m…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

Oscar had been given a temporary delay in 2022, when the governor called off the execution at the last minute. But that decision was reversed later, and the execution went ahead. Even though he had lived over three decades after the crime while maintaining his innocence, the courts and the state stood by the original conviction. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

After Oscar’s death, the family of the victims spoke to reporters. Judith’s sister, Terri Osborne, said losing her sister and two nephews had left a permanent wound. She said the pain of that loss will always stay with their family. No matter how much time passes, it still hurts deeply.

Terri also used the moment to talk about the issue of domestic violence. She said the murders are a tragic reminder of what can happen in abusive relationships. She wanted people who are in danger at home to know that they are not alone. She understood how hard it is to leave someone who is abusive, but she hoped this tragedy would push others to find safety and support. She also said she hopes more help and resources can be made available to people who are living in fear or dealing with abuse.

Her brother, Mike Robirds, also spoke. He said that no one should have to live the way their sister did — in fear. And no family should have to go through the heartbreak that they have endured. Their words were full of sadness, but also a message of hope for others who might still be suffering in silence.

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading

METRO

People in shock after hearing bizarre leaked audio from Trump’s new head of Social Security reacting to job offer –

Published

on

By

 

Frank Bisignano, a former executive from Wall Street, has just taken on a major role leading the Social Security Administration—a huge federal agency that handles benefits for over 70 million Americans. But it turns out he was just as surprised by the job offer as everyone else.

In a meeting with Social Security managers from across the country, held on May 21, Bisignano openly admitted that he hadn’t been looking for a new job and had no idea he was being considered for such a major government role. A recording of this meeting was leaked, and it’s left a lot of people both amused and concerned.

In the audio, Bisignano talks about how he got a phone call out of the blue about the Social Security job. He said he wasn’t job hunting at all, and once he heard about the position, he had to start Googling to figure out what exactly the commissioner of Social Security does. He even joked that he’s one of the best Googlers on the East Coast. At one point, he said something like, “What the heck is the commissioner of Social Security?” showing just how unexpected the appointment was for him…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Ironically, during that same meeting, he complained about people leaking information to the media—while the very meeting itself ended up getting leaked. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Despite the jokes and the lighthearted way he presented himself, many people online didn’t take it well. On social media, some users mocked him for appearing clueless about the job and accused the Trump administration of giving important positions to people who aren’t qualified. One person sarcastically said he must be relying on the “fake it till you make it” approach. Another commented that having actual experience seems to be a disqualifier when it comes to getting hired in the Trump team.

Others, however, defended Bisignano. Some argued that you don’t need a PhD or deep government experience to run the Social Security Administration. Instead, they pointed out that what the agency really needs is someone with real leadership experience—someone who knows how to run big organizations and get results. They said Bisignano fits that bill, having led billion-dollar companies and managed large teams.

All in all, Bisignano’s surprise and honesty about not knowing much about the job have drawn mixed reactions. While some people think it’s refreshing or even funny, others are worried that such an important agency is being led by someone who admits he had to Google what the job even is.

 

READ FULL STORY HERE>>...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Continue Reading

Trending