Nothing can substitute the necessity or the longing need to have a loving family. After being raised in the foster care system, one young man hoped to find one and reached out to a family he met last year. He requested his prospective car buyers to adopt him as a son.
The Request
Car Salesman Davon Woods recorded a video message requesting the Wilkinson family adopt him. He expressed his wish to make them his ‘forever family’ and asked for their permission to use their surname. In a video uploaded by the Wilkinson family, they reacted tearfully to Woods’ heartwarming message.
The Bonding
In April 2021, the Wilkinson family walked off Woods’ store with a new car and a new friend. This initial bond continued between the two parties, especially when Sarah Wilkinson heard Woods’ story. Woods, 27, spent his life in the foster care system and never had a real emotional connection with any parent. Sarah Wilkinson maintained contact with Woods, got him in touch with her parents, and attempted to reach out to him whenever possible. For his birthday, the Wilkinson family invited him for dinner and even asked him to join them for Thanksgiving at their home in Savannah, Georgia. Eventually, over a year after their first lucky encounter, Woods requested they adopt him and make him an official part of their family.
The Aftermath
Although no legal procedure to adopt Woods has been initiated yet, the Wilkinsons are already treating him like family, which actually matters most. They also permitted him to be Davon Wilkinson from now on. As Woods expressed his reaction, it was a bit “weird” and overwhelming to be in such a loving environment, as he never had a real relationship with any of his adoptive parents. But he always wanted a proper family and to tell others that this is my family. Now the Wilkinsons have given him a chance to do it finally!
Teens Have Built a Bus Stop Shelter for a 5-Year-Old Wheelchair User
Several teenagers have done a great deed by building a shelter for a five-year-old boy who usually waits for the bus in his wheelchair. The teens got to work after finding out how the boy got wet when waiting for the school bus and his father needed help to create a shelter.
The Teens Built the Bus Stop Shelter for Ryder Killam To Protect Him From Rain, Wind, and Snow While Waiting for the Bus
The teens learned how young Ryder Killam had to wait about 15 minutes every day for the bus, using only a patio umbrella to protect himself from the rain, snow, and wind. This felt wrong to the local students in Bradford, RI who quickly got to work and built him a bus shelter to give the boy better protection from the fury of the elements. The group realized their idea during their construction lessons.
Ryder’s Father Tim Expressed His Gratitude to the Thoughtful Teens
In an interview, Ryder’s father Tim stated that his five-year-old boy now uses the shelter every day before school and his nurses also wait inside it while awaiting his return home. According to him, the boy even likes to hang out in the shelter, enjoying it like his own fort. The grateful father pointed out how the teens who built the shelter brought the community closer together, showing that there is much good in the world and their own town.
Ryder was born with a disability and has never been able to walk, so he started using a wheelchair at the age of two. The need for his shelter arose after the boy started attending the local inclusionary preschool in 2019 and had to wait for his school bus. Because Ryder could not rush to catch the bus if he was late, he had to wait for it in advance, sometimes up to 15 minutes, and in bad weather. Now, with his new personal bus stop shelter, the boy no longer has to worry about the elements.