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Ontario — “I could possibly publish a few novels. Maybe I could become a scientist. Study engineering.”

At age 11, Nate is full of ambition and BIG dreams.

But it is his family’s support that drives his enthusiasm to pursue those dreams.

Nate and his twin brother, Elijah, spent five more than five years in foster care, waiting for a permanent family.

When the siblings were referred to the Foundation’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids™ program, their recruiter, Cynthia with Hamilton Child and Family Supports, worked hard to gain their trust to be able to become an advocate for their needs.

She remembers the day they met vividly.

“When I went out to the foster home to meet with him for the first time, he immediately told me, ‘I’ve been writing a book. Would you like to see the book that I’ve written?’” Cynthia shared. “And it just encompassed who Nate is … creative and enthusiastic. But also a child with perseverance because he wrote and rewrote that book so many times until it was perfect for him.”

Elijah took a little more time to open up. “Elijah is just this sweet soul. And he’s a discerning kid,” she said. “I think it took a couple of months before he was even willing to start speaking to me. It is all about building connections and relationships with the kids. It’s about sometimes sitting with them and not saying a thing but just giving them the space and the presence.”

For Nate and Elijah, presence from Cynthia meant proving that she was going to consistently show up and listen to whatever they wanted to share.

“My mind just told me I could trust her,” Nate shared.

When Cynthia met Marc and Shane, she saw that they might be able to provide the calm, steady presence the boys needed.

“Since I was young, I really was interested in adopting. And I also wanted to adopt older children,” mom Shane explained.

“My wife and I decided to work as a team when dealing with the whole process. So maybe when one is too busy or tired, the other steps in and helps out,” Marc added.

“With Shane and Marc, they both were always very child led,” Cynthia said. “It was always about trying to learn as much about the boys as they could versus seeing if the boys would fit into their life.”

Something else helped Cynthia know this family was the right fit, too.

Elijah opened up to Shane and Marc in a way that Cynthia hadn’t seen him open up to another adult.

With help from Cynthia and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption-Canada, Nate and Elijah became a permanent part of the family at age 10.

“The quiet sanctity of my home is not so quiet anymore. It’s a lot louder now,” Shane said with a laugh.

“Hearing laughter in the house … having our home be that safe haven. So, if they have a bad day at school or at therapy, when they come home, they’re safe to vent and express themselves fully. It’s all about building that environment around them so they can thrive,” Marc said.

Today, the family is making many special memories together. They celebrated the day the boys first came to Shane and Marc’s home with a cake — a tradition they have continued every year. The boys took their first flight to Newfoundland, where they were able to explore and pick wild blueberries. They’ve tried Thai food (Nate’s favorite), celebrated birthdays together and built relationships with the rest of the family as well.

“I met my grandparents for the first time,” Nate said. “I was excited to meet them. They were excited to meet me too.”

And they are continuing to dream about their future, with the love and support of their family every step of the way.

“After I was adopted, I felt happy,” Elijah shared.

Nate added, “After I was adopted, I felt at home.”

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