A student needed medical care and a place to call home. His teachers adopted him. The story is so inspiring it reminds me of the power we all have to make a difference in someone else’s life and to set an example for others to follow. We all have the power!
A first-grade teacher, Jenna Riccio, learned that one of her students needed emergency surgery. She visited him in the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center as he recovered. She knew he had been in foster care as well. “Nate” was born with sickle cell anemia and had other serious medical problems. Both of Nate’s legs had been amputated below his knees, along with his left arm and several fingers on his right hand. He also suffered from liver and kidney damage.
Jenna decided to provide foster care for Nate. She informed her boyfriend, Tim, about her spontaneous offer and he was all in. It ends up Tim already knew the little boy, too, as he was his art teacher at the same elementary school. After completing the background checks, taking the training courses, and going through the home inspection, Jenna and Tim were ready to welcome Nate into their home. He happily joined them. He was a young boy who had extremely complex needs but his new family overcame all the obstacles. Eventually Jenna and Tim adopted Nate and he and they have settled into a wonderful family.
Wow! What an amazing couple of people and an equally amazing little boy becoming a part of an amazing family. Did I use the word “amazing” enough? No matter how many times I use it there is no way to overstate what this story becomes to me. The story is important to me not only because it shows me a wonderful example of how kind some people can be, but because more importantly it shows me how I could make a difference in people’s lives, too.
The story reminds me of how there are simply amazing, wonderful, open, loving, good people in the world. Too often we see the examples of bad people or even ordinary people who never do anything except focus on themselves. Sure, there are bad people in the world, but there also kind, wonderful people. There are simply amazing people who reach way beyond themselves to be kind, to give to others, and to make a genuine difference in someone else’s life. Let’s focus on the good in people.
Secondly, people like the Riccios remind me of the power we all have to reach beyond limits and step up to make a difference in other people’s lives. We don’t have to adopt little children who are seemingly “unadoptable” to make a difference. They are limitless ways we can all make a difference in someone else’s life. From reaching out to hear other people’s pain, or sharing our abundance with those who have less, to being there to support someone else when they need it, and any one of a hundred ways for someone else, we can all make a difference in the lives of others.
We all have the power to make a difference in other’s lives. The only question is do we use that power? Are you making a difference in other people’s lives? Am I making a difference? Our faith calls for us to make a difference and the story of the Riccios truly inspires me. I hope it does you too.