The foster care system in Arkansas finds a forever home for the longest-waiting child

Little Rock, Arkansas – Jose, 17, has finally reached the conclusion of his lengthy search for his ideal family.

As the court announced that Jose was now adopted, the Arkansas Department of Human Services conference room and Ninth West Judicial Circuit Court were filled with tears and cheers.

When Jose was a newborn, a caregiver caused him to experience shaken infant syndrome.

After receiving the round-the-clock attention he required at a care facility, his birth family started to desert him, which is when the state’s foster care system took over.

When Mary Zhang took over, his life started to change.

“I intended to be a medical advocate for him when I first came,” Dr. Zhang stated.

Zhang was introduced because of Jose’s significant brain injury, paralysis, linguistic and visual impairment, and need for a feeding tube—all of which are typical signs of shaken baby syndrome.

Zhang remarked, “We just knew that we wanted him to be a part of our family as we visited him more and more.”

Zhang told her husband that she felt called to adopt.

Patrick Sullivan remarked, “You know you had kind of gotten to where he needs someone and I was like let’s do it.”

Zhang remarked, “He’s spent his whole life in a facility, like, how do you?”

Jose, according to Zhang and Sullivan, was answered by prayer.

“We want to be his rock, we want to be there for him constantly, we want to pray for him constantly, and we just want to try to do everything that we know Jesus would do,” Zhang stated.
Zhang and Sullivan informed the judge under oath on Thursday that they wanted to adopt Jose, and the judge approved their request.

Jose has a family today after spending over 17 years in foster care.

Zhang remarked, “He knows we love him when we rub his face and look into his eyes.”
Jose will continue to get the care he need in the facility, but this time with the assistance and affectionate visits of his new parents.