Mom Moves Away and Leaves Teen With Down Syndrome Behind - So His Best Friend Adopts Him

Best Friends Forever

Jay and Lucy became friends in high school. According to them, Jay sat down next to Lucy one day in gym class and told her he loved her. From then on, they struck up a fast friendship and hung out twice a week in gym class.

Soon, school hangouts turned into Jay coming over after school and for dinner. Eventually, he would come over on the weekends, and at one point, he started staying for multiple days at a time.

As Lucy prepped to go to college, something unexpected happened. Jay’s mother revealed she was moving away and could no longer take care of her son, who has Down syndrome. Lucy went straight to her mom, Dawn.

“[We had] the conversation along the lines of, ‘Can Jay come live with us?’” Lucy recalled to Made With Love. “Without hesitation, my mom said sure.”

According to Dawn, Lucy initially planned to adopt Jay and take him to college. However, Dawn had another idea.

“I said, ‘I love the idea that you want to do that, but he’s going to stay right here with us,’” she recalled. And he did.

A New Family

Jay moved in, and from the beginning, he was an immediate part of the family. He’d already spent so much time there that it was a natural transition, and the bonds grew from there.

“I am not Lucy; I am Jay’s sister,” Lucy explained. “I can’t imagine my life without Jay; I don’t think any of us could.”

Eventually, Jay began calling Dawn “Mama Dawn” and proclaimed himself her Mini-Me. He even dressed like her one Halloween.

“He makes every one of us a better person. Every one of us,” Dawn added.

As for Jay, he knows he’s found the place he truly belongs.

“I’d do anything to be like [Dawn] because she has pure love and light through her heart and body,” he said. “Hanging with Lucy is love and happy and always bright… my Nanny always said to shine my light, find my moment. But she also said love the people you love the most.”

Finding Your Tribe

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and not all families work well as a unit. Sometimes, family members cannot be there for one another financially or emotionally, which can lead to unhealthy situations. It’s important to remember that chosen families are also possible, particularly for those who don’t have a blood family to fall back on.

This powerful story reminds us that sometimes, the people we choose to surround ourselves with become our families instead. By taking Jay in, Dawn and Lucy completed their family as much as Jay found his.

It’s a hopeful reminder for anyone struggling with their current circumstances that things can improve. Find your tribe, and love them most. After all, they’re the ones who are going to love you most, too.