Growing up in a safe and loving home is far from a given for many children. Those who don’t often have just one wish, and that is to feel loved somewhere. It’s precisely this perspective that has led Kevin and Dominique Gill to welcome foster children into their home.
But when they welcomed a 10-year-old boy that no one else wanted, everything changed in their lives.
Up to a certain age, I didn’t even realize that not every child had the blessing of a mom and dad who thought the world of them.
Of course, there are millions of children the world over who don’t have the benefit of a warm and loving home. One 12-year-old boy named Andrew, from Nashville, Tennessee, knows all about that.
Literally couldn’t ask for better friends 🤞 We literally called them three days before we decided to take a quick trip to Gatlinburg for Joc birthday! My other family 🥰Posted by Dominique Gill on Sunday, May 31, 2020
In 2018, Dominique and Kevin Gill made the decision to become foster parents to Andrew, who was ten years old.
Introvert and aggressive
Andrew had no contact with his biological parents, and throughout his upbringing, he had bounced between temporary homes arranged by social services. As per reports, he’s lived in foster care for about half his young life.
Not having a secure place or anything to call “home” had made the ten-year-old introverted, as he was unwilling to open up to anyone. Several people who met the boy got the impression that he was emotionally distant.
Social services described Andrew as “troublesome,” as he could easily become angry. Many saw this as a reason not to take on the boy, but Dominique and Kevin were determined to help him. They have always believed that security and love can mold children into good people.
My kids so perfect 🤞❤Posted by Dominique Gill on Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Andrew temporarily moved in as a foster child with the couple in their villa in Nashville, Tennessee. There, he would stay until social services found a family willing to adopt him.
However, that proved easier said than done, as no one wanted Andrew, and foster care was just a temporary solution. Just like every other time.
”He didn’t want to talk”
Speaking to WBIR Channel 10, Kevin and Dominique revealed that Andrew withdrew and avoided social contact during the initial period. He just wanted to sit in his room and play computer games. He was often angry and prone to outbursts.
”During his first week with us, he sat in his room with the door closed, looking at old photos. He didn’t want to talk,” Andrew’s foster parents shared in their interview.
Weeks passed, and Dominique and Kevin, along with their biological children, struggled with Andrew, who didn’t bond with anyone.
But the compassionate couple persisted, never giving up on Andrew. Despite his anger, they consistently responded with love. Over time, Andrew began to realize and understand that he was truly loved.
We don’t know which is sweeter: Andrew and Joc’s love of @KelloggsUS PopTarts, or the bond these two share! We are thrilled that Andrew has found his forever family with his best friend and new brother, Joc, and the Gill family. Thx @WSMV for sharing! https://t.co/OystsoBfwd pic.twitter.com/1w0uqDLtcc
— Youth Villages (@youthvillages) September 1, 2020
The foster couple’s biological son initially felt no connection with Andrew at all, but just like his parents believe, he also thinks that everyone deserves a chance.
It soon became evident that the boys had a lot in common, and when Andrew realized that this family cared about him, he let down his guard.
The boys started playing as if they were best friends, and the couple’s biological son also flourished. The two boys loved to play video games and eat pop-tarts together. Joc’s parents, Kevin and Dominique Gill, meanwhile, have always loved having Andrew around.
After a while, social services deemed Andrew ready to move in with an adoptive family.
”Our mindset was to help him until he found his permanent home,” Dominique explains.
Andrew, who had found security in a place for the first time in his life, was about to prepare for yet another move.
#ThankYou Gill Family 😍 What a wonderful story Joc and Andrew. And I'm with them #FrostedCherryPopTarts! | A dream come true: Adoption unites best friends https://t.co/ZMmpI7PacO
— Karen Bowman (@KBow5) September 7, 2020
”But after the second adoption fell through, I realized that God placed Andrew in our lives for a reason. God made sure the adoption didn’t work out so that he could come back to us,” Dominique reveals.
The couple decided to ask Andrew if he wanted to become part of their family, and the answer was a resounding ‘yes’.
You can imagine Andrew’s delight and surprise, then, when one day he was out walking in the park with Molly Parker (who works at Youth Villages) and was met with the news that the Gills were officially adopting him
“I just turned around the corner and saw everybody,” Andrew said.
“They asked ‘will you?’ and I said ‘yeah!’”
Figures state that there are more than 8,000 children in the Tennessee Foster System waiting for their forever home. Fortunately, there’s one less due to the kindness and compassion of the Gills.
“This is my brother, Joc,” said Andrew.
“This is my brother, Andrew,” said Joc.
Today, Andrew and Joc have truly forged an unbreakable bond, becoming brothers in every sense of the word.
Kevin and Dominique never realized that Andrew was their son, the one they had been waiting for, and it was undoubtedly meant to be that he would belong to the Gill family.
Life with Joc & Drew 🖤💙 #DifferentTypeOfbestFriends #GKids #RaisingGKids #UniqueWorldPosted by Dominique Gill on Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Stories like this brings tears of joy to my eyes. I’m so thankful for families like the Gills, and the fact that they’ve given Andrew a forever home.
Share this article if you, too, want to say thank you to the Gills, and to wish Andrew the best moving forward.