“I Really Couldn’t Sleep Last Night”: Teacher-Student Duo Recalls the Surreal Moment They Became Mother & Son

Just days before families across the nation gather to celebrate all of the things we’re thankful for, Anthony Berry has been legally granted a forever home, a forever family and a mother he’ll forever be grateful for.

The 16-year-old from Beaumont, Texas, had come to terms with the fact that he would likely never be adopted, as he’d been in the foster care system since he was nine years old.

Like thousands of others, Anthony assumed he’d age out of the system when he turned 18.
That is—until he met his English teacher, Bennie Berry, last November. It didn’t take long for the two to form an incredible bond, and by January, Anthony had asked Bennie to adopt him as her own.

“I really couldn’t sleep last night,” the 16-year-old told reporters just before making his adoption official.

“I told mom, I was like, ‘I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep,’” he added. “She was like, ‘I don’t think I am either.’”

They made it official in court on Monday—just one year after being placed in each other’s lives, and just in time for the holiday season to be filled with love and family. A forever family.

“I have a son. I’m more than elated,” the first-time mom said. “I have a son for the rest of my life.”