When a woman, desperate to be a mother, adopts an unwanted black baby, she tries her hardest to give him the life he deserves while battling through prejudice. Twenty years later, how he repays her is unbelievable.
Julia had spent 20 years trying to build a better life for her son, Ethan. She had fought for change in their community, taught her son that there was more to people than the color of their skin, and watched as he defied all odds to attend a prestigious establishment for his higher education.
As she lay in her hospital bed, she had a lot to reflect on. Life hadn’t always been easy for her and Ethan, but she’d always tried to navigate challenges with love and honesty. She thought back to the day she’d first seen Ethan, an unwanted black baby, and how her life had taken a very different path. From that moment, she’d given Ethan everything she had, and how he’d chosen to repay her was unbelievable.
Julia’s deep desire to become a mother was something she’d felt as long as she could remember. However, life hadn’t worked out the way she’d planned, and with each passing year, she still found herself without a child. She was increasingly aware that her time was running out, which is why she’d now started to consider adopting.
Stepping into the adoption agency, Julia was met with a rush of emotions. Surrounded by rows of tiny cribs, she felt nervous and excited to be finally fulfilling a dream she’d had for so long. This was a life-changing decision for both her and any child she decided to adopt, and she knew it wasn’t something to take lightly.
Walking amongst the cribs, Julia suddenly stopped when she noticed a beautiful little boy with big brown eyes staring up at her. The agency workers seemed to notice a connection between the pair and told Julia that the little boy was called Ethan. She told Julia that he was often overlooked by potential adoptive parents. Julia was outraged; the only reason she could see for Ethan being overlooked is that he was one of the only black babies at the adoption agency. Julia assumed society had moved on from such prejudice, but clearly, she was wrong.
She cradled Ethan in her arms, feeling an immediate bond. This was everything she’d ever wanted, and she knew she could give Ethan a loving home. She made the decision then and there to adopt the little boy.
Life with Ethan at home was everything Julia had hoped for. Her days were filled with laughter and new experiences. Her small apartment transformed from a tidy sanctuary to a place filled with toys, diapers, and everything else she needed for her son. She didn’t mind, though, and took everything in her stride.
However, when she went outside with her adopted son, things were very different from the happy home life they had. Julia couldn’t ignore the subtle and not-so-subtle looks, the hushed conversations questioning her decision to adopt the black baby.
Determined not to let ignorant comments affect her or her son, she decided to educate herself. Julia began reading books on multicultural parenting and sought advice from other parents in the same situation as her to gain a better understanding of the future challenges and how to raise her son to ignore prejudice.
Despite these challenges, Julia remained determined to create a home where skin color wasn’t important. As Ethan progressed through various milestones, questions about his identity naturally arose. These questions were often fueled by encounters at school with other children. Ethan would often come home and ask why he looked so different from his mom or why they had different skin colors.
Julia didn’t shy away from the difficult conversations, though, and enrolled Ethan in different activities that could educate him about his heritage and celebrate diversity. Ethan thrived in these environments, finding a creative outlet where his identity was no longer defined by skin color.
Encouraged by the positive changes within her household, Julia expanded her efforts into the community. She became actively involved in local groups promoting racial harmony and organizing events that fostered understanding and appreciation of different cultures. Ethan watched on as his mom would regularly organize potlucks where people could bring a dish from their culture or storytelling sessions where people from different backgrounds could get together and share wisdom and tales of their homeland.
Julia’s determination to change her community was rubbing off on Ethan, who wanted to follow in his mom’s footsteps. As he entered his teenage years, he expressed a desire to start writing essays on his experiences. With Julia’s guidance, Ethan created articles that resonated with many people. He soon found himself sitting on the youth council and as a member of various discussion panels.
Teachers at school had also noticed Ethan’s brilliant academic ability and maturity far beyond his years. They believed that Ethan could take the foundations that Julia had built and turn them into something life-changing for many people. Despite this, though, it wasn’t a given that he would enter into higher education. Financial restraints proved to be a barrier to him accessing this, and lingering prejudice didn’t help either.
Ethan had never been someone to give up easily, though. His mom had taught him to remain resilient when things got tough. He spent his days and nights tirelessly working, and soon his resilience and hard work secured him a full scholarship to one of the top universities in the country. A moment that filled Julia with immense pride.
Shortly after arriving at the university, Ethan met Professor Douglas, a respected academic figure known for both his academic achievements and his personal journey as a black man in a prestigious environment. Professor Douglas saw a kindred spirit in Ethan and quickly took him under his wing. Their connection deepened as they discussed prejudice in a world quick to recognize differences but slow to acknowledge similarities.
During a conversation in Professor Douglas’s office, Ethan shared his life story with Julia. Professor Douglas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was just about to start a new research project on adoption stories where the children and parents came from different racial backgrounds. Professor Douglas expressed a desire to enroll Ethan in the project, something which Ethan was keen to get his teeth into.
Seeing an opportunity to meet other people like him and open people’s eyes to what can happen when love transcends differences, Ethan embraced the project in a way he’d never tackled anything before. He conducted interviews with families, and it soon became clear that the research went beyond an academic purpose and that it was a tribute to Julia and others who, like her, defied societal expectations.
The research gained momentum, attracting attention from scholars and the media. Ethan realized the power of these stories to reshape people’s views positively. Life was about to throw a huge curveball at Ethan, though. In the middle of his success, Julia received the news that she had a life-threatening condition that required immediate attention.
Julia panicked. On top of the diagnosis, she faced the reality of not being able to pay the medical bills. Her insurance didn’t even come close to covering the amount of money that would be spent. Julia tried her best to hide her financial worries from her son, but Ethan could sense that something wasn’t right.
Keen to do all he could to help the woman who had given him such an amazing life, he set up a fundraiser and shared their story with the world. The response was overwhelming. Thousands of people from across the globe were touched by Ethan and Julia’s story and the way they’d become such a powerful force for change.
Many people contributed to the fundraiser, and it soon gained so much momentum that news outlets picked up on it, further amplifying the support. To Ethan’s surprise, the funds now not only covered Julia’s medical bills but also allowed him to set up a foundation to support people facing similar challenges. The kindness of strangers had saved his mom and allowed him to fulfill a dream.
Julia was moved by how much people had been willing to help out. She was never really someone who recognized her achievements, but she was now starting to realize just how much of an impact she’d had on people. She was so pleased that her son was following in her footsteps.
Julia had the surgery she needed, and it was a success. As Julia recovered, she reflected on the journey she and Ethan had taken together. Julia had chosen to adopt an unwanted black baby all those years ago, and now, through the fundraiser and carrying out the research in her name, her son had repaid her in the most unbelievable way.
Julia had never wanted praise for acting like a loving and understanding human being, but watching her son break down barriers and challenge prejudice was more than enough thanks.
