Did you know that there are over 424,000 children in foster care across the United States? In the state of Tennessee alone, almost 8,000 children are waiting for a loving family to call their own. But sadly, there are fewer than 4,000 foster families available.

Imagine being a 12-year-old and spending half of your life in the foster care system, moving from one family to another. That was the life of Andrew from Nashville, until recently when everything changed for him.

Andrew found himself welcomed into a special foster family, the Gills. Kevin and Dominique Gill already had a son named Joc, who instantly became best friends with Andrew. The two boys bonded over games, walks, and endless fun. Their friendship was so strong that Kevin and Dominique decided to make it permanent by filing adoption papers.

Can you imagine Andrew’s surprise when he learned that he was going to be a member of the Gill family forever? While he was taking a walk at the park with Molly Parker from Youth Villages, he was met with the heartwarming news that his foster parents were adopting him.

“I just turned around the corner and saw everybody,” Andrew recounted. “They asked ‘will you?’ and I said ‘yeah!’”

And just like that, these best friends became brothers. It’s truly a beautiful story of love, friendship, and a dream come true for a young boy in need of a forever family.