Police discovered one-year-old Blessing asleep on the bare floor between her parents, both high on drugs, in an apartment they were squatting in. Drug paraphernalia was scattered everywhere.
Blessing was underweight, developmentally delayed and detached emotionally.
But Blessing’s Dallas CASA volunteer, Carrie, was determined that this little girl would know love and safety. With her parents incarcerated, Blessing was placed in a foster home.
“She was so sweet, but she was sometimes sullen and could get angry really easily,” Carrie said. “She had been through far too much.”
Slowly, Blessing started coming out of her shell thanks to work by her foster parents. With consistent mealtimes, therapy and lots of playtime and attention, she learned to trust again. Carrie beamed ear to ear the first time Blessing let her hold her.
Then Blessing’s little sister, Lyric, was born. Their mother and father were still incarcerated, and Lyric was placed immediately in the same foster home as Blessing.
Together, the girls created the family bond they needed.
Meanwhile, Carrie, Dallas CASA staff and child welfare workers were trying to locate family members who could take Blessing and Lyric. They ran into one brick wall after another, with family members either not appropriate or unable to care for two little girls. Their family members were spread across multiple states and were not in touch with each other.
Then the Dallas CASA team located a long-lost aunt in Mississippi. An elementary school teacher and single, their aunt stepped up and said yes. “She is a literal angel here on earth,” Carrie said.
Right away, their aunt focused on ensuring they felt safe. She ran a structured household and surrounded them with educational opportunities and lots of love. As the girls settled in, the family developed a rhythm – church on Sunday mornings followed by Sunday afternoon and evening with the entire extended family. Weekdays were simple, with dinner at home and lots of books and playtime.
One weekend, Carrie flew to Jackson, Mississippi, to visit Blessing, Lyric and their aunt. She was thrilled to find a thriving and happy family with an enormous support system of extended family, including grandmothers, aunts, cousins, neighbors and more. She saw the playground the girls loved, their shared bedroom full of books and the way they played with their cousins.
“It was so heartwarming to see them in their final spot, safe, cared for, happy, loved and full of smiles,” Carrie said. “These girls didn’t choose their circumstances. To see them being given a second chance at a home every child deserves made me so happy.”
The girls were adopted by their aunt a year ago. She initially planned to come to Dallas for an in-court adoption, but her extended family in Mississippi could not have come and wanted to participate. So, she switched to a Zoom hearing with everyone on camera and a big happy party afterward.
